The PTK2B gene is associated with obesity, adiposity, and leptin levels in children and adolescents

Eva Prida; Raquel Pérez-Lois; Pablo Jácome-Ferrer; Diego Muñoz-Moreno; Beatriz Brea-García; María Villalón; Verónica Pena-Leon; Rocío Vázquez-Cobela; Concepción M Aguilera; Javier Conde-Aranda; Javier Costas; Ana Estany-Gestal; Mar Quiñones; Rosaura Leis; Luisa María Seoane; Omar Al-Massadi

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2024.111120

The PTK2B gene is associated with obesity, adiposity, and leptin levels in children and adolescents

iScience. 2024 Oct 9;27(11):111120. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.111120. eCollection 2024 Nov 15.

Authors

Eva Prida^{1

2}, Raquel Pérez-Lois^{2

3}, Pablo Jácome-Ferrer^{4

5}, Diego Muñoz-Moreno^{1

2}, Beatriz Brea-García¹, María Villalón^{2

3}, Verónica Pena-Leon³, Rocío Vázquez-Cobela^{2

6

7}, Concepción M Aguilera^{2

8

9}, Javier Conde-Aranda¹⁰, Javier Costas^{4

11}, Ana Estany-Gestal¹², Mar Quiñones^{2

3}, Rosaura Leis^{2

6

7}, Luisa María Seoane^{2

3}, Omar Al-Massadi^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Translational Endocrinology Group, Endocrinology Section, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS)/Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Travesía da Choupana s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
² CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Av Monforte de Lemos3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
³ Grupo Fisiopatología Endocrina, Área de Endocrinología, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Travesía da Choupana s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
⁴ Psychiatric Genetics group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Travesía da Choupana s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
⁵ Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Rua san francisco s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
⁶ Pediatric Nutrition Research Group. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS). Santiago de Compostela Spain Unit of Investigation in Human Nutrition, Growth and Development of Galicia (GALINUT), University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
⁷ Unit of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Pediatric Service. University Clinical Hospital of Santiago (CHUS), Travesía da Choupana s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
⁸ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology "José Mataix", Center of Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain.
⁹ Biosanitary Research Institute (IBS), University of Granada, Av de Madrid 15, 18012 Granada, Andalusia, Spain.
¹⁰ Molecular and Cellular Gastroenterology Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Travesía da Choupana s/n, Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Galicia, Spain.
¹¹ Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), Servizo Galego de Saúde (SERGAS), Travesía da Choupana s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
¹² Plataforma de Metodología de la Investigación, Instituto de Investigación de Santiago (IDIS), Travesía da Choupana s/n, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.

Abstract

Previous studies determined that Pyk2 is involved in several diseases in which the symptomatology presents alterations in energy balance. However, its role in obesity is poorly understood. To evaluate the metabolic role of the Pyk2 gene (PTK2B) in children and adolescents with obesity we measured its mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. For that we performed a cross-sectional study involving 130 Caucasian subjects that was divided into two groups according to BMI. Data showed increased PTK2B mRNA expression in children and adolescents with obesity. Interestingly, a positive correlation has been found between the levels of PTK2B with weight, BMI, BMI Z score, fat mass, waist circumference, waist to height ratio, diastolic blood pressure, and leptin. In addition, it is indicated that high levels of PTK2B gene expression might be a predictor of obesity development. This work provides important insights into the previously undescribed role of Pyk2 in obesity.

Keywords: Human metabolism; Pediatrics.