Association of maternal weight with FADS and ELOVL genetic variants and fatty acid levels- The PREOBE follow-up

PLoS One. 2017 Jun 9;12(6):e0179135. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179135. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes encoding the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) and elongase (ELOVL) enzymes affect long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) production. We aimed to determine if these SNPs are associated with body mass index (BMI) or affect fatty acids (FAs) in pregnant women. Participants (n = 180) from the PREOBE cohort were grouped according to pre-pregnancy BMI: normal-weight (BMI = 18.5-24.9, n = 88) and overweight/obese (BMI≥25, n = 92). Plasma samples were analyzed at 24 weeks of gestation to measure FA levels in the phospholipid fraction. Selected SNPs were genotyped (7 in FADS1, 5 in FADS2, 3 in ELOVL2 and 2 in ELOVL5). Minor allele carriers of rs174545, rs174546, rs174548 and rs174553 (FADS1), and rs1535 and rs174583 (FADS2) were nominally associated with an increased risk of having a BMI≥25. Only for the normal-weight group, minor allele carriers of rs174537, rs174545, rs174546, and rs174553 (FADS1) were negatively associated with AA:DGLA index. Normal-weight women who were minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs had lower levels of AA, AA:DGLA and AA:LA indexes, and higher levels of DGLA, compared to major homozygotes. Among minor allele carriers of FADS2 and ELOVL2 SNPs, overweight/obese women showed higher DHA:EPA index than the normal-weight group; however, they did not present higher DHA concentrations than the normal-weight women. In conclusion, minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs have an increased risk of obesity. Maternal weight changes the effect of genotype on FA levels. Only in the normal-weight group, minor allele carriers of FADS SNPs displayed reduced enzymatic activity and FA levels. This suggests that women with a BMI≥25 are less affected by FADS genetic variants in this regard. In the presence of FADS2 and ELOVL2 SNPs, overweight/obese women showed higher n-3 LC-PUFA production indexes than women with normal weight, but this was not enough to obtain a higher n-3 LC-PUFA concentration.

MeSH terms

  • Acetyltransferases / genetics*
  • Alleles
  • Body Mass Index
  • Body Weight*
  • Delta-5 Fatty Acid Desaturase
  • Diabetes, Gestational
  • Fatty Acid Desaturases / genetics*
  • Fatty Acid Elongases
  • Fatty Acids / blood*
  • Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / blood
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Genetic Association Studies*
  • Genetic Variation*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Mothers*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Pregnancy
  • Spain

Substances

  • Delta-5 Fatty Acid Desaturase
  • ELOVL2 protein, human
  • ELOVL5 protein, human
  • Fatty Acids
  • Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
  • Fatty Acid Desaturases
  • FADS1 protein, human
  • Acetyltransferases
  • Fatty Acid Elongases

Grants and funding

Authors thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project BFU2012-40254-C03-02) and the CIBER-Obn for the financial support for this study. ADLGP thanks the Mexican government and National Council on Science and Technology (CONACYT) for her PhD grant. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.