{"title":"The Microbiota and Evolution of Obesity.","authors":"Mario J A Saad, Andrey Santos","doi":"10.1210/endrev/bnae033","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Obesity is a major global concern and is generally attributed to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the evolutionary origins of obesity epidemic, including thrifty and drifty genotypes, and changes in thermogenesis. Here, we put forward the hypothesis of metaflammation, which proposes that due to intense selection pressures exerted by environmental pathogens, specific genes that help develop a robust defense mechanism against infectious diseases have had evolutionary advantages and that this may contribute to obesity in modern times due to connections between the immune and energy storage systems. Indeed, incorporating the genetic variations of gut microbiota into the complex genetic framework of obesity makes it more polygenic than previously believed. Thus, uncovering the evolutionary origins of obesity requires a multifaceted approach that considers the complexity of human history, the unique genetic makeup of different populations, and the influence of gut microbiome on host genetics.</p>","PeriodicalId":11544,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":22.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Endocrine reviews","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1210/endrev/bnae033","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Obesity is a major global concern and is generally attributed to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the evolutionary origins of obesity epidemic, including thrifty and drifty genotypes, and changes in thermogenesis. Here, we put forward the hypothesis of metaflammation, which proposes that due to intense selection pressures exerted by environmental pathogens, specific genes that help develop a robust defense mechanism against infectious diseases have had evolutionary advantages and that this may contribute to obesity in modern times due to connections between the immune and energy storage systems. Indeed, incorporating the genetic variations of gut microbiota into the complex genetic framework of obesity makes it more polygenic than previously believed. Thus, uncovering the evolutionary origins of obesity requires a multifaceted approach that considers the complexity of human history, the unique genetic makeup of different populations, and the influence of gut microbiome on host genetics.
期刊介绍:
Endocrine Reviews, published bimonthly, features concise timely reviews updating key mechanistic and clinical concepts, alongside comprehensive, authoritative articles covering both experimental and clinical endocrinology themes. The journal considers topics informing clinical practice based on emerging and established evidence from clinical research. It also reviews advances in endocrine science stemming from studies in cell biology, immunology, pharmacology, genetics, molecular biology, neuroscience, reproductive medicine, and pediatric endocrinology.