Natural selection signatures of 65 syndromic and 8 monogenic obesity genes in 7 ethnic groups do not support the thrifty genotype hypothesis

Background

The “thrifty genotype hypothesis” states that gene variants promoting efficient fat deposition may have been advantaged by natural selection to allow human survival during famine. Nowadays, such genes are rendered detrimental by progress as they promote fat deposition in preparation for a famine that never comes, resulting in widespread obesity. Obesity is genetically heterogeneous, with a continuum between very rare syndromic, rare monogenic, and common polygenic forms of obesity. The identification of natural selection signatures has been largely restricted to polygenic obesity-susceptibility variants, and this approach has failed to validate the thrifty genotype hypothesis. However, polygenic variants may not be as relevant as monogenic mutations, characterized by strong phenotypic effects on body mass index variation and obesity risk, in detecting significant signatures of natural selection.

Methods

We investigated the patterns of natural selection of 65 syndromic and 8 monogenic obesity genes in the gnomAD multiethnic population (N = 807,162).

Results

Our data suggest that most dominant syndromic obesity genes display negative signatures of natural selection (i.e., deleterious alleles are selectively purged from the population). In contrast, monogenic obesity genes exhibit neither negative nor positive patterns of natural selection. Our findings do not support the thrifty genotype hypothesis for syndromic and monogenic hyperphagic obesity in 7 ethnic groups.

Conclusion

Our work highlights the evolutionary mechanisms that have shaped the modern ethnic distribution of monogenic and syndromic obesity mutations, why some individuals are susceptible to obesity and have a profound impact on therapeutic strategies for managing chronic diseases.