225 | id == 225
225 | category_id == 18
225 | category_order == 15
225 | category_name == Weight
225 | category_color == #C47AC0
225 | slug == GNPDA2-weight
225 | title == How Does this Enzyme Affect Weight Gain & Loss? (GNPDA2)
225 | meta_description == GNPDA2 encodes an enzyme that may both decrease appetite and increase fat deposition. What is its genetic link to obesity?
225 | summary == <p><strong>GNPDA2 encodes an enzyme that may both decrease appetite and increase fat deposition. What is its genetic link to obesity? Read on to learn more.</strong></p>
225 | overall_score_text == Weight Score (based on GNPDA2)
225 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/GNPDA2--Weight.jpg
225 | author_id == 1
225 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
225 | author_title == BSc, BEd
225 | author_order == 36
225 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
225 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
225 | reviewer == None
225 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
225 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
225 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
225 | publish_date == 2020
225 | publish_date == 6
225 | publish_date == 23
225 | avg_rating == 5.0
225 | tags_id == 507
225 | tags_name == Aminosugar Metabolism
225 | tags_id == 506
225 | tags_name == GNPDA2 Gene
225 | tags_id == 115
225 | tags_name == Weight Gain
225 | tags_id == 184
225 | tags_name == Weight Loss
225 | permissions_favorite == False
225 | permissions_rate == False
225 | content_article == <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">This article is for informational purposes only. None of the information here should be taken as medical advice. If you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight, seek medical help. </span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep in mind that these results are based on association studies, which are correlative and aren&rsquo;t necessarily causative. Any single genetic variant will typically contribute only a small proportion to the overall risk of the condition, and non-genetic factors play a large role in developing a condition as well. Therefore, just because you have one of these genotypes does not necessarily mean you are at an increased risk of developing this condition!</span></em></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is GNPDA2?</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">GNPDA2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes an enzyme that converts glucosamine-6-phosphate to fructose-6-phosphate and ammonium as part of what&rsquo;s called &ldquo;aminosugar metabolism&rdquo; [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4911950/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This reaction is believed to be a part of sugar and fat metabolism. One study that investigated the effects of high and low GNPDA2 found that it increased fat deposition and altered the expression of genes that affect the </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/insulin-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> response [</span><a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ije/2019/9145452/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The GNPDA2 enzyme is primarily active in the brain and some research suggests it could play a role in appetite regulation [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695662/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-019-0405-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In chickens, overexpression of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">GNPDA2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">led to increased PGC1&alpha;. This protein activates many other genes and has been heavily implicated in energy metabolism and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/autophagy-benefits-and-how-to-harness/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">autophagy</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. PGC1&alpha; is highly expressed in brown fat and muscle tissues, further reinforcing GNPDA2&rsquo;s role in metabolism and energy regulation [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4911950/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/medgen/275305"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">GNPDA2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes an enzyme involved in sugar and fat metabolism. It appears to regulate fat deposition, appetite, insulin response, and autophagy, among other possible functions.</span></span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Does GNPDA2 Affect Weight?</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers believe that GNPDA2 increases rates of obesity through its action in the </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/hypothalamus-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">hypothalamus</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> region of the brain. Levels of GNPDA2 enzyme in the hypothalamus increase with leptin [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695662/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6712986/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-019-0405-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leptin is the primary hormone that suppresses appetite and makes us feel full. It is released after we have eaten a meal and in response to some other triggers. Researchers have found that GNPDA2 is released around the same time as leptin, but they are not sure whether it is a cause or consequence of leptin release&mdash;or whether GNPDA2 is released because of the same root signals as leptin [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2202913/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-019-0405-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One study suggests that GNPDA2 may also have something to do with fat deposition and the creation of new fat tissue. In this study, overexpression of GNPDA2 in stem cells led to increased accumulation of fat; a lack of GNPDA2 led to decreased accumulation of fat [</span><a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ije/2019/9145452/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">High GNPDA2 may therefore be a double-edged sword: it could decrease appetite (in the hypothalamus), but increase the rate of fat deposition (elsewhere in the body).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">GNPDA2 may both promote fat deposition and decrease appetite through leptin. Its relationship with weight gain is complex and not fully understood.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">GNPDA2 Variants &amp; Weight Gain</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Three </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">GNPDA2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants have been associated with weight gain. The better-studied of the two is rs10938397, at which the minor &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele has been linked to childhood obesity, increased body mass index (BMI), and increased waist circumference (WC) [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29374901"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4753358/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695662/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2992769/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The other two variants, rs1996023-T and rs16858082-T, have been associated with obesity in Chinese children [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6712986/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5706821/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is not clear whether the potentially detrimental allele of any of these SNPs increases or decreases GNPDA2 activity.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your GNPDA2 Results for Weight Gain</span></h2> <p>*5515797075028055*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">SNP Summary and Table</span></h3> <p><strong>GNPDA2 rs10938397</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Not associated with weight measurements</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with obesity, increased weight, and increased BMI in multiple studies</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 54% of all people have at least one copy of the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele is more common in people of European (66%) and American (64%) descent and less common in people of African descent (36%).</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>GNPDA2 rs1996023</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with obesity in Chinese children</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Possibly protective against obesity in Chinese children</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most people worldwide (77%) have at least one copy of the &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele is more common in people of African (85%) and South Asian (86%) descent and much less common in people of East Asian descent (53%).</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>GNPDA2 rs16858082</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with obesity in Chinese children</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo;&nbsp; = Possibly protective against obesity in Chinese children</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most people worldwide (78%) have at least one copy of the &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele is more common in people of African (85%) and South Asian (87%) descent and much less common in people of East Asian descent (53%).</span></li> </ul> <p>*9205025294663669*</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations for Weight Loss</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">You may try the complementary approaches listed below if you and your doctor determine that they could be appropriate for you. Discuss the strategies listed here with your doctor. Remember that none of them should ever be done in place of what your doctor recommends or prescribes.</span></em></p> <p>*5515797075028055*</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Note: the relationship between GNPDA2 and weight is highly complex, with potentially different effects in the brain vs. other tissues. As such, it is difficult to say whether we would want to increase or decrease expression of this protein. Rather than provide recommendations for one or the other, we will discuss weight loss strategies with clinical evidence that also have been found to interact with GNPDA2 in some way.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Regular Sleep Schedule</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Children who get adequate </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-sleep/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sleep</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> at critical times during their development are less likely to become obese, and at least one study suggests that this link has something to do with GNPDA2 [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-019-0405-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a Chinese study, children with the potentially detrimental </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">GNPDA2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">variant rs16858082-T were even more likely to become obese if they got less than eight hours of sleep per night. Children with this variant were protected against obesity if they slept more than ten hours per night, by contrast [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-019-0405-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers aren&rsquo;t sure whether sleep increases or decreases GNPDA2; however, this study suggests that getting enough sleep helps regulate GNPDA2 as well as weight.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Research over the past few decades has recognized the importance of circadian biology in</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/132-biological-mechanisms-for-weight-modulation/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> obesity</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Scientists think that circadian biology may have a massive influence on energy balance and metabolism [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013188/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to another theory, a disrupted </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/what-it-means-to-keep-to-a-circadian-rhythm/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">circadian rhythm</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may be why shift workers seem to be at an increased risk of obesity [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20122305"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Short </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-sleep/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sleep </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">duration has been associated with weight gain in many studies. A meta-analysis of 30 studies and over 630,000 people associated short sleep duration with a 55% higher incidence of obesity in adults and 89% in children [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18239586"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3973603/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2398753/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Poor sleep can increase </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-10-ways-to-curb-your-hunger-and-approaches-that-didnt-work/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">hunger</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and cravings and disrupt hunger hormones like </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/ghrelin-role-cognitive-gut-function-weight-inflammation-autoimmunity/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ghrelin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/all-about-leptin-its-role-in-chronic-inflammation-cfs-and-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">leptin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2009.01262.x/full"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.0010062"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Children who don&rsquo;t get enough sleep are more likely to become obese than those who do, and this relationship is more dramatic in those with detrimental </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">GNPDA2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants.</span></span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Avoid Fried Food</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to one study, people with potentially detrimental </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">GNPDA2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">variants may be at increased risk of weight gain when they eat fried food [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3959253/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fried food is also well understood to promote weight gain in general, as frying tends to increase the energy density of food and increase the proportion of saturated fats present. Some researchers have also suggested that eating a lot of fried food may promote </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/the-root-causes-of-leptin-resistance-and-12-ways-to-reverse-it/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">leptin resistance</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, thereby increasing food intake overall [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3959253/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3123838/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17616781/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p>
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225 | content_learn_more_9205025294663669_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your GNPDA2 gene is somewhat associated with excessive weight gain. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of obesity, just one gene related to it. Getting enough sleep and avoiding fried foods may help; read on to learn more.
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rsIDs = rs16858082,rs10938397,rs1996023
rsStatus = rs16858082,,chr4,45173787,T,A,C,,24,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs10938397,,chr4,45180510,A,G,,,23,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs1996023,,chr4,45162620,T,A,C,G,29,0,Normal
