Genomic and epigenomic mapping of leptin-responsive neuronal populations involved in body weight regulation

Nat Metab. 2019 Apr;1(4):475-484. doi: 10.1038/s42255-019-0051-x. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Abstract

Genome wide association studies (GWAS) in obesity have identified a large number of noncoding loci located near genes expressed in the central nervous system. However, due to the difficulties in isolating and characterizing specific neuronal subpopulations, few obesity-associated SNPs have been functionally characterized. Leptin responsive neurons in the hypothalamus are essential in controlling energy homeostasis and body weight. Here, we combine FACS-sorting of leptin-responsive hypothalamic neuron nuclei with genomic and epigenomic approaches (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq) to generate a comprehensive map of leptin-response specific regulatory elements, several of which overlap obesity-associated GWAS variants. We demonstrate the usefulness of our leptin-response neuron regulome, by functionally characterizing a novel enhancer near Socs3, a leptin response-associated transcription factor. We envision our data to serve as a useful resource and a blueprint for functionally characterizing obesity-associated SNPs in the hypothalamus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Weight / genetics*
  • Epigenomics*
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Genomics*
  • Humans
  • Hypothalamus / metabolism
  • Hypothalamus / physiology
  • Leptin / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Neurons / physiology
  • Obesity / genetics
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Transcriptome

Substances

  • Leptin