The Pro115Gln and Pro12Ala PPAR gamma gene mutations in obesity and type 2diabetes

OBJECTIVE: Peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptors gamma (PPAR gamma), is a key regulator of adipocyte differentiation and energy balance. Two nat urally occurring mutations in the PPAR gamma gene, Pro115Gln and Pro12Ala, have recently been shown to impair the function of the PPAR gamma 2 isoform of the receptor and to be associated with obesity or diabetes-related phen otypes in different populations, SUBJECTS: We studied the occurrence and possible associations of the Pro115 Gln and Pro12Ala in the PPAR gamma 2 gene with several clinical and metabol ic phenotypes in three independent targe populations of non-obese non-diabe tic, type 2 diabetic, and morbidly obese French Caucasians. RESULTS: The Pro115Gln mutation was not found in any of the 1069 subjects s creened including 626 obese patients, The frequency of the Pro12Ala mutatio n was similar in all groups (0.08, 0.11, 0.09) and was not associated with BMI or any of the clinical parameters tested. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the Pro115Gln mutation is not a frequent caus e of morbid obesity in Caucasians and that the Pro12Ala mutation is not ass ociated with clinically significant changes in these populations.