Bonn -
This will be cheering all the women: Bonner developmental biologists have discovered a Schlankheitsgen - in fruit flies.
The expert explained: "larvae in which this hereditary factor is defective, losing its entire store fat."
Fittingly, the previously unknown gene was given to control of fat metabolism called "slim". What does this mean for mankind? The scientists are hopeful: Because mammals possess a similar group of genes, the "Let 'genes could use one of this discovery for future anti-obesity drugs.
But so far it is far: "It certainly takes ten years, would be to such a preparation on the market", the evolutionary biologist Professor Michael Hoch said. There go first necessary to explore in basic research, the effect of the gene family and its role in the regulation of body fat.
The Bonn group of researchers was able to save with "Let" genes from the mouse, the defective "lean" gene in flies mutant in part. "Normally, the larvae died immediately after hatching," said Hoch. Thanks to the "Leave" gene, they built back on body fat and survived into the next stage of development. "We therefore consider it very likely that the" Let 'genes regulate lipid metabolism in mammals. " If this is the case, it would be a promising target for new drugs against obesity.
The researchers were able to trigger activation of a "lean" gene in fruit flies the other way around building fat reserves.
