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The role of genetics in fetal programming of adult cardiometabolic disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2021

Carlos Sánchez-Soriano Open the ORCID record for Carlos Sánchez-Soriano [Opens in a new window] ,
Ewan R. Pearson Open the ORCID record for Ewan R. Pearson [Opens in a new window]  and
Rebecca M. Reynolds Open the ORCID record for Rebecca M. Reynolds [Opens in a new window]
Carlos Sánchez-Soriano
Affiliation:
The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Deanery of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH16 4TJ, UK
Ewan R. Pearson
Affiliation:
The University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and School of Medicine, Division of Population Health and Genomics, Dundee, Tayside, DD2 1UB, UK
Rebecca M. Reynolds*
Affiliation:
The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Deanery of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH16 4TJ, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: Rebecca M. Reynolds, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh Bioquarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH164TJ. Email: r.reynolds@ed.ac.uk
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Abstract

Disturbances affecting early development have broad repercussions on the individual’s health during infancy and adulthood. Multiple observational studies throughout the years have shown that alterations of fetal growth are associated with increased cardiometabolic disease risks. However, the genetic component of this association only started to be investigated in the last 40 years, when single genes with distinct effects were investigated. Birth weight (BW), commonly reported as the outcome of developmental growth, has been estimated to be 20% to 60% heritable. Through Genome-Wide Association (GWA) meta-analyses, 190 different loci have been identified being associated with BW, and while many of these loci designate genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism, with clear ties to fetal development, the role of others is not yet understood. In addition, due to its influence over the intrauterine environment, the maternal genotype also plays an important part in the determination of offspring BW, with the same loci having independent effects of different magnitude or even direction. There is still much to uncover regarding the genetic determinants of BW and the interactions between maternal, offspring, and even paternal genotype. To fully understand these, diverse and novel cohorts from multiple ancestries collecting extensive neonatal phenotype will be needed. This review compiles, chronologically, the main findings in the investigation of the genetics of BW.

Keywords

Fetal programminggeneticsbirth weightmetabolic disease
Type
Review
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , June 2022 , pp. 292 - 299
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

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