很多人為保持身材苗條而不得不在美味的高熱量食物面前望而卻步，不過一項(xiàng)最新研究有望給他們帶來福音,。美國(guó)研究人員在人體內(nèi)發(fā)現(xiàn)一種負(fù)責(zé)將碳水化合物轉(zhuǎn)化為脂肪的基因,，這一發(fā)現(xiàn)有望幫助人們控制體重。
美國(guó)加州大學(xué)伯克利分校的研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),，一種名為DNA－PK的基因似乎可以控制肝臟將碳水化合物轉(zhuǎn)化為脂肪的過程,。在老鼠身上進(jìn)行的實(shí)驗(yàn)表明,，當(dāng)這種基因被破壞后,，不論喂給老鼠多少面包、通心粉等高碳水化合物食物,，老鼠的體重都不會(huì)有明顯增加。
研究人員之一羅杰·王說,，實(shí)驗(yàn)表明,，與正常老鼠相比，DNA－PK基因遭到破壞的老鼠更加苗條且體內(nèi)脂肪要少40％,，這主要是因?yàn)樘妓衔餆o法轉(zhuǎn)化成脂肪,。
研究人員認(rèn)為,，由于人類也有這一基因,，在這一研究基礎(chǔ)上未來有望研制出預(yù)防肥胖的藥物,，這樣人們就可以放心享用美味的面包、通心粉和米飯等食物,，而不用擔(dān)心身材變胖,。
這項(xiàng)研究發(fā)表在最新一期《細(xì)胞》雜志上。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Cell,20 March 2009 doi:10.1016/j.cell.2008.12.040
A Role of DNA-PK for the Metabolic Gene Regulation in Response to Insulin
Roger H.F. Wong1,2,Inhwan Chang1,Carolyn S.S. Hudak1,Suzanne Hyun1,Hiu-Yee Kwan1andHei Sook Sul1,2,,
1 Department of Nutritional Science and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
2 Comparative Biochemistry Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is a central enzyme in lipogenesis and transcriptionally activated in response to feeding and insulin signaling. The transcription factor USF is required for the activation of FAS transcription, and we show here that USF phosphorylation by DNA-PK, which is dephosphorylated by PP1 in response to feeding, triggers a switch-like mechanism. Under fasting conditions, USF-1 is deacetylated by HDAC9, causing promoter inactivation. In contrast, feeding induces the recruitment of DNA-PK to USF-1 and its phosphorylation, which then allows recruitment of P/CAF, resulting in USF-1 acetylation and FAS promoter activation. DNA break/repair components associated with USF induce transient DNA breaks during FAS activation. In DNA-PK-deficient SCID mice, feeding-induced USF-1 phosphorylation/acetylation, DNA breaks, and FAS activation leading to lipogenesis are impaired, resulting in decreased triglyceride levels. Our study demonstrates that a kinase central to the DNA damage response mediates metabolic gene activation.
