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Gene–environment interaction in type 2 diabetes

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Abstract

Type 2 diabetes is a typical multifactorial disease, but the causes can largely be divided into genetic and environmental factors. In recent years, focus has shifted to the interaction between these factors (i.e., gene–environment interactions). It has become widely known that changes in the intrauterine environment such as intrauterine growth restriction result in gene expression changes in various tissues, which ultimately lead to the onset of diabetes. Epigenetic modification is considered to be a particularly important mechanism in these effects, as it is easily affected by environmental changes that occur during the fetal and neonatal periods. Moreover, recent reports have revealed that epigenetic modifications are passed down through generations. Although genome-wide association studies have identified many type 2 diabetes susceptibility genes, these genes do not pose a significantly high risk when isolated as single factors. In particular, it has been suggested that the interaction of the FTO or KCNQ1 genes with environmental factors increases the incidence of diabetes. These findings suggest that detailed analyses of individual gene–environment interactions hold promise for gaining new insight into the mechanisms and risk factors contributing to type 2 diabetes, with application to personalized diagnoses and treatments. We look forward to future developments in this regard.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from MEXT (22590981 to YK); grants from Astellas Foundation for Research on Metabolic Disorders and from Novo Nordisk Insulin Awards (to YK); grants from the Japan Diabetes Foundation (to YK).

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  1. Division of Metabolism and Disease, Department of Biophysics, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe, Japan

    Yoshiaki Kido

  2. Division of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan

    Yoshiaki Kido

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  1. Yoshiaki Kido
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Correspondence to Yoshiaki Kido.

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Animal studies were approved by the animal ethics committee of Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine.

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Kido, Y. Gene–environment interaction in type 2 diabetes. Diabetol Int 8, 7–13 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13340-016-0299-2

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