Genomics, Proteomics and Nutrition : Applications to Obesity Research

Obesity is a major public health problem in western countries. Genetic and environmental factors, separately or in combination are major determinants of fat mass. Both central effectors (primarily hypothalamus) and peripheral tissues (such as adipose tissue) are implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity. A significant number of studies have documented potential contribution of adipose tissue -via its newly discovered secretory function- to the pathogenesis of obesity and co-morbid conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension. Applications of analytical techniques such as genomics and proteomics have enabled better understanding of biological sciences in general and have only being applied recently to nutritional sciences including obesity research. Here, we review the recent progress in adipose tissue functional genomics and proteomics, and the importance of these studies in energy metabolism and obesity research.