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Horm Metab Res 2020; 52(12): 877-881
DOI: 10.1055/a-1199-2257
Endocrine Research

Nicotinamide Nucleotide Transhydrogenase (Nnt) is Related to Obesity in Mice

Anne Kunath
1   IFB Adiposity Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
2   Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
,
John T. Heiker
3   Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig and University Hospital Leipzig, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
,
Matthias Kern
2   Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
,
Joanna Kosacka
2   Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
,
Gesine Flehmig
2   Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
,
Michael Stumvoll
2   Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
,
Peter Kovacs
4   Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
,
Matthias Blüher
2   Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
3   Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig and University Hospital Leipzig, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
,
Nora Klöting
1   IFB Adiposity Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
2   Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
3   Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig and University Hospital Leipzig, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
› Author Affiliations Funding Information Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: SFB1052 B01 (MB) B04 (NK).
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Abstract

The C57BL/6J (B6J) mouse strain has been widely used as a control strain for the study of metabolic diseases and diet induced obesity (DIO). B6J mice carry a spontaneous deletion mutation in the nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (Nnt) gene eliminating exons 7–11, resulting in expression of a truncated form of Nnt, an enzyme that pumps protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane. It has been proposed that this mutation in B6J mice is associated with epigonadal fat mass and altered sensitivity to diet induced obesity. To define the role of Nnt in the development of diet induced obesity, we generated first backcross (BC1) hybrids of wild type Nnt C57BL/6NTac and mutated Nnt C57BL/6JRj [(C57BL/6NTac×C57BL/6JRj)F1×C57BL/6NTac]. Body weight gain and specific fat-pad depot mass were measured in BC1 hybrids under high fat diet conditions. Both sexes of BC1 hybrids indicate that mice with Nnt wild type allele are highly sensitive to DIO and exhibit higher relative fat mass. In summary, our data indicate that the Nnt mutation in mice is associated with sensitivity to DIO and fat mass.

Key words

diet-induced obesity - genetic background - visceral fat mass - C57BL/6 - Nnt - DIO


Publication History

Received: 16 April 2020

Accepted after revision: 09 June 2020

Article published online:
06 July 2020

© 2020. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
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