FTO gene variants and consumption of  alcoholic beverages

The aim of this review is to present the role of FTO gene sequence variation in determining predisposition to specific forms of alcohol consumption. This systematic review includes studies published in 2011-2013 and 2019 from the PubMed, Science Direct and Wiley Online Library databasis.

The FTO gene is located at locus 16q12.2 and encodes a protein from the AlkB family with nucleic acid demethylase activity. FTO is mainly expressed in the hypothalamus and plays an important role in managing the body’s energetic homeostasis and regulating adipose tissue mass though its exact physiological function is not fully understood.

Observations regarding the association of FTO polymorphic variants with the risk of obesity and depression as well as the results of the GWAS studies on alcohol abuse disorders became the basis for hypothesis on the relationship between the FTO variants and the alcohol consumption. The analysed studies revealed that:

1) FTO genotype is related to the quantity, frequency and the type of consumed alcohol; 2) the relationship between the FTO genotype and the alcohol consumption pattern (amount/frequency/type) is also dependent on the genotype of other genes, including MC4R; 3) the relationship between the FTO genotype and alcohol consumption pattern is population dependent; 4) there are FTO variants correlating with predisposition to consume large amounts of alcohol including rs806289 T; 5) the relationship of the GG genotype of FTO rs17817449 SNP and the amount of alcohol consumed is gender dependent and more strongly expressed in men. These observations indicate a significant participation of genetic variability linked to FTO polymorphism in shaping alcohol consumption patterns.