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Dec 26, 2014

Mutant gene prevents worms gaining weight from unhealthy diets

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

By — Gizmag

The mutant gene SKN-1 found in the worm Caenorhabditis elegant has been shown to negate we...

Sure, foods that are high in sugar are often the most tempting, but that sugar rush can come at a weighty cost. A new study conducted at the University of South Carolina has suggested that this may not need be the case. Researchers have identified a gene that can dictate how these foods are processed, potentially suppressing the weight problems that go hand-in-hand with unhealthy eating habits.

The research centers on a mutant gene called SKN-1 found in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans. The scientists fed a number of these worms a high-sugar diet and observed no difference in weight for those with a hyperactive SKN-1 gene, while those without the gene quickly began to stack on the nanograms.

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