Expressive

rs11199845 (LINC01153): Body Fat Distribution

Key takeaways

  • rs11199845 was identified in a GWAS of up to 39,000 UK Biobank participants scanned with MRI for fat depot volumes.
  • The study measured visceral, abdominal subcutaneous, and gluteofemoral fat separately, capturing how fat is distributed rather than just total amount.
  • GTEx data link the alternate allele of rs11199845 to reduced expression of a nearby gene in subcutaneous adipose tissue.
  • Many fat-distribution associations in this dataset were more pronounced in female participants.
  • Specific effect sizes for this variant are not available in the provided study materials, so findings should be treated as preliminary.

Key takeaways

  • rs11199845 maps to the LINC01153 - RN7SKP167 locus and was identified in a GWAS of MRI-measured fat depot volumes in up to 38,965 UK Biobank participants.
  • The study examined three fat depots (visceral, abdominal subcutaneous, and gluteofemoral), plus six BMI-adjusted ratios, to capture depot-specific genetic architecture.
  • GTEx v11 data show the alternate allele is linked to reduced expression of a gene at this locus (ENSG00000293725) in subcutaneous adipose tissue.
  • Specific effect sizes for rs11199845 are not reported in the available study text, so findings should be treated as preliminary.

What the research says A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of up to 38,965 UK Biobank participants used MRI-derived volumes of visceral (VAT), abdominal subcutaneous (ASAT), and gluteofemoral (GFAT; hip and thigh) adipose tissue, as well as six BMI-adjusted measures, to identify 250 independent common genetic variants linked to fat distribution, 39 of which were newly discovered. rs11199845 at the LINC01153 - RN7SKP167 locus is among the variants reported in this analysis, with many associations across the dataset found to be more pronounced in female participants. GTEx v11 eQTL (expression quantitative trait locus - a variant that affects how much a nearby gene is produced) data indicate that the alternate allele of this variant is associated with reduced expression of ENSG00000293725 in subcutaneous adipose tissue GTEx Portal.

Reported associations

  • Body fat distribution (visceral, abdominal subcutaneous, and gluteofemoral adipose tissue): rs11199845 is one of 250 common variants identified in a large GWAS of MRI-measured fat depot volumes and BMI-adjusted ratios in up to 38,965 UK Biobank participants; many associations in this dataset were more pronounced in female participants.

Evidence quality The source study used MRI-derived, directly measured fat depot volumes in up to 38,965 participants, a methodological strength over anthropometric proxies such as waist-to-hip ratio. rs11199845 is one of 250 independent loci identified across nine fat-distribution traits; the available study text does not report the specific trait, effect size, or p-value for this variant individually, limiting precise characterization. No replication data specific to this variant are described in the available materials. The GTEx eQTL finding (953 donors, FDR<0.05; effect slope -0.19, p=2.4e-7) offers supporting tissue-level mechanistic context but does not on its own establish a cardiometabolic phenotype. Overall, evidence for this specific variant should be treated as preliminary.

Tissue-specific expression effects

  • ENSG00000293725: The alternate allele is associated with reduced expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue (the fat-storing layer beneath the skin); this was the only tissue with a significant eQTL signal in the provided data GTEx Portal.

Lifestyle considerations No lifestyle considerations on file for this variant.

Frequently asked questions

What is rs11199845 associated with?

rs11199845, near the LINC01153 and RN7SKP167 genes, was identified as one of 250 variants linked to body fat distribution across visceral, subcutaneous, and gluteofemoral depots in a GWAS of nearly 39,000 MRI-scanned UK Biobank participants.

What does LINC01153 do?

LINC01153 is a long intergenic non-coding RNA gene, meaning it is transcribed but does not produce a protein. Its specific biological function is not described in the available study materials, though GTEx expression data show that the rs11199845 alternate allele is associated with reduced activity of a nearby gene in subcutaneous adipose tissue.

Is rs11199845 linked to obesity?

The source study investigated fat distribution traits (where fat is stored in the body) rather than obesity measured by BMI alone. rs11199845 is one of 250 variants associated with depot-specific fat measures; no direct link to obesity risk is described in the available study materials.

Does sex affect the rs11199845 finding?

The source study reports that many fat-distribution associations across the dataset were more pronounced in female participants, though the specific sex breakdown for rs11199845 individually is not reported in the available text.

What is an eQTL and why does it matter for this variant?

An eQTL (expression quantitative trait locus) is a genetic variant associated with changes in how much a nearby gene is expressed in a tissue. GTEx data show rs11199845 is linked to reduced expression of ENSG00000293725 in subcutaneous adipose tissue, suggesting a potential mechanism through which this variant could affect fat tissue biology, though this does not confirm a clinical outcome on its own.