Gene Expression

 

Diet is usually the most variable condition to which laboratory animals are or can be exposed. Consequently, diet is playing an increasing role in research involving the expression of specific genes and developing specific phenotypes.

 

Doxycycline added to diets will "turn on" or "turn off" specific genes in genetically-modified animal models. More information.

 

Diets have been used in studying the genetic basis of various other conditions. For example, the amount of fat, type (source) of fat, the ratio of fat to carbohydrate, and the amount and type (simple or complex) of carbohydrate can all be varied to study the effect in the expression of certain pancreatic genes to determine their role in such conditions as insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.

 

Back to The Study of Diet-Induced Disease Models, Specific Diseases and Behaviors, and Phenotype Expression

 

Representative listing of references reporting how diet formulas have been used in research.