<Table> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> View / Edit Human </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> View / Edit Mouse </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> View / Edit Human </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> View / Edit Mouse </Td> </Tr> <P> Fat mass and obesity - associated protein also known as alpha - ketoglutarate - dependent dioxygenase FTO is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the FTO gene located on chromosome 16 . As one homolog in the AlkB family proteins, it is the first mRNA demethylase that has been identified . Certain variants of the FTO gene appear to be correlated with obesity in humans . </P> <P> The amino acid sequence of the transcribed FTO protein shows high similarity with the enzyme AlkB which oxidatively demethylates DNA . FTO is a member of the superfamily of non-haem Fe (II) and 2 - oxoglutarate (2OG) - dependent dioxygenases . Recombinant FTO protein was first discovered to catalyze demethylation of 3 - methylthymine in single - stranded DNA, and 3 - methyluridine in single - stranded RNA, with low efficiency . The nucleoside N6 - methyladenosine, an abundant modification in RNA, was then found to be a major substrate of FTO . The FTO gene expression was also found to be significantly upregulated in the hypothalamus of rats after food deprivation and strongly negatively correlated with the expression of orexigenic galanin - like peptide which is involved in the stimulation of food intake . </P>

What potential influence does the fto gene have