Genetic, metabolic, and molecular insights into the diverse outcomes of diet-induced obesity in mouse

Overweight and obesity are increasingly common public health issues worldwide, leading to a wide range of diseases from metabolic syndrome to steatohepatitis and cardiovascular diseases. While the increase in the prevalence of obesity is partly attributable to changes in lifestyle (i.e. increased sedentarity and changes in eating behaviour), the metabolic and clinical impacts of these obesogenic conditions varies between sexes and genetic backgrounds. The conception of personalised treatments of obesity and its complications require a thorough understanding of the diversity of responses to environmental stimuli such as high-fat diet intake. In this thesis, by analysing nine genetically diverse mouse strains, we show that much like humans, mice respond to high-fat diet in a genetic- and sex-dependent manner. Physiological and molecular responses to high-fat diet are associated with the expression of genes involved in immunity and mitochondrial function. Finally, we find that mitochondrial function and mitochondrial supercomplex assembly may explain part of the diversity of physiological responses. By exploring the complex interactions between genetics and metabolic phenotypes via gene expression and molecular traits, we shed light on the importance of genetic background and sex in determining metabolic outcomes. In addition to providing the community with an extensive resource for optimizing future experiments, this work serves as an exemplary design for more generalizable translational studies.