Phosphoglucomutase Genetic Polymorphism and Body Mass

The data suggest that during extrauterine life, females carrying the PGM1*2 allele are relatively protected from extreme body mass increase. During intrauterine life, PGM12/2 homozygotes show a tendency to low body mass increase. Because PGM1 enzymatic activity depends on its phosphorylation status by the kinase Pak1, both structural differences of the PGM1 allelic product and different rates of activation by Pak between sexes might be responsible for the pattern observed. At present, the effect of other genes near PGM1 and in linkage disequilibrium with it cannot be ruled out.