Cited 137 times since 2016 (16.6 per year) source: EuropePMC Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Volume 113, Issue 50, 28 4 2016, Pages 14372-14377 KLB is associated with alcohol drinking, and its gene product β-Klotho is necessary for FGF21 regulation of alcohol preference. Schumann G, Liu C, O'Reilly P, Gao H, Song P, Xu B, Ruggeri B, Amin N, Jia T, Preis S, Segura Lepe M, Akira S, Barbieri C, Baumeister S, Cauchi S, Clarke TK, Enroth S, Fischer K, Hällfors J, Harris SE, Hieber S, Hofer E, Hottenga JJ, Johansson Å, Joshi PK, Kaartinen N, Laitinen J, Lemaitre R, Loukola A, Luan J, Lyytikäinen LP, Mangino M, Manichaikul A, Mbarek H, Milaneschi Y, Moayyeri A, Mukamal K, Nelson C, Nettleton J, Partinen E, Rawal R, Robino A, Rose L, Sala C, Satoh T, Schmidt R, Schraut K, Scott R, Smith AV, Starr JM, Teumer A, Trompet S, Uitterlinden AG, Venturini C, Vergnaud AC, Verweij N, Vitart V, Vuckovic D, Wedenoja J, Yengo L, Yu B, Zhang W, Zhao JH, Boomsma DI, Chambers J, Chasman DI, Daniela T, de Geus E, Deary I, Eriksson JG, Esko T, Eulenburg V, Franco OH, Froguel P, Gieger C, Grabe HJ, Gudnason V, Gyllensten U, Harris TB, Hartikainen AL, Heath AC, Hocking L, Hofman A, Huth C, Jarvelin MR, Jukema JW, Kaprio J, Kooner JS, Kutalik Z, Lahti J, Langenberg C, Lehtimäki T, Liu Y, Madden PA, Marti
Excessive alcohol consumption is a major public health problem worldwide. Although drinking habits are known to be inherited, few genes have been identified that are robustly linked to alcohol drinking. We conducted a genome-wide association metaanalysis and replication study among >105,000 individuals of European ancestry and identified β-Klotho (KLB) as a locus associated with alcohol consumption (rs11940694; P = 9.2 × 10-12). β-Klotho is an obligate coreceptor for the hormone FGF21, which is secreted from the liver and implicated in macronutrient preference in humans. We show that brain-specific β-Klotho KO mice have an increased alcohol preference and that FGF21 inhibits alcohol drinking by acting on the brain. These data suggest that a liver-brain endocrine axis may play an important role in the regulation of alcohol drinking behavior and provide a unique pharmacologic target for reducing alcohol consumption.
