Traits related to energy balance and obesity are exceptionally complex, with varying contributions of genetic susceptibility and interacting environmental factors. The use of mouse models has been a powerful driving force in understanding the genetic architecture of polygenic traits such as obesity. However, the use of mouse models for analysis of complex traits is at an important crossroad. Genome-wide association studies in humans are now leading to direct identification of obesity genes. In this review, we focus on three areas representing the current and future roles of mouse models regarding genetics of complex obesity. First, we summarize increasingly powerful ways to harness the strength of mouse models for discovery of genes affecting polygenic obesity. Second, we examine the status of using a systems biology approach to dissect the genetic architecture of obesity. And third, we explore the effects of recent findings indicating increasing levels of complexity in the nature of variation underlying, and the heritability of, complex traits such as obesity.

中文翻译：

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小鼠模型肥胖的复杂遗传学。

与能量平衡和肥胖相关的特征异常复杂，遗传易感性和相互作用的环境因素的贡献各不相同。小鼠模型的使用一直是了解肥胖等多基因特征的遗传结构的强大驱动力。然而，使用小鼠模型分析复杂性状正处于一个重要的十字路口。人类的全基因组关联研究现在可以直接鉴定肥胖基因。在这篇综述中，我们重点关注三个领域，这些领域代表了小鼠模型在复杂肥胖遗传学方面的当前和未来作用。首先，我们总结了越来越强大的方法来利用小鼠模型的力量来发现影响多基因肥胖的基因。第二，我们研究了使用系统生物学方法来剖析肥胖症的遗传结构的现状。第三，我们探索了最近的研究结果的影响，这些发现表明潜在变异的性质以及肥胖等复杂特征的遗传性的复杂程度不断增加。