Can inhibition of mitochondrial citrate synthase be used in prevention of obesity?

Obesity and diabetes are associated with abnormal utilisation of nutrients by the body. This is often due to poor function of the mitochondria, the ‘energy factories’ of the cells. It is suggested that resistance to obesity in some mice could be due to a particular mutation in the gene coding for the mitochondrial citrate synthase (CS). This projects will investigate how this particular mutation of the gene changes citrate synthase as an enzyme, with the aim of clarifying its potential future use as a target for the treatment of obesity.