Kinetic analysis of FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated) reveals that it is unlikely to function as a sensor for 2-oxoglutarate.

Genomewide-association studies have revealed that SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) in FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated) are robustly associated with BMI (body mass index) and obesity. FTO is an Fe(II) 2-OG (2-oxoglutarate)-dependent dioxygenase that can demethylate 3-meT (3-methylthymine) in single-stranded DNA, as well as 3-meU (3-methyluracil) and N6-methyl adenosine in RNA. In the present paper we describe the development of an RNase-cleavage assay measuring the demethylation activity of FTO on 3-meU. RNase A cleaves at the 3'-end of pyrimidines, including uracil, and a methyl group at position three of uracil inhibits cleavage. An oligonucleotide probe was designed consisting of a DNA stem, an RNA loop containing a single 3-meU as the only RNase A-cleavage site, a fluorescent reporter on one end and a quencher at the other end. FTO demethylation of the unique 3-meU enables RNase A cleavage, releasing the quencher and enabling a fluorescent signal. In the presence of excess RNase A, FTO activity is limiting to the development of fluorescent signal, which can be read continuously and is able to discriminate between wild-type and the catalytically dead R316Q FTO. 2-OG is a co-substrate of FTO and, as a metabolite in the citric acid cycle, is a marker of intracellular nutritional status. The assay described in the present paper was used to measure, for the first time, the K(m) of FTO for 2-OG. The K(m) of 2.88 μM is up to 10-fold lower than the estimated intracellular concentrations of 2-OG, rendering it unlikely that FTO functions as a sensor for 2-OG levels.