Figure 6. Proposed model for maintenance of metabolic health by OGG1.

Oxidative stress, such as that induced by consumption of a HFD, damages cellular components, including DNA. Key BER glycosylases, such as Ogg1, are induced in response to this stress and help to restore genomic integrity. In contrast, in the absence of OGG1, through mechanisms that are as yet unclear, there is aberrant regulation of downstream factors such as Pgc-1α and fatty acid oxidation. These alterations lead to a potential fat-sparing phenotype in OGG1-deficient mice, resulting in accelerated development of hepatic steatosis and obesity upon HFD-feeding in Ogg1^−/− mice.