
FTO protein is an AlkB-like DNA/RNA demethylase with a strong preference for 3-methylthymidine (3-meT) (spheres model, methyl carbon in green) in single-stranded DNA (yellow strand) or 3-methyluracil (3-meU) in single-stranded RNA. Recent studies have unequivocally associated the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene with the risk of obesity.