Shared postprandial gene expression signatures: a systematic review and quantitative data synthesis

Flexibility of response to a macronutrient challenge is a hallmark of metabolic health, but the postprandial response is complex and involves perturbation of multiple pathways at the gene expression, protein, and metabolite levels. This systematic review compared postprandial transcriptomic responses with fasting levels by combining raw data from 14 studies (13 datasets) that assessed at least two different meals. Strikingly, despite large differences in study designs and meal types, common shared postprandial gene expression responses were identified. At 2, 4, and 6 h after a meal, we identified 36, 711, and 12 genes common to at least three studies, respectively, with Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicating perturbation of immune response at 2 h, cellular regulation, macroautophagy, phosphorus metabolism and stress response at 4 h and circadian regulation at 6 h. A multivariate integrative analysis (MINT.sPLS) did not identify significant effects of specific meal macronutrients on gene expression levels, indicating that some of the observed changes may represent a shared common transcriptomic signature of eating rather than a response to a specific nutrient. These findings will assist future studies to determine the flexibility of metabolic responses at the transcriptome level in, for example, individuals with metabolic syndrome, obesity, or insulin resistance.