Furthermore, the deletion of Atxn2 in mouse as well as single nucleotide polymorphisms at the chromosomal ATXN2 locus in human implicated ATXN2 in hepatosteatosis, obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension [9–17]. Here, ATXN2 is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.