ADIPOQ and gestational diabetes: Candidate gene studies have identified a number of differentially methylated genes in fetal tissues of babies from GDM mothers, including the fat-cell hormones leptin (LEP) and adiponectin (ADIPOQ), which are involved in regulation of energy metabolism and body weight [27, 28], the ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCA1, a major regulator of cellular cholesterol [29], the glucose transporters SLC2A1/GLUT1 and SLC2A3/GLUT3 [30], and the imprinted gene MEST, which plays a role in adipositas development [31].