ATXN2 and metabolic syndrome: Also worthy of attention are the following genes: mthl1 (see above), ataxin-2, Mkp3 and E2F1. Recent studies have shown that ataxin-2 deficiency correlates with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, an action mediated via the mTOR pathway, suggesting that ataxin-2 might play key roles in metabolic homeostasis including body weight regulation, insulin sensitivity, and cellular stress responses [36].