Maternal obesity in mice reduces the DNA methylation on Zfp423 promoter (i.e., reduced histone modification H3K27me3), which is correlated with enhanced Zfp423 expression and adipogenesis in fetal progenitor cells which thereby predisposes the offspring to obesity and metabolic dysfunction later in life (Yang et al., 2013). Here, ZNF423 is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.