BECN1 and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: Most remarkably, the p16INK4a, p14ARF, and BECN1 mRNA levels in subcutaneous adipose tissues of obese human individuals were significantly higher than that of non-obese individuals (Fig. 8b), linking p16INK4a, p14ARF, and BECN1 expression to obesity in human.