MITIN is proposing to elucidate the interplay between the insulin signaling pathway and the mitochondrial function

Dr. Antonio Vidal-Puig

Antonio Vidal-Puig

Contact e-mail

ajv22arrobamedschl.cam.ac.uk

Background

The Department of Clinical Biochemistry of the University of Cambridge research activities are focused on two general areas: Diabetes, obesity and other related endocrine and metabolic disorders and Molecular cell biology of membrane traffic pathways. The group Molecular Mechanisms of Energy Balance, participating in MITIN, explores the molecular mechanisms involved in controlling energy expenditure, fat deposition, and the mechanisms controlling the partition of energy towards oxidation or storage. The University of Cambridge will be co-applicant of this grant and will contribute to Mouse model phenotyping / Profiling experiments components of this research program. This will include work based on genetically animal models generated in Cambridge and profiling resources from Cambridge.

The group participating in the current proposal is formed by 6 post doctoral, 3 PhD students, 5 Animal technicians, 2 Research Assistants, 1 Bioinformaticist. Since the group leader (Dr. Vidal-Puig) is Director of the Welcome Trust Core Facilities for Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping we have access to state of the art technology for mouse metabolic phenotyping, Histopathology, Biochemistry and Microarray core facilities

Dr. A. Vidal-Puig is a Reader in Metabolic Medicine and Honorary Consultant in Metabolic Medicine at the University of Cambridge. Currently is the Deputy Director of the MRC Centre for Obesity Research and associated Diseases (MRC-CORD) and Director of the Mouse program of the Welcome Trust Integrative Physiology Program. He is trained as an MD, PhD and specialised in Endocrinology. He received postdoctoral training at Harvard University (1992-1996), serving as faculty at this institution until 1999, when he relocated his laboratory at the University of Cambridge. Areas of expertise/interest include adipocyte biology, mitochondrial biology, lipotoxicity and genetically modified mouse models.

Selected publications

  1. Medina-Gomez G, Gray S, Yetukuri L, Shimomura K, Virtue S, Campbell M, Curtis K, Jimenez-Linan M, Blount M, Yeo GSH, Lopez M, Seppänen-Laakso T, Ashcroft FM, Orešič M and Vidal-Puig. PLoS Genetics 2007 Apr 27;3(4):e64.
  2. Lelliott CJ, Medina-Gomez G, Petrovic N, Kis A, Feldmann HM, Bjursell M, Parker N, Curtis K, Campbell M, Hu P, Zhang D, Litwin SE, Zaha VG, Fountain KT, Boudina S, Jimenez-Linan M, Blount M, Lopez M, Meirhaeghe A, Bohlooly YM, Storlien L, Stromstedt M, Snaith M, Oresic M, Abel ED, Cannon B, Vidal-Puig A. PLoS Biol 4:e369, 2006.
  3. Gray SL, Nora ED, Grosse J, Manieri M, Stoeger T, Medina-Gomez G, Burling K, Wattler S, Russ A, Yeo GS, Chatterjee VK, O'Rahilly S, Voshol PJ, Cinti S, Vidal-Puig A.(2006) Diabetes 55, 2669-2677.
  4. López M, Lelliott CJ, Tovar S, Kimber W, Gallego R, Virtue S, Blount M, Vázquez MJ, Finer N, Powles TJ, O'Rahilly S, Saha AK, Diéguez C, Vidal-Puig AJ. (2006) Diabetes 55, 1327-1336
  5. Medina-Gomez G, Virtue S, Lelliott C, Boiani R, Campbell M, Christodoulides C, Perrin C, Jimenez-Linan M, Blount M, Dixon J, Zahn D, Thresher RR, Aparicio S, Carlton M, Colledge WH, Kettunen MI, Seppanen-Laakso T, Sethi JK, O'Rahilly S, Brindle K, Cinti S, Oresic M, Burcelin R, Vidal-Puig A: The link between nutritional status and insulin sensitivity is dependent on the adipocyte-specific peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma2 isoform. Diabetes 54:1706-1716, 2005

Research Group's Website