Request for Funding

Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2002

Mentor: Kosaku Uyeda
Department: Biochemistry
Room number: VA Med CTR
Mail Code: 9038
Phone number: 214-857-0318
E-mail: kuyeda6400@aol.com
Project title: Carbohydrate-induced Lipogenesis

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):
VA ACORP
Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)
Basic Research
Brief Description of Project:

Many key glycolytic and lipogenesis enzymes are regulated by diet, hormones, and other physiological factorrs. Food intake, especially excess carbohydrate, induces the synthesis of pyruvate kinase, acetylCoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, etc. Starvation or diabetes meillitus represses the expression of these genes. We are currently interested in elucidating the mechanism of carbohydrate-induced activation of the pyruvate kinase (LPK) gene. As many of the lipogenesis genes, the LPK gene contains a glucose response element in a promoter site, and we discovered and identified a new transcription factor, termed "glucose responsive element binding protein" (ChREBP). ChREBP contains multiple phosphorylation sites, and its activity is controlled by different protein kinases and protein phosphatases depending on diet and hormones. It is possible that ChREBP binds to other lipogenesis enzyme genes and regulate fat synthesis. We will investigate the role of ChREBP in the conversion of carbohydrate into storage fat.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

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