Amnon Schlegel
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Adjunct Associate Professor of Biochemistry, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology
Metabolism, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Atherosclerosis, Fat, Cholesterol, Glucose
Molecular Biology Program
Biological Chemistry Program
Education
B.S. Hofstra University
M.D. Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Ph.D. Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Research
Fasting Glucose Determinants
We study the role of FOXN3, a Forkhead box transcriptional repressor, in regulating fasting metabolism. Blending human population genetics with zebrafish and mouse models, we are deciphering the role of this factor in liver, with particular emphasis on how it responds and feeds back to glucagon-producing alpha cells of the pancreatic islets. This project continues to use all three experimental models.
Ketone Body Transport
We identified and are dissecting the role of the monocarboxylic acid transporter SLC16A6 in liver export of ketone bodies. This project began with a genetic screen in zebrafish and has transitioned to mouse physiology.
References
Fasting Glucose Determinants
- Karanth S, Zinkhan EK, Hill JT, Yost HJ, Schlegel A . FOXN3 regulates hepatic glucose utilization. Cell Rep. 2016. 15:2745-2755. (http://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(16)30654-4).
- Karanth S, Adams JD, Serrano MLA, Quittner-Strom EB, Simcox J, Villanueva CJ, Ozcan L, Holland WL, Yost HJ, Vella A, Schlegel A. Cell Rep. 2018. 24:312-319. (https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(18)30949-5).
- Erickson ML, Karanth S, Ravussin E, Schlegel A. FOXN3 hyperglycemic risk allele and insulin sensitivity in humans. BMJ Open Diabetes Rese Care. 2019. 7: e000688. (https://drc.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000688.full)
- Karanth S, Chaurasia B, Bowman FM, Tippetts TS, Holland WL, Summers SA, Schlegel A. FOXN3 controls liver glucose metabolism by regulating gluconeogenic substrate selection. Physiol Rep 2019. 7: e14238. (https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.14814/phy2.14238)
Ketone Body Transport
- Hugo SE, Cruz-Garcia L, Karanth S, Anderson RM, Stainier DYR, and Schlegel A. A monocarboxylate transporter required for hepatocyte secretion of ketone bodies during fasting. Genes Dev. 2012. 26:282-293. (http://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/26/3/282.long)
- Karanth S, Tran VM, Kuberan B, Schlegel A. Polyunsaturated fatty acyl-coenzyme As are inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis. Dis Model Mech. 2013. 6:1365-77. (http://dmm.biologists.org/content/early/2013/09/18/dmm.013425.long)
- Karanth S, Schlegel A. The monocarboxylate transporter SLC16A6 regulates adult length in zebrafish and is associated with height in humans. Front Physiol 2019. 9:1936 (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.01936/full)