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Robert V. Farese, Jr., M.D.
 
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Robert V. Farese, Jr., M.D.

Gladstone Institute
1650 Owens Street
San Francisco, CA 94158

Tel: (415) 826-7500
Tel 2: (415) 734-2714
Fax: (415) 355-0960

Email: bfarese@gladstone.ucsf.edu

Senior Scientist, Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease
Professor of Medicine, and of Biochemistry & Biophysics 

Foucs: Cell Biology of Energy Metabolism

The ability of cells to store and utilize energy in a regulated manner is fundamental to life, and abnormalities in energy metabolism play a central role in diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, neurodegeneration, and aging. Our laboratory is interested in cellular energy homeostasis, focusing on three interrelated areas of research: the cell biology of lipid storage, the enzymes of neutral lipid synthesis, and energy metabolism in neurons. Our approaches are basic, emphasizing biochemistry and cellular biology, with specific hypothesis testing in model organisms such as flies and mice. Our group has two new areas of investigation: 1) the cell biology of lipid droplet formation and utilization, and 2) neuron cell biology and neurodegeneration, with a focus on frontotemporal dementia. For more information on our laboratory, please visit our laboratory web site (www.gladstone.ucsf.edu/gladstone/files/farese/HomePage/index.html).

Selected Publications:
Cases, S., Smith, S.J., Zheng, Y.-W., Myers, H.M., Lear, S.R., Sande, E., Novak, S., Collins, C., Welch, C.B., Lusis, A.J., Erickson, S.K., and Farese, R.V., Jr. (1998) Identification of a gene encoding an acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase, a key enzyme in triacylglycerol synthesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:13018-13023.

Accad, M., Smith, S.J., Newland, D., Sanan, D., King, L.E., Jr., Linton, M.F., Fazio, S., and Farese, R.V., Jr. (2000) Massive xanthomatosis and altered composition of atherosclerotic lesions in hyperlipidemic mice lacking ACAT1. J. Clin. Invest. 105:711–719.

Smith, S.J., Cases, S., Jensen, D.R., Sande, E., Tow, B., Sanan, D., Raber, J., Eckel, R.H., and Farese, R.V., Jr. (2000) Obesity resistance and multiple mechanisms of triglyceride synthesis in mice lacking DGAT. Nat. Genet. 25:87-90.

Buhman, K.K., Accad, M., Novak, S., Choi, R.S., Wong, J.S., Hamilton, R.L., and Farese, R.V., Jr. (2000) Resistance to diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and gallstone formation in ACAT2-deficient mice. Nat. Med. 6:1341–1347.

Chen, H.C., Smith, S.J., Ladha, Z., Jensen, D.R., Ferreira, L.D., Pulawa, L.K., McGuire, J.G., Pitas, R.E., Eckel, R.H., and Farese, R.V., Jr. (2002) Increased insulin and leptin sensitivity in mice lacking acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1. J. Clin. Invest. 109:1049–1055.

Chen, H.C., Stone, S.J., Zhou, P., Buhman, K.K., and Farese, R.V., Jr. (2002) Dissociation of obesity and impaired glucose disposal in mice overexpressing acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 in white adipose tissue. Diabetes. 51:3189–3195.

Stone, S., Myers, H.M., Brown, B., Watkins, S., Feingold K., Elias P., and Farese, R.V., Jr. (2004) Lipopenia and skin barrier abnormalities in DGAT2-deficient mice. J. Biol. Chem. 279:11767–11776.

Stone S.J., Levin M., Farese R.V., Jr. (2006) Murine Acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase-2 (DGAT2): Membrane topology and identification of key functional residues. J. Biol. Chem. 281:40273–40282.

 

Monetti, M., Levin, M., Watt, M.J., Sajan, M.P., Marmor, S., Hubbard, B.K., Stevens, R.D., Bain, J.R., Newgard, C.B., Farese, R.V., Sr., Hevener A., and Farese R.V., Jr. (2007) Dissociation of hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in mice overexpressing DGAT in the liver. Cell Metab. 6:69-78.

Guo, Y., Walther, T.C., Rao, M., Stuurman, N., Goshima, G., Terayama, K., Wong, J.S. Vale, R.D., Walter, P., Farese, R.V., Jr. (2007) Functional genomic screen reveals genes involved in lipid droplet formation and utilization. (Submitted)

 

 

Invited Reviews and Commentaries

 

Buhman, K.K., Chen, H.C., and Farese, R.V., Jr. (2001) The enzymes of neutral lipid synthesis. J. Biol. Chem. 276:40369–40372.