“Identifying novel regulators of powdery mildew resistance”

Professor Hei Sook Sul

Department of Nutritional Science and Toxicology

Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) is an organ that performs non-shivering thermogenesis to allow animals to adapt to cold environments. Recent research has shown the presence of metabolically active BAT in human adults and that stimulation of these tissues might hold therapeutic benefits for obesity and associate diseases.  For non-shivering thermogenesis to occur, a message is sent from the brain via beta-3 adrenergetic nerves to the brown fat cells to activate the oxidation of free fatty-acids and increase transcription of Uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1). Through dissipation of the proton gradient by UCP1 in the Mitochondria of BAT cells, oxidation of free fatty-acids produces heat instead of ATP. While some transcription factors that stimulate the promoter region of UCP1 have been found and characterized, it is not understood what transcription factors are required for UCP1 transcription during brown fat differentiation and other physiological processes. To address this problem, we have screened over 1000 murine transcription factors using a UCP1-GFP reporter system to determine which transcription factors are capable of stimulating UCP1 transcription. 

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Walter is a first in his family to attend college. Currently, he is a student at Contra Costa College in hopes of transferring to UC Davis and major in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry. Walter is a member of the Center for Science and Excellence (CSE) at CCC and mentors students who have an interest in a science major.