Claudio Javier Villanueva
Associate Professor, Integrative Biology And Physiology, University of California Los Angeles
cvillanueva@g.ucla.edu
Biography:
Dr. Villanueva is interested in understanding how adipocytes sense and control metabolic demands in response to stressors like temperature. The ability to maintain a constant body temperature despite a changing environment can lead to remodeling of adipose tissue. This involves the differentiation of thermogenic adipocytes that are rich in mitochondria and have a unique transcriptional gene expression program. His lab will explore the molecular mechanisms that underly the cellular plasticity of adipocytes. These studies will provide opportunities for intervening in metabolic diseases that are associated with obesity and diabetes
Publications
- Johnson JM, Peterlin AD, Balderas E, Sustarsic EG, Maschek JA, Lang MJ, Jara-Ramos A, Panic V, Morgan JT, Villanueva CJ, Sanchez A, Rutter J, Lodhi IJ, Cox JE, Fisher-Wellman KH, Chaudhuri D, Gerhart-Hines Z, Funai K. Mitochondrial phosphatidylethanolamine modulates UCP1 to promote brown adipose thermogenesis.. Science advances, 2023.
- Xiao X, Kennelly JP, Ferrari A, Clifford BL, Whang E, Gao Y, Qian K, Sandhu J, Jarrett KE, Brearley-Sholto MC, Nguyen A, Nagari RT, Lee MS, Zhang S, Weston TA, Young SG, Bensinger SJ, Villanueva CJ, de Aguiar Vallim TQ, Tontonoz P. Hepatic nonvesicular cholesterol transport is critical for systemic lipid homeostasis.. Nature metabolism, 2023.
- Sakers A, De Siqueira MK, Seale P, Villanueva CJ. Adipose-tissue plasticity in health and disease.. Cell, 2022.
- De Siqueira MK, Villanueva CJ. When fat talks, the gut listens: IRONing out metabolism.. Cell metabolism, 2021.
- Panic V, Pearson S, Banks J, Tippetts TS, Velasco-Silva JN, Lee S, Simcox J, Geoghegan G, Bensard CL, van Ry T, Holland WL, Summers SA, Cox J, Ducker GS, Rutter J, Villanueva CJ. Mitochondrial pyruvate carrier is required for optimal brown fat thermogenesis.. eLife, 2020.
- Villanueva CJ. Finding a Needle in a Haystack: Identification of a Beige Fat Progenitor.. Cell, 2020.
- Bensard CL, Wisidagama DR, Olson KA, Berg JA, Krah NM, Schell JC, Nowinski SM, Fogarty S, Bott AJ, Wei P, Dove KK, Tanner JM, Panic V, Cluntun A, Lettlova S, Earl CS, Namnath DF, V?zquez-Arregu?n K, Villanueva CJ, Tantin D, Murtaugh LC, Evason KJ, Ducker GS, Thummel CS, Rutter J. Regulation of Tumor Initiation by the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier.. Cell metabolism, 2019.
- Verkerke ARP, Ferrara PJ, Lin CT, Johnson JM, Ryan TE, Maschek JA, Eshima H, Paran CW, Laing BT, Siripoksup P, Tippetts TS, Wentzler EJ, Huang H, Spangenburg EE, Brault JJ, Villanueva CJ, Summers SA, Holland WL, Cox JE, Vance DE, Neufer PD, Funai K. Phospholipid methylation regulates muscle metabolic rate through Ca2+ transport efficiency.. Nature metabolism, 2019.
- Petersen C, Bell R, Klag KA, Lee SH, Soto R, Ghazaryan A, Buhrke K, Ekiz HA, Ost KS, Boudina S, O'Connell RM, Cox JE, Villanueva CJ, Stephens WZ, Round JL. T cell-mediated regulation of the microbiota protects against obesity.. Science (New York, N.Y.), 2019.
- Pearson S, Loft A, Rajbhandari P, Simcox J, Lee S, Tontonoz P, Mandrup S, Villanueva CJ. Loss of TLE3 promotes the mitochondrial program in beige adipocytes and improves glucose metabolism.. Genes & development, 2019.
- Geoghegan G, Simcox J, Seldin MM, Parnell TJ, Stubben C, Just S, Begaye L, Lusis AJ, Villanueva CJ. Targeted deletion of Tcf7l2 in adipocytes promotes adipocyte hypertrophy and impaired glucose metabolism.. Molecular metabolism, 2019.
- Runtsch MC, Nelson MC, Lee SH, Voth W, Alexander M, Hu R, Wallace J, Petersen C, Panic V, Villanueva CJ, Evason KJ, Bauer KM, Mosbruger T, Boudina S, Bronner M, Round JL, Drummond MJ, O'Connell RM. Anti-inflammatory microRNA-146a protects mice from diet-induced metabolic disease.. PLoS genetics, 2019.
- Storelli G, Nam HJ, Simcox J, Villanueva CJ, Thummel CS. Drosophila HNF4 Directs a Switch in Lipid Metabolism that Supports the Transition to Adulthood.. Developmental cell, 2018.
- Bond ST, Moody SC, Liu Y, Civelek M, Villanueva CJ, Gregorevic P, Kingwell BA, Hevener AL, Lusis AJ, Henstridge DC, Calkin AC, Drew BG. The E3 ligase MARCH5 is a PPAR? target gene that regulates mitochondria and metabolism in adipocytes.. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism, 2018.
- Chang SH, Yun UJ, Choi JH, Kim S, Lee AR, Lee DH, Seo MJ, Panic V, Villanueva CJ, Song NJ, Park KW. Identification of Phf16 and Pnpla3 as new adipogenic factors regulated by phytochemicals.. Journal of cellular biochemistry, 2018.
- Song NJ, Chang SH, Kim S, Panic V, Jang BH, Yun UJ, Choi JH, Li Z, Park KM, Yoon JH, Kim S, Yoo JH, Ling J, Thomas K, Villanueva CJ, Li DY, Ahn JY, Ku JM, Park KW. PI3Ka-Akt1-mediated Prdm4 induction in adipose tissue increases energy expenditure, inhibits weight gain, and improves insulin resistance in diet-induced obese mice.. Cell death & disease, 2018.
- Karanth S, Adams JD, Serrano MLA, Quittner-Strom EB, Simcox J, Villanueva CJ, Ozcan L, Holland WL, Yost HJ, Vella A, Schlegel A. A Hepatocyte FOXN3-α Cell Glucagon Axis Regulates Fasting Glucose.. Cell reports, 2018.
- Sommakia S, Houlihan PR, Deane SS, Simcox JA, Torres NS, Jeong MY, Winge DR, Villanueva CJ, Chaudhuri D. Mitochondrial cardiomyopathies feature increased uptake and diminished efflux of mitochondrial calcium.. Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 2017.
- Simcox J, Geoghegan G, Maschek JA, Bensard CL, Pasquali M, Miao R, Lee S, Jiang L, Huck I, Kershaw EE, Donato AJ, Apte U, Longo N, Rutter J, Schreiber R, Zechner R, Cox J, Villanueva CJ. Global Analysis of Plasma Lipids Identifies Liver-Derived Acylcarnitines as a Fuel Source for Brown Fat Thermogenesis.. Cell metabolism, 2017.
- Song NJ, Chang SH, Li DY, Villanueva CJ, Park KW. Induction of thermogenic adipocytes: molecular targets and thermogenic small molecules.. Experimental & molecular medicine, 2017.
- Wang J, Rajbhandari P, Damianov A, Han A, Sallam T, Waki H, Villanueva CJ, Lee SD, Nielsen R, Mandrup S, Reue K, Young SG, Whitelegge J, Saez E, Black DL, Tontonoz P. RNA-binding protein PSPC1 promotes the differentiation-dependent nuclear export of adipocyte RNAs.. The Journal of clinical investigation, 2017.
- Kikani CK, Wu X, Paul L, Sabic H, Shen Z, Shakya A, Keefe A, Villanueva C, Kardon G, Graves B, Tantin D, Rutter J. Pask integrates hormonal signaling with histone modification via Wdr5 phosphorylation to drive myogenesis.. eLife, 2016.
- Drew BG, Hamidi H, Zhou Z, Villanueva CJ, Krum SA, Calkin AC, Parks BW, Ribas V, Kalajian NY, Phun J, Daraei P, Christofk HR, Hewitt SC, Korach KS, Tontonoz P, Lusis AJ, Slamon DJ, Hurvitz SA, Hevener AL. Estrogen receptor (ER)a-regulated lipocalin 2 expression in adipose tissue links obesity with breast cancer progression.. The Journal of biological chemistry, 2014.
- Villanueva CJ, Vergnes L, Wang J, Drew BG, Hong C, Tu Y, Hu Y, Peng X, Xu F, Saez E, Wroblewski K, Hevener AL, Reue K, Fong LG, Young SG, Tontonoz P. Adipose subtype-selective recruitment of TLE3 or Prdm16 by PPAR? specifies lipid storage versus thermogenic gene programs.. Cell metabolism, 2013.
- Zhang Q, Ramlee MK, Brunmeir R, Villanueva CJ, Halperin D, Xu F. Dynamic and distinct histone modifications modulate the expression of key adipogenesis regulatory genes.. Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.), 2012.
- Villanueva CJ, Waki H, Godio C, Nielsen R, Chou WL, Vargas L, Wroblewski K, Schmedt C, Chao LC, Boyadjian R, Mandrup S, Hevener A, Saez E, Tontonoz P. TLE3 is a dual-function transcriptional coregulator of adipogenesis.. Cell metabolism, 2011.
- Villanueva CJ, Tontonoz P. Licensing PPAR? to work in macrophages.. Immunity, 2010.
- Villanueva CJ, Monetti M, Shih M, Zhou P, Watkins SM, Bhanot S, Farese RV. Specific role for acyl CoA:Diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (Dgat1) in hepatic steatosis due to exogenous fatty acids.. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.), 2009.
- Chao LC, Bensinger SJ, Villanueva CJ, Wroblewski K, Tontonoz P. Inhibition of adipocyte differentiation by Nur77, Nurr1, and Nor1.. Molecular endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.), 2008.
- Park KW, Waki H, Villanueva CJ, Monticelli LA, Hong C, Kang S, MacDougald OA, Goldrath AW, Tontonoz P. Inhibitor of DNA binding 2 is a small molecule-inducible modulator of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma expression and adipocyte differentiation.. Molecular endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.), 2008.
- Minehira K, Young SG, Villanueva CJ, Yetukuri L, Oresic M, Hellerstein MK, Farese RV, Horton JD, Preitner F, Thorens B, Tappy L. Blocking VLDL secretion causes hepatic steatosis but does not affect peripheral lipid stores or insulin sensitivity in mice.. Journal of lipid research, 2008.
- Streeper RS, Koliwad SK, Villanueva CJ, Farese RV. Effects of DGAT1 deficiency on energy and glucose metabolism are independent of adiponectin.. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism, 2006.