Barak Research Group
Principal Investigator:
Yaacov Barak, PhD
Tali Shalom-Barak, DVM
Research at the Barak lab focuses on the developmental functions of the nuclear hormone receptors PPARgamma and PPARdelta – two key therapeutic targets in metabolic diseases, which also regulate distinct aspects of placental development and metabolism.
Projects in the lab investigate the developmental and metabolic functions of both receptors in the placental as well as the diverse functions of PPARgamma in adipocytes (fat cells), including differentiation, death, and regeneration. The lab’s research scheme integrates standard and conditional gene targeting, histological, physiological and molecular phenotyping, stem and primary cell cultures, and screens for target genes of both receptors. These approaches have spawned downstream studies including functional analyses of PPAR targets in fat and placenta as well as dissection of the transcriptional regulation of select targets by PPARs and associated factors and cofactors.
Lab Members
Tali Shalom-Barak, DVM
Research Instructor
DVM, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Israel, 1990
shalombarakt@mwri.magee.edu
Transcriptional functions of PPARgamma and cofactors in trophoblasts
Suyeon Kim, PhD
Research Associate
PhD, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2004
kims6@mwri.magee.edu
PPARgamma and the adipocyte life cycle
Jackie Liersemann, BSc
Research Assistant
BSc, University of Cincinnati, 2006
liersemannj@mwri.magee.edu
Developmental functions of the transcription cofactor LCOR
Galit Regev, BSc
Research Assistant
BSc, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2009
regevg@mwri.magee.edu
Functions of PPARdelta in the placenta
Selected Publications
- Barak Y, Sadovsky Y, & Shalom-Barak T. PPAR signaling in placental development and function. PPAR Res, 142082, 2008.
- Kim S, Huang L-W, Snow KJ, Ablamunits V, Hasham MG, Young TH, Paulk AC, Richardson JE, Affourtit J, Shalom-Barak T, Bult CJ, & Barak Y. A mouse model of conditional lipodystrophy. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA,104:16627-32, 2007.
- Barak Y & Kim S. 2007. Genetic manipulations of PPARs: Effects on obesity and metabolic disease. PPAR Res, 12781, 2007.
- Shalom-Barak T, Nicholas JM, Wang Y, Zhang X, Ong ES, Young TH, Gendler SJ, Evans RM, & Barak Y. PPARgammacontrols Muc1 transcription in trophoblasts. Mol Cell Biol, 24:10661-69, 2004.
- He W, Barak Y, Hevener A, Olson P, Liao D, Le J, Nelson M, Ong, E, Olefsky JM, & Evans RM. Adipose-specific peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gammaknockout causes insulin resistance in fat and liver, but not in muscle. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 100:15712-17, 2003.
- Barak Y, Liao D, He W, Ong ES, Nelson MC, Olefsky JM, Boland R, & Evans RM. Effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor deltaon placentation, adiposity, and colorectal cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 99:303-08, 2002.
- Barak Y, Nelson MC, Ong ES, Jones YZ, Ruiz-Lozano P, Koder A, Chien KR, & Evans RM. PPARgammais required for placental, cardiac, and adipose tissue development. Mol Cell, 4:585-95, 1999.