Stephen R. Farmer
Professor of Biochemistry
Department of Biochemistry
Boston University School of Medicine
Silvio Conte Building, K402
72 E. Concord Street
Boston, MA 02118
Phone: 617-638-4186
Fax: 617-638-5339
Email: farmer@biochem.bumc.bu.edu
Education
BSc. Hons I., Liverpool University, England
Ph.D. National Institute for Medical Research, London, England
Research Interest
The overall focus of my laboratory is to understand the molecular mechanisms controlling the formation and function of adipocytes with a focus on identifying the signaling pathways and transcription factors that regulate adipogenesis. Projects presently under investigation include the role of PPARgamma (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma) and the C/EBPs (CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins) in regulating the sequential expression of the adipogenic factors that control the differentiation of preadipocytes into adipocytes and expression of genes that control various adipocyte functions including insulin-dependent glucose uptake and production of adiponectin. We are also investigating the mechanisms by which the adipocyte responds to changes in energy balance by focusing on role of the NAD-dependent deacetylase, SIRT1, and the hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha (HIF-1alpha) in regulating adipocyte gene expression.
Representative Publications
Gross DN, Farmer SR. and Pilch P. Glut4 storage vesicles without Glut4: Transcriptional Regulation of Insulin-dependent Vesicular traffic. Mol.Cell.Biol 24:7151-7162, 2004.
Park B-H. and Farmer SR. Phosphorylation of C/EBP-beta at a Consensus ERK/GSK3 Site is Required for the Induction of Adiponectin Gene Expression during the Differentiation of Mouse Fibroblasts into Adipocytes. Mol.Cell.Biol. 24:8671-8680, 2004.
Davis KE, Moldes M, Farmer SR: The forkhead transcription factor FoxC2 inhibits white adipocyte differentiation. J Biol Chem, 279:42453-42461, 2004.
Liu J, Farmer SR: Regulating the balance between PPARgamma and beta-catenin signaling during adipogenesis: A GSK3beta phosphorylation-defective mutant of beta-catenin inhibits expression of a subset of adipogenic genes. J Biol Chem, 279:45020-45027, 2004.
Farmer SR and Auwerx J: Adipose Tissue: new therapeutic targets from molecular and genetic studies -VIASO Stock Conference 2003 report. Obes Rev 5:189-196, 2004.
Schadinger SE, Bucher, NLR, Schreiber BM and Farmer SR: PPARgamma2 Regulates Lipogenesis and Lipid Accumulation in Steatotic Hepatocytes. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 288:E1195-205. 2005.
Farmer SR: Regulation of PPARgamma activity during adipogenesis. Int. J. Obesity. 29:S13-6. 2005.
Qiang L and Farmer SR: C/EBPalpha-dependent induction of glutathione S-transferase zeta/maleylacetoacetate isomerase (GSTzeta/MAAI) expression during the differentiation of mouse fibroblasts into adipocytes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun.340:845-51. 2006.
Zuo Y, Qiang L, Farmer SR: Activation of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) alpha expression by C/EBP beta during adipogenesis requires a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma-associated repression of HDAC1 at the C/ebp alpha gene promoter J Biol Chem. 281:7960-7. 2006.
Lebrasseur NK, Kelly M, Tsao TS, Farmer SR, Saha AK, Ruderman NB, Tomas E: Thiazolidinediones can rapidly activate AMP-activated protein kinase in mammalian tissues. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 291:E175-81. 2006.
Karagiannides I, Thomou T, Tchkonia T, Pirtskhalava T, Kypreos KE, Cartwright A, Dalagiorgou G, Lash TL, Farmer SR, Timchenko NA, Kirkland JL: Increased CUG triplet repeat binding protein-1 predisposes to impaired adipogenesis with aging. J Biol Chem. 281:23025-33.2006.
Liu J, Wang H, Zuo Y, Farmer SR: A Functional Interaction between Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma and beta-Catenin. Mol. Cell. Biol. 26:5827-37. 2006.
Farmer SR: Transcriptional Control of Adipocyte Formation. Cell Metab. 4: 263-73. 2006.
Qiang L, Wang H, Farmer SR. Adiponectin secretion is regulated by SIRT1 and the ER oxidoreductase Ero1-Lalpha. Mol. Cell. Biol. 27:4698-4707. 2007.
Bezy O, Vernochet C, Gesta S, Farmer SR, Kahn CR. TRB3 blocks adipocyte differentiation through the inhibition of C/EBPbeta transcriptional activity. Mol Cell Biol. 27:6818-6831, 2007.
Xu Y, Farmer SR, Smith BD. PPARgamma interacts with CIITA/RFX5 complex to repress collagen gene expression. J. Biol. Chem. 282:26046-56, 2007.
Wang H, Qiang L, Farmer SR. Identification of a domain within PPARgamma regulating expression of a group of genes containing FGF21 that are selectively repressed by SIRT1 in adipocytes. Mol Cell Biol. Oct 22; [Epub ahead of print] 2007.
