[Mar.11] D5 Medical & Life Science Seminar-Dr. Jae Myoung Suh

February 26 2021

The "D5 Medical & Life Science Seminar" course will be offered by International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS). It will run from April 2020 to March 2021, with lectures given by scientists who are affiliated with IRCMS or in collaboration with researchers at IRCMS. The lectures will be given once a month, in English, and by leading scientists in the relevant research field. Students will be taught: 1) how normal physiological functions are maintained in the human body; 2) how these systems become abnormal under certain pathophysiologic conditions; 3) why stem cells are important in animal development and homeostasis; 4) how stem cell-based approaches can help us understand disease mechanisms and find potential cure for diseases related to stem cell malfunction (e.g., cancer, aging).

Date      : March 11, 2021 (Thursday)

Time      : 16:30 -
              * Zoom online seminar
               To receive the meeting ID / Password, please send an email to
               ircms*jimu.kumamoto-u.ac.jp by 15:00 on March 11, 2021.
               (Change * to @ when you send an email.)
               Please include your name, affiliation, grade and student number in your email.

Speaker : Jae Myoung Suh, PhD
                 Assistant Professor,
                 Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering,
                 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

Title        : Hippo signaling regulates adipocyte dedifferentiation and tissue homeostasis

Abstract :
  Maintenance of cellular identity is a fundamental feature of differentiated cell types and is required for tissue homeostasis. Here we show Hippo signaling mediators, Lats1 and Lats2, are essential for maintaining the mature adipocyte phenotype. Fat-specific deletion of Lats1 and Lats2 (L1/2 iAKO) leads to a general loss of adipocytes and subsequent replacement by myofibroblast-like cells with adipocyte progenitor properties. Surprisingly, L1/2 iAKO mice have normal blood glucose levels and insulin sensitivity despite near complete loss of white and brown adipose tissues. The lipoatrophic phenotype observed in L1/2 iAKO mice was fully reversed by treatment with rosiglitazone, a synthetic PPARgamma agonist, indicating the balance between PPARgamma and YAP/TAZ signaling is an important regulator of adipocyte plasticity. Taken together, we demonstrate that canonical Hippo signals are essential regulators of adipocyte plasticity, adipose tissue homeostasis, and systemic metabolism.

Selected publications:

1. Kim, K.E., et al (2021) Dynamic tracking and identification of tissue-specific secretory proteins in the circulation of live mice. Nat Commun, in revision  https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.21.299198
2. Yeom, E., et al (2021) Tumor-Derived Dilp8/INSL3 induces cancer anorexia by regulating feeding neuropeptides via Lgr3/8 in the brain. Nat Cell Biol, 23, 172-183
3. Suh, J.M., et al (2014) Endocrinization of FGF1 produces a neomorphic and potent insulin sensitizer. Nature, 513, 436-439

Flyer: (Click for a larger image)