Elizabeth Gilbert

My research is focused on the molecular and cellular signaling mechanisms associated with energy metabolism in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue across different species. This research is aimed at improving animal production traits and meat quality, and at developing strategies to reduce the prevalence of obesity and diabetes. I am interested in epigenetic modifications and interactions of genetic background, diet and development on regulation of selective lipid deposition, insulin resistance and adipocyte turnover. Specific endeavors include 1) Elucidating mechanisms underlying differences in food intake and adiposity in chickens selected for high or low body weight and 2) investigating the use of flavonoids as anti-obesity/diabetic compounds through improving insulin resistance in adipose tissue and skeletal muscles.

• ALS 3204 Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• APSC 4004 Issues in Animal Science Recitation Section – Obesity in Birds and Mammals
• APSC 2984 APSC Research

Refereed Publications (*indicates student under my supervision)

Jiang, L., O. Wallerman, S. Younis, C.-J. Rubin, E. R. Gilbert, E. Sundstrom, A. Ghazal, X. Zhang, L. Wang, T. S. Mikkelsen, G. Andersson, and L. Andersson. 2014. ZBED6 modulates the transcription of myogenic genes in mouse myoblast cells. PLoS ONE. In Press.

Sumners, L. H.*, W. Zhang*, X. Zhao, C. F. Honaker, S. Zhang*, M. A. Cline, P. B. Siegel, and E. R. Gilbert. 2014. Chickens from lines artificially selected for juvenile low and high body weight differ in glucose homeostasis and pancreas physiology. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: Molecular and Integrative Physiology.172:57-65.

Zhang, S.*, M. W. Hulver, R. P. McMillan, M. A. Cline and E. R. Gilbert. 2014. The pivotal role of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases in metabolic flexibility. Nutrition & Metabolism. 11:10-18.

Zhang, S.*, R. McMillan, M. Hulver, P. B. Siegel, L. H. Sumners*, W. Zhang*, M. A. Cline and E. R. Gilbert. 2014. Chickens from lines selected for high and low body weight show differences in fatty acid oxidation efficiency and metabolic flexibility in skeletal muscle and white adipose tissue. International Journal of Obesity. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.02.020. [Epub ahead of print].

Li, J., X. L. Zhao, E. R. Gilbert, D. Y. Li, Y. P. Liu, Y. Wang, Q. Zhu, Y. G. Wang, Y. Chen, and K. Tian. 2014. APOBEC2 mRNA and protein is predominantly expressed in skeletal and cardiac muscles of chickens. Gene. 539:263-269.

Zhao, X., L. H. Sumners*, E. R. Gilbert, P. B. Siegel, W. Zhang*, and M. A. Cline. 2014. Delayed feeding after hatch caused compensatory increases in blood glucose concentration in fed chicks from low but not high body weight lines. Poult. Sci. 93:617-624.

Yin, H., S. Zhang*, E. R. Gilbert, P. B. Siegel, Q. Zhu, and E. A. Wong. 2013. Expression profiles of muscle genes in postnatal skeletal muscle in lines of chickens divergently selected for high and low body weight. Poult. Sci. 93:147-54.

Zhang, W.*, L. H. Sumners, P. B. Siegel, M. A. Cline and E. R. Gilbert. 2013. Quantity of glucose transporter and appetite-associated factor mRNA in various tissues after insulin injection in chickens selected for either low or high body weight. Physiol. Genom. 45:1084-94.

Zhang, W.*, M. A. Cline, D. Liu and E. R. Gilbert. 2013. Knockdown of ZBED6 is not associated with changes in murine preadipocyte proliferation or differentiation. Adipocyte. 2:251-5.

Pon Velayutham, A. B., D. Liu and E. R. Gilbert. 2013. Recent advances in understanding the signaling pathways involved in the antidiabetic effects of dietary flavonoids. J. Nutr. Biochem. 24:1777-89.

Webster, R., B. Newmyer, M. Furuse, E. R. Gilbert, and M. A. Cline. 2013. The orexigenic effect of kyotorphin in chicks involves hypothalamus and brainstem activity and opioid receptors. Neuropeptides. 12:00112-6.

Li, J., X.-L. Zhao, Y.-C. Yuan, E. R. Gilbert, Y. Wang, Y.-P. Liu, Y. Zhang, and Q. Zhu. 2013. Dietary lysine affects chickens from local Chinese pure lines and their reciprocal crosses. Poult. Sci. 92:1683-9.

Yin, H.D., E. R. Gilbert, S. Y. Chen, D. Y. Li, Z. C. Zhang, Y. Wang, Y. P. Liu, and Q. Zhu. 2013. Ontogenic expression pattern and genetic polymorphisms of the retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) gene in Erlang mountainous chickens. Gene. 13: 00653-7.

Yin, H.D., E. R. Gilbert, S. Y. Chen, Y. Wang, Z. C. Zhang, X. L. Zhao, Y. Zhang and Q. Zhu. 2013. Effect of hybridization on carcass traits and meat quality of Erlang mountainous chickens. Asian-Australian Journal of Animal Science. 26: 1504-10.

Li, J., Y. Chen, Y.-G. Wang, X.-L. Zhao, E. R. Gilbert, Y.-P. Liu, Y. Wang, Y.-D. Hu and Q. Zhu. 2013. MUSTN1 mRNA abundance and protein localization is greatest in muscle tissues of Chinese meat-quality chickens. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 14:5545-59.

Newmyer, B., W. Nandar, R. Webster, E. R. Gilbert, P. B. Siegel, and M. A. Cline. 2013. Neuropeptide Y is associated with changes in appetite-associated hypothalamic nuclei but not in food intake in a hypophagic avian model. Behavioral Brain Research. 236:327-31.

Gilbert, E. R., and D. Liu. 2013. Anti-diabetic functions of soy isoflavone genistein: mechanisms underlying effects on growth and protection of pancreatic β-cells. Food & Function. 4:200-12.

Hagen, C. J., B. A. Newmyer, R. I. Webster, E. R. Gilbert, P. B. Siegel, T. Tachibana, and M. A. Cline. 2013. Stimulation of food intake after central galanin is associated with arcuate nucleus activation and does not differ between genetically selected low and high body weight lines of chickens. Neuropeptides. 12:00129-1.

Fu, Z., E. R. Gilbert, and D. Liu. 2013. Regulation of insulin synthesis and secretion and pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction in diabetes. Curr. Diab. Rev. 9:25-53.

Lamichhaney, S., A. M. Barrio, N. Rafati, G. Sundstrom, C. J. Rubin, E. R. Gilbert, J. Berglund, A. Wetterbom, L. Laikre, M. T. Webster, M. Grabher, N. Ryman, and L. Andersson. 2012. Population-scale sequencing reveals genetic differentiation due to local adaptation in Atlantic herring. PNAS. 109:19345-50.

Zhao, X., P. B. Siegel, Y. Liu, Y. Wang, E. R. Gilbert, Q. Zhu and L. Zhang. 2012. Housing system affects broiler characteristics of local Chinese breed reciprocal crosses. Poult. Sci. Poult. Sci. 91:2405-10.

Gilbert, E. R., and D. Liu. 2012. Epigenetics: The missing link to understanding β-cell dysfunction in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Epigenetics. 7: 841-52.

Fu, Z., E. R. Gilbert, L. Pfeiffer, Y. Zhang, Y. Fu, and D. Liu. 2012. Genistein ameliorates hyperglycemia in a mouse model of nongenetic type 2 diabetes. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 37:480-488.

Gilbert, E. R., Z. Fu, and D. Liu. 2011. Development of a nongenetic mouse model of type 2 diabetes. Experimental Diabetes Res. 2011: 416254-416265.

Gilbert, E. R. 2011. Editorial preface to the second issue of 2011. J. Cardiovasc. Dis. Res.2:89-90.

Wu G. Q., P. B. Siegel, E. R. Gilbert, N. Yang, and E. A. Wong. 2011. Expression profiles of somatotropic axis genes in lines of chickens divergently selected for 56-day body weight. Anim. Biotechnol. 2:100-110.

Casterlow, C., H. Li, E. R. Gilbert, R. A. Dalloul, A. P. McElroy, D. A. Emmerson, and E. A.Wong. 2011. An antimicrobial peptide is downregulated in the small intestine of Eimeria chickens. Poultry Science. 90:1212-1219.

Gilbert, E. R., C. M. Cox, P. M. Williams, A. P. McElroy, R. A. Dalloul, W. K. Ray, A Barri, D. A. Emmerson, E. A. Wong, and K. E. Webb, Jr. 2011. Eimeria species and genetic background influence the serum protein profile of broilers with coccidiosis. PLoS ONE. 6:e14636, 1-14.

Gilbert, E. R., P. M. Williams, W. K. Ray, H. Li, D. A. Emmerson, E. A. Wong, and K. E. Webb, Jr. 2010. Proteomic evaluation of chicken brush-border membrane during the early post-hatch period. J. Proteome Res. 9: 4628-4639.

Gilbert, E. R., H. Li, D. Emmerson, K. E. Webb, Jr. and E. A. Wong. 2010. Dietary protein composition influences abundance of peptide and amino acid transporter mRNA in the small intestine of broiler chicks. Poult. Sci. 89:1663-1676.

Gilbert, E. R. and D. Liu. 2010. Flavonoids influence epigenetic-modifying enzymeactivity: structure-function relationships and the therapeutic potential for cancer. Invited Review. Curr. Med. Chem. 17:1756-1768.

Gilbert, E. R., E. A. Wong, and K. E. Webb, Jr. 2008. Peptide absorption and utilization: implications for animal nutrition and health. Board Invited Review. J.Anim. Sci. 86:2135-2155.

Zhao, J., A. Harper, K. Webb, L. Kuehn, E. Gilbert, X. Xiao, and E. Wong. 2008. Cytokine mRNA expression in the small intestine of weanling pigs fed diets supplemented with specialized protein or peptide sources. Asian-Australasian J. Anim. Sci. 21:1800-1806.

Gilbert, E. R., H. Li, D. Emmerson, K. E. Webb, Jr. and E. A. Wong. 2008. Dietary protein quality and feed restriction influence abundance of nutrient transporter mRNA in the small intestine of broiler chicks. J. Nutr. 138:1-10.

Li, H., E. R. Gilbert, Y. Zhang, O. Crasta, D. Emmerson, K. E. Webb Jr., and E. A.  Wong. 2008. Expression profiling of the solute carrier gene family in the chicken intestine from the late embryonic to early post hatch stages. Anim. Genetics. 39:407-424.

Gilbert, E. R., H. Li, D. Emmerson, K. E. Webb, Jr. and E. A. Wong. 2007. Developmental regulation of nutrient transporter and enzyme mRNA abundance in the small intestine of broilers. Poult Sci. 86:1739-1753.

Gilbert, E. R., E. Wong, M. Vaughan, and K. E. Webb, Jr. 2007. Distribution and abundance of nutrient transporter mRNA in the intestinal tract of the black bear, Ursus americanus. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. B Biochem. Mol. Biol.146:35-41.