How do nutrient-regulated changes in mitochondrial protein acetylation and sirtuin activity affect mitochondrial function and insulin action? Lysine acetylation affects the function of many proteins. This project will examine how excess nutrient availability and altered sirtuin activity affects the acetylation state and function of mitochondrial proteins. This information may identify therapeutic targets to treat diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction.
The combined use of proteomics and small molecules for target identification and pathway analysis. This project intends to investigate how a series of new small molecules identified from our research to improve the metabolic effects of insulin. This project will integrate medicinal chemistry with proteomics and metabolic biology to identify the cellular targets and their mechanism of action.