Madhu S. Dhar, PhD

Education

• Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Poona, India
• M.S. Biochemistry, University of Poona, India
• B.S. Chemistry, University of Poona, India

Training

• 1990 Postdoctoral fellow Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, Univ. of Tenn. Knoxville, TN
• 1992 Postdoctoral fellow Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Univ. of Tenn. Knoxville, TN
• 1998 Research Assistant Professor Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
• 2004 Research Assistant Professor Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, TN
• 2006 Research Associate Professor Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, TN

Teaching

• Undergraduate and Graduate student research training
• Graduate and postgraduate course: General, organic and biochemistry
• Graduate course: Introduction to Genome SCI/TECI - Polygenic Mouse Models of Obesity
• Graduate and postgraduate course: Evaluation of genetic and nutritional control of obesity and glucose homeostasis
• Graduate course: Advanced Topics in Nutrition. Nutrient-Gene Interactions in Health and Disease
• Undergraduate and graduate course: Plant genetic engineering : DNA cloning and sequencing

Research Interests

• Animal models of human disease with special relevance to obesity and diabetes
• Novel targets of Role of glucose transporters and amino phospholipid translocases in insulin resistance
• Regulation of gene expression in mouse adipocytes in vivo and in vitro
• Role of G-protein linked potassium channels in breast cancer cells
• Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in lean and obese horses

Clinical Interests

• Link basic molecular and cellular research to clinical cases
• Identify molecular and cellular targets for complex diseases for translational research.
• Regenerative medicine - adipose tissue as a source of adult stem cells.

Honors and Awards

• 2009 Member, Editorial Board, The Open Obesity Journal.

• 2008 Member, Region 2 Study Section, American Heart Association, Basic Cell and Molecular Biology (Mid-Atlantic and Greater Southeast) Apr 2008-2011.

• 2007 Best Poster Award for "Tobacco carcinogens stimulate G-protein inwardly rectifying potassium channel 1 (GIRK1) protein expression in a small cell lung cancer cell line." Authored by Madhu S Dhar, Michael W. Hance and Howard K. Plummer III. Presented at the Ion Channel Targets Conference, Boston, MA. September 10-11, 2007.
• 2007-2008 Chair, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Research Committee
• 2006 Nominated as the Honorary Member of UT Phi Zeta (Tennessee Chapter at University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine)
• 2006 First author of BMC Physiology paper which was cited as one of the 30 best publications by Lead Discovery, a company for pharmaceutical targeted research areas.
• 2006-2007 Invited Member of the Working Committee of Genome India International.
• 2006 Hot Topic Abstract "A type IV P-type ATPase affects insulin-mediated glucose uptake in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in mice and may be involved in protein trafficking and sequestration" selected for presentation at the Keystone Symposia on Adipogenesis, Obesity and Inflammation, Vancouver, British Columbia, Jan 21-26, 2006.
• 2005 Invited reviewer for the Journal Nutrition and Metabolism
• 2004 Invited reviewer for the Journal Experimental Biology and Medicine
• 2003 Outstanding Mentor Award from United States Department of Energy in recognition of dedication as a Mentor to undergraduate research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• 2002 Outstanding Research Poster Award for "A Novel Polygenic Mouse Model of Obesity and Diabetes: Evaluation of Genetic and Nutritional Control of Obesity and Glucose Homeostasis" in the category of Complex Genetics and Disease Modifiers, at the 16th International Mouse Genome Conference, San Anonio, Texas, Nov 17-21, 2002.
• 2001-2002 Travel Award from the International Mammalian Genome Society to attend the 15th and 16th International Mouse Genome Conferences, Edinburgh, Scotland, Oct. 21-24, 2001.
• 2001 Interactive Poster Award for "A murine aminophospholipid translocase on chromosome 7 is associated with an obesity phenotype" at FASEB Summer Research Conference on Transport ATPases (From Genomics to Mechanism) at Snowmass Village, Snowmass, Colorado. July 14-19, 2001.
• 2000 Travel Award from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities and the International Mammalian Genome Society to attend the 14th International Mouse Genome Conference, Narita, Japan, Nov. 6-9, 2000.

Research Support

• Pilot and Feasibility grant, University of Tennessee Obesity Research Center, Feb 1, 2009 - Jan 30, 2010. (PI)
• Project Grant for "Characterization of a P-type ATPase in dog adipose tissue: a novel target for metabolic diseases in mammals" American Kennel Club, May 1, 2008 - Apr 30, 2009. (PI)
• Center of Excellence, University of Tennessee, 2005 - present
• Research, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Univ. of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine 2004 - present.

• Philip Morris External Research Program "GIRK channels, beta adrenergic signaling and breast cancer" (Co-PI), 07/2004 - 06/2007
• Beginning Grant - in - Aid American Heart Association, Southeast "Glucose Metabolism in a novel mouse model of obesity associated with insulin resistance" (PI), 07/2004 - 07/2006
• Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee "Genetic basis of melanoma in dogs" (Collaborator), 10/2005 - 01/2006
• National Institute of Health "Mapping and Cloning of an Obesity locus on Mouse chromosome 7" (Co-PI), 04/1998 - 07/2004
• Department of Energy "Development of a New X-Ray CT based Methodology for Mouse Obesity Studies" (Co-PI), 01/1999 - 01/2000

Professional Societies

• To establish in vitro and in vivo systems to study the biology of novel targets for obesity and diabetes
• To validate novel candidate genes in mice, humans and companion animals for their roles in obesity and diabetes
• To establish siRNAs as therapeutic drugs against clinically important diseases.
• To optimize the isolation and identification of stem cells from equine peripheral blood and adipose tissue.

Professional Societies

• International Mammalian Genome Society
• North American Association for the Study of Obesity
• Tennessee Mouse Genome Consortium

Publications

• Peretich, A.L., Cekanova, M., Hurst, S., Baek, S.J. and Dhar, M.S. PPARgamma agonists PPARg agonists down-regulate the expression of Atp10c mRNA during adipogenesis. The Open Obesity Journal (2009) (In Press)
• Peretich, A.L., Abbott, L.L., Andrews, F.M. and Dhar M.S. Age-dependent regulation of sodium-potassium ATPase and sodium-hydrogen exchanger mRNAs in equine nonglandular mucosa. American Journal of Veterinary Research (2009) (In Press)
• Michael Hance, Madhu Dhar and H K Plummer Tobacco carcinogens stimulate different signaling pathways in breast cancer. Breast Cancer: Basic and Clinical Research 1, 25-34 (2008)
• Abbott, L.L., Peretich, A.L., Andrews, F.M. and Dhar M.S. Role of sodium-potassium ATPase and sodium-hydrogen exchanger in mRNA in equine gastric ulcer syndrome. Proceedings of the 9th International Equine Colic Research Symposium June 15, p28 (2008).
• Peretich, A., Pineda, A'Drian, Neilsen, N., Graham, T. and Dhar, M., Regulation of Atp10c mRNA expression in mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes. FASEB J., 21: p. 523.8 (2007).
• M.S. Dhar and H.K. Plummer 3rd Protein expression of G-protein inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRK) in breast cancer cells. BMC Physiol. 6(8) (2006).
• N. Frank, M.Dhar, S. Elliott and Joshua S. Yuan. Effects of long-term levothyroxine administration on adipose and skeletal muscle tissue glucose transporter gene expression in mares. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 20:743 (2006).
• Madhu S. Dhar, Joshua S. Yuan, Sarah B. Elliott and Carla Sommardahl A type IV P-type ATPase affects insulin-mediated glucose uptake in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in mice. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 17(12), 811-20 (2006) Epub 2006 Feb 3.
• F. Ding, Y. Prints, M. S. Dhar, D.K. Johnson, C. Garnacho-Montero, R.D. Nicholls and U. Francke Lack of Pwcr1/MBII-85 snoRNA is critical for neonatal lethality in Prader-Willi syndrome mouse models. Mammalian Genome. 16(6), 424-31 (2005).
• H.K. Plummer 3rd, M.S. Dhar, M. Cekanova and H.M. Schuller Expression of G-protein inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRKs) in lung cancer cell lines. BMC Cancer. 18(5), 104 (2005).
• Howard Plummer 3rd, Madhu Dhar and Hildergarde Schuller Expression of the alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in human lung cells. Respiratory Research 6, 29-38 (2005).
• Madhu Dhar, Loren Hauser, Robert Nicholls and Dabney Johnson Physical mapping of the pink-eyed dilution complex in mouse chromosome 7 shows that Atp10c is the only transcript between Gabrb3 and Ube3a. DNA Sequence 15(4), 306-309 (2004).
• Y. Wang, Brynn Voy Jones, Sumitra Urs, Suyeon Kim, Morvarid Soltani-Bejnood, Neal Quigley, Y.R. Heo, Melissa Standridge, Brett Andersen, Madhu Dhar, Rashika Joshi, Patrick Wortman, J.W. Taylor, J. Chun, M. Leuze, Kate Claycombe, Alan Saxton and Naima Moustaid-Moussa The human fatty acid synthase gene and de novo lipogenesis are coordinately regulated in human adipose tissue. Journal of Nutrition 134(5), 1032-8, (2004).
• Madhu Dhar, Carla Sommardahl, Sarah Nelson, Tanisa Kirkland, Larry Castellani, Robert Donnell and Dabney Johnson Mice heterozygous for Atp10c, a putative amphipath, represent a novel mouse model of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Journal of Nutrition 134, 799-805 (2004).
• R.D. Nicholls, M. Stefan, H. Ji, Y. Qi, R.S. Frayo, R.H. Wharton, M.S. Dhar, D.E. Cummings, M.I. Friedman and R.S. Ahima Mouse models for Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes offer insights into novel obesity mechanisms. In: Progress in Obesity Research, 9, Medeiros-Neto, G., Halpern, A. and Bouchard, C. eds. John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. 313-319 (2003).
• Madhu Dhar, Loren Hauser, and Dabney Johnson An aminophospholipid translocase associated with body fat and type 2 diabetes phenotypes. Obesity Research 10(7), 695-702, (2002).
• Madhu S. Dhar Ferritin: A novel human ferritin heavy chain mRNA is predominantly expressed in the adult brain. In: Nutrition and Gene Expression, Berdanier, C.D. and Moussa, N.M. eds. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. (Chapter 18, 449-459) (2001).
• Jennifer L. Aponte, Gary A. Sega, Loren Hauser, Madhu S. Dhar, Catherine M. Withrow, Donald A. Carpenter, Eugene M. Rinchik, Cymbeline T. Culiat, and Dabney Johnson Point Mutations in the Murine Fumarylacetoacetate gene: Animal Models for the Human Genetic Disorder Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type I. PNAS, USA, 98(2), 641-645, (2001).
• Madhu Dhar, Lisa Webb, Laurel Smith, Loren Hauser, Dabney Johnson and David West A Novel ATPase on Mouse Chromosome 7 is a candidate gene for increased Body Fat.  Physiological Genomics 4, 93-100, (2000).
• Paulus, M. J., S. S. Gleason, H. Sari-Sarraf, D. K. Johnson, C. J. Foltz, D. W. Austin, M. E. Easterly, E. J. Michaud, M. S. Dhar, P. R. Hunsicker, J. W. Wall, M. Schell. High-resolution X-ray CT screening of mutant mouse models. Proc. SPIE 3921:270-279, (2000).
• M. Shuster, M.S. Dhar, A.L. Olins, D.E. Olins, C.Y. Howell, S.M. Gollin and J.R. Chaillet Parental alleles of an imprinted mouse transgene replicate synchronously. Dev. Genet. 23 (4), 275-284, (1998).
• M.E. Percy, S. Wong, S. Bauer, N. Liaghati, M.D. Perry, V.M. Chauthaiwale, M. Dhar and J.G. Joshi Iron Metabolism and human ferritin heavy chain cDNA from adult brain with an elongated untranslated region : new findings and insights. Analyst 123, 41, (1998).
• M.S.Dhar and D.K. Johnson A microsatellite map of the pink-eyed dilution (p) deletion complex in Mouse Chromosome 7. Mammalian Genome 8(2), 143-145, (1997).
• M.E. Percy, S.J. Bauer, S. Rainey, D.R.C. McLachlan, M. Dhar and J.G. Joshi Localization of a new ferritin heavy chain sequence present in human brain mRNA to chromosome 11. Genome 38, 450-457, (1995).
• L.J. Hauser, M.S. Dhar and D.E. Olins Dictyostelium discoideum contains a single-subtype of histone H1 present as a single-copy gene. Gene 154, 119-122, (1995).
• M.S. Dhar and J.G. Joshi Detection and quantitation of the novel ferritin heavy chain message in human tissues.  Biofactors 4, 147-149, (1994).
• J.G. Joshi, M.S. Dhar, M. Clauberg and V. Chauthaiwale Iron and aluminum homeostasis in neural disorders. Environmental Health Perspectives Supplements 102, Supplement 4, (1994).
• A.L. Olins, L.H. Cacheiro, A.L. Herrmann, M.S. Dhar and D.E. Olins Inaccessibility of the Euplotes telomere binding protein. Chromosoma 102, 700-711, (1994).
• M. S. Dhar and J. G. Joshi Differential processing of the ferritin heavy chain mRNA in human liver and adult human brain. J. Neurochemistry 61, 2140-2146, (1993).
• K.D. Swanson, M.S. Dhar and J.G. Joshi The human and bovine 14-3-3n protein mRNAs are highly conserved in both their translated and untranslated regions. Biochem. Biophys. Acta 1216, 145-148, (1993).
• J. C. Chen, P. A. Hardy, W. Kucharczyk, M. Clauberg, J. G. Joshi, A. Vourlas, M. S. Dhar and R. M. Henkelman. MR of human postmortem brain tissue: Correlative study between T2 and assays of iron and ferritin in Parkinson and Huntington disease.  American J. of Neuroradiology, 14, 275-281, (1993).
• M. Dhar, V. Chauthaiwale, and J. G. Joshi Sequence of a cDNA encoding the ferritin H-chain from an 11-week human fetal brain. Gene, 126 (2), 275-278, (1993).
• J. G. Joshi, M. Clauberg and M. S. Dhar Role of Aluminum and Iron in brain disorders. In: Advances in Behavioral Biology, 40, Treatment of Dementias, Ed. Edwin M. Meyer, J. W. Simkpins, J. Yamamoto and F. T. Crews, 387-396, Plenum press, NY, (1992).
• M. S. Dhar, V. V. Pethe, V. S. Gupta and P. K. Ranjekar Predominance and tissue specificity of adenine methylation in rice. Theor. Appl. Genet., 80, 402-408, (1990).
• V.S. Gupta, M.S. Dhar, B.G. Patil, G.S. Narvekar, S.R. Rawat and P.K. Ranjekar Molecular cloning and restriction enzyme analysis of a long repetitive DNA sequence in rice. J. Bioscience (India) 15, 145-149, (1990).
• M. S. Dhar, M. M. Dabak, V. S. Gupta and P. K. Ranjekar Organization and properties of repeated DNA sequences in rice genome. Plant Science 66 (1), 43-52, (1988).
• S. A. Ranade, M. D. Lagu, S. M. Patankar, M. M. Dabak, M. S. Dhar, V. S. Gupta and P. K. Ranjekar Identification of a dispersed Mbo I repeat family in five higher plant genomes. Bioscience Reports (U.K.), 8 (5), 435-442, (1988).
• M.M. Dabak, S.A. Ranade, M.S. Dhar, V.S. Gupta and P.K. Ranjekar Molecular characterization of Pigeonpea genome. Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics 25 (3), 230-236, (1988).

Scientific Abstracts and Presentations (Last 3 Years)

• Sarah Hurst, Amanda Peretich, Steven Minkin, John Dunlap, John Biggerstaff, Madhu Dhar In vitro silencing of a putative phospholipid translocase results in an increase in glucose uptake in 3T3 L1 adipocytes. Experimental Biology, New Orleans, LA April 17-22, 2009.  (Travel award to student)
• Frank M. Andrews, Amanda L. Peretich, Lora L. Abbott, Madhu S. Dhar Age-dependent regulation of sodium-potassium adenosinetriphosphatase and sodium-hydrogen exchanger mRNAs in equine nonglandular mucosa. Experimental Biology, New Orleans, LA April 17-22, 2009.

• Madhu Dhar P-type ATPases in obesity and diabetes. 1st Annual Retreat, UT Obesity Research Center, Fall Creek Falls, Oct 10, 2008. (Invited Presentation)
• Amanda Peretich, Maria Cekanova, Seung J. Baek, Madhu Dhar PPARg agonists down-regulate the expression of a phospholipid translocase during adipogenesis. Keystone Symposia: Molecular Control of Adipogenesis and Obesity Banff, Alberta (Canada) February 19-24, 2008 (Travel award to student)
• Madhu Dhar RNAi technology reveals a novel target for obesity and diabetes. 9th Annual Beyond
• Madhu Dhar RNAi technology reveals a novel target for obesity and diabetes. 9th Annual Beyond Genome (Cambridge Heathtech Institute), Tools to Therapies: RNA Interference (RNAi target validation), San Francisco, CA. June 8-10, 2008. (Invited Presentation)
• Madhu Dhar P-type ATPases in obesity and diabetes. Metabolex Inc., Hayward, CA. June 10, 2008. (Invited Presentation)
• Abbott, L.L., Peretich, A.L., Dhar M.S., and Andrews, F.M. Role of sodium-potassium ATPase and sodium-hydrogen exchanger in mRNA in equine gastric ulcer syndrome. The 9th International Equine Colic Research Symposium, Liverpool, UK. June 15-18 2008. (Invited Presentation)
• Madhu Dhar Role of a novel P-type ATPase in obesity and diabetes? University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine, Research Roundtable, Knoxville, TN. March 27, 2008. (Invited Presentation)

• Madhu Dhar, Michael Hance and H K Plummer Tobacco carcinogens stimulate G-protein inwardly rectifying potassium channel 1 (GIRK1) protein expression in a small cell lung cancer cell line. Ion Channel Targets Conference, Boston, MA. September 10-11, 2007
• Madhu Dhar NIH grants for risky projects: P-type ATPases in diseases. University of Tennessee-ORNL NIH forum, Oak Ridge, TN.Nov 14, 2007. (Invited Presentation)
• Amanda Peretich, Guozhang Mao, Nancy Neilsen, Xuemin Xu, Carla Sommardahl and Madhu Dhar Hormonal regulation of Atp10c, a type 4 P-type ATPase, in mouse adipocytes. 1st Annual Meeting of the Comparative and Experimental Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, TN. June 22, 2007
• Michael W. Hance, Madhu S. Dhar, and Howard K. Plummer III Effects of G-protein inwardly rectifying potassium channel 1 (GIRK1) knockdown in the MDA-MB453 breast cancer cell line. 8th Annual Beyond Genome (Cambridge Heathtech Institute), San Francisco, CA. June 21-22, 2007
• Amanda Peretich, A'Drian Pineda, Nancy Neilsen, Todd Graham and Madhu Dhar Regulation of Atp10c mRNA expression in mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes. American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/Experimental Biology, Washington DC. April 28 - May 2, 2007. (Travel award to student)

• Helen E. Reaves, Carla S. Sommardahl, Deborah K. Haines, Joshua S. Yuan and Madhu S. Dhar Insulin signaling pathway in a novel mouse model of type 2 diabetes. 46th Annual Meeting of The American Society of Cell Biology, San Diego, CA, Dec 9-13, 2006
• Madhu Dhar Insulin signaling pathway in a novel mouse model of type 2 diabetes. Center of Excellence, University of Tennessee College of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN. August 3, 2006. (Invited Presentation)
• Michael Hance, Madhu Dhar and H K Plummer Tobacco carcinogens stimulate different signaling pathways in breast cancer. 46th Annual Meeting of The American Society of Cell Biology, San Diego, CA, Dec 9-13, 2006
• Madhu S. Dhar, Joshua S. Yuan, Sarah B. Elliott and Carla Sommardahl. A type IV P-type ATPase affects insulin-mediated glucose uptake in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in mice. Keystone Symposia on Adipogenesis, Obesity and Inflammation, Vancouver, British Columbia, Jan 21-26, 2006. (Late breaking abstract)

Students

• Tanisa Kirkland MS, Oak Ridge National Laboratory/University of Tennessee, 2003-2005
• Jennifer Stafford, DVM University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine 2005
• Lora Abbott DVM, University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine 2006 - 2007
• Helen Reaves DVM, University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine 2006
• Sara Roshwalb DVM, University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine 2008
• Amanda Peretich MS, Comparative and Experimental Medicine Program, University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine 2006-2008
• Michael Hance PhD, Comparative and Experimental Medicine Program, University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine 2006-present
• Sarah Hurst MS, Comparative and Experimental Medicine Program, University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine 2008-present
• Sarah Grogerman DVM, University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine 2009