Faculty

RONALD M. EVANS

Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology, Biology & Neurosciences

TEL: (858)453-4100, Ext. 1302
FAX: (858)455-1349
email: evans@salk.edu

Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Key Words: Steroid Receptors; Transcription; Gene Regulation

Our laboratory has cloned and characterized receptors for steroids, retinoids (vitamin A), and thyroid hormones, as well as isolated their transcriptional coactivators and co-repressors. We have also characterized the class of orphan receptors that lack known ligands. In the case of the PPAR family, we have shown the gamma isoforms to be responsive to antidiabetic drugs such as Resulin and Avandia. We have also shown PPARg to regulate monocyte differentiation and play a key role in atherogenesis. We are generally interested in the role of nuclear receptors in obesity, insulin resistance and heart disease.

Xie, W., Barwick, J.L., Downes, M., Blumberg, B., Simon, C.M., Neuschwander-Tetri, B.A., Brunt, E.M., Guzelian, P.S., and Evans, R.M. (2000) Humanized xenobiotic response in mice expressing nuclear receptor SXR. Nature, 406:435-439.

Xu, W., Chen, H., Du, K., Asahara, H., Tini, M., Emerson, B.M., Montminy, M. and Evans, R.M. (2001) A transcriptional switch mediated by co-factor methylation. Science, 294:2507-2511.

Downes, M., Verdecia, M., Roecker, A.J., Hughes, R., Hogenesch. J.B., Kast-Woelbern, H.R., Bowman, M.E., Ferrer, J.-L., Anisfeld, A.M., Edwards, P.S., Rosenfeld, J.M., Alvarez, J.G.A., Noel, J.P., Nicolaou, K.C. and Evans, R.M. (2003) A chemical, genetic and structural analysis of the nuclear bile acid receptor FXR. Mol. Cell., 11:1079-1092.

Wang, Y.-X., Lee, C.-H., Tiep, S., Yu, R.T., Han, J., Kang, H. and Evans, R.M. (2003) Peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor delta activates fat metabolism to prevent obesity. Cell, 113:159-170.

Lee, C.-H., Chawla, A., Urbiztondo, N., Liao, D., Curtiss, L., Boisvert, W.A. and Evans, R.M. (2003) Transcriptional repression of atherogenic inflammation is modulated by PPARd. Science, 302:453-457.

Shi, Y., Lie, D.C., Taupin, P., Nakashima, K., Yu, R.T., Gage, F.H. and Evans, R.M. (2004) The expression and function of orphan nuclear receptor tlx in adult neural stem cells. Nature, 427:78-83.