The steroid hormone ADIOL promotes learning by reducing neural kynurenic acid levels.

Genes & Development

Lemieux GA, Yoo S, Lin L, Vohra M, Ashrafi K

 

Identifying lipid particle sub-types in live Caenorhabditis elegans with two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging.

Frontiers in Chemistry (2023)

Chen WW, Tang W, Hamerton EK, Kuo PX, Lemieux GA, Ashrafi K

 

Better living through communal eating.

Cell Host & Microbe (2022)

Ashrafi K

 

Neural production of kynurenic acid in Caenorhabditis elegans requires the AAT-1 transporter.

Genes & Development (2020)

Lin L, Lemieux GA, Enogieru OJ, Giacomini KM, Ashrafi K

 

Spectroscopic coherent Raman imaging of Caenorhabditis elegans reveals lipid particle diversity.

Nature Chemical Biology (2020)

Chen WW, Lemieux GA, Camp CH, Chang TC, Ashrafi K, Cicerone MT

 

Intestinal peroxisomal fatty acid ß-oxidation regulates neural serotonin signaling through a feedback mechanism.

PLoS Biology (2019)

Bouagnon AD, Lin L, Srivastava S, Liu CC, Panda O, Schroeder FC, Srinivasan S, Ashrafi K

 

Age- and stress-associated C. elegans granulins impair lysosomal function and induce a compensatory HLH-30/TFEB transcriptional response.

PLoS Genetics (2019)

Butler VJ, Gao F, Corrales CI, Cortopassi WA, Caballero B, Vohra M, Ashrafi K, Cuervo AM, Jacobson MP, Coppola G, Kao AW

 

Tau/MAPT disease-associated variant A152T alters tau function and toxicity via impaired retrograde axonal transport.

Human Molecular Genetics (2019)

Butler VJ, Salazar DA, Soriano-Castell D, Alves-Ferreira M, Dennissen FJA, Vohra M, Oses-Prieto JA, Li KH, Wang AL, Jing B, Li B, Groisman A, Gutierrez E, Mooney S, Burlingame AL, Ashrafi K, Mandelkow EM, Encalada SE, Kao AW

 

The mTOR Target S6 Kinase Arrests Development in Caenorhabditis elegans When the Heat-Shock Transcription Factor Is Impaired.

Genetics (2018)

Chisnell P, Parenteau TR, Tank E, Ashrafi K, Kenyon C

 

Kynurenic acid accumulation underlies learning and memory impairment associated with aging.

Genes & Development (2018)

Vohra M, Lemieux GA, Lin L, Ashrafi K

 

The beneficial effects of dietary restriction on learning are distinct from its effects on longevity and mediated by depletion of a neuroinhibitory metabolite.

PLoS Biology (2017)

Vohra M, Lemieux GA, Lin L, Ashrafi K

 

Phenotypic, chemical and functional characterization of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) as a potential anthelmintic drug target.

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2017)

Long T, Rojo-Arreola L, Shi D, El-Sakkary N, Jarnagin K, Rock F, Meewan M, Rascón AA, Lin L, Cunningham KA, Lemieux GA, Podust L, Abagyan R, Ashrafi K, McKerrow JH, Caffrey CR

 

Investigating Connections between Metabolism, Longevity, and Behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism (2016)

Lemieux GA, Ashrafi K

 

Conserved Genetic Interactions between Ciliopathy Complexes Cooperatively Support Ciliogenesis and Ciliary Signaling.

PLoS Genetics (2015)

Yee LE, Garcia-Gonzalo FR, Bowie RV, Li C, Kennedy JK, Ashrafi K, Blacque OE, Leroux MR, Reiter JF

 

Neural Regulatory Pathways of Feeding and Fat in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Annual Review of Genetics (2015)

Lemieux GA, Ashrafi K

 

Kynurenic acid is a nutritional cue that enables behavioral plasticity.

Cell (2015)

Lemieux GA, Cunningham KA, Lin L, Mayer F, Werb Z, Ashrafi K

 

Insights and challenges in using C. elegans for investigation of fat metabolism.

Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2014)

Lemieux GA, Ashrafi K

 

OCT1 is a high-capacity thiamine transporter that regulates hepatic steatosis and is a target of metformin.

Proc Natl Acad Sci (2014)

Chen L, Shu Y, Liang X, Chen EC, Yee SW, Zur AA, Li S, Xu L, Keshari KR, Lin MJ, Chien HC, Zhang Y, Morrissey KM, Liu J, Ostrem J, Younger NS, Kurhanewicz J, Shokat KM, Ashrafi K, Giacomini KM

 

Loss of a neural AMP-activated kinase mimics the effects of elevated serotonin on fat, movement, and hormonal secretions.

PLoS Genetics (2014)

Cunningham KA, Bouagnon AD, Barros AG, Lin L, Malard L, Romano-Silva MA, Ashrafi K

 

Defects in the C. elegans acyl-CoA synthase, acs-3, and nuclear hormone receptor, nhr-25, cause sensitivity to distinct, but overlapping stresses.

PloS One

Ward JD, Mullaney B, Schiller BJ, He LD, Petnic SE, Couillault C, Pujol N, Bernal TU, Van Gilst MR, Ashrafi K, Ewbank JJ, Yamamoto KR

 

Dopamine signaling regulates fat content through ß-oxidation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PloS One (2014)

Barros AG, Bridi JC, de Souza BR, de Castro Júnior C, de Lima Torres KC, Malard L, Jorio A, de Miranda DM, Ashrafi K, Romano-Silva MA

 

Sumoylated NHR-25/NR5A regulates cell fate during C. elegans vulval development.

PLoS Genetics (2013)

Ward JD, Bojanala N, Bernal T, Ashrafi K, Asahina M, Yamamoto KR

 

In silico molecular comparisons of C. elegans and mammalian pharmacology identify distinct targets that regulate feeding.

PLoS Biology (2013)

Lemieux GA, Keiser MJ, Sassano MF, Laggner C, Mayer F, Bainton RJ, Werb Z, Roth BL, Shoichet BK, Ashrafi K

 

Effects of Caenorhabditis elegans sgk-1 mutations on lifespan, stress resistance, and DAF-16/FoxO regulation.

Aging Cell (2013)

Chen AT, Guo C, Dumas KJ, Ashrafi K, Hu PJ

 

AMP-activated kinase links serotonergic signaling to glutamate release for regulation of feeding behavior in C. elegans.

Cell Metabolism (2012)

Cunningham KA, Hua Z, Srinivasan S, Liu J, Lee BH, Edwards RH, Ashrafi K

 

Analyses of C. elegans fat metabolic pathways.

Methods in Cell Biology (2012)

Barros AG, Liu J, Lemieux GA, Mullaney BC, Ashrafi K

 

Hyperactive neuroendocrine secretion causes size, feeding, and metabolic defects of C. elegans Bardet-Biedl syndrome mutants.

PLoS Biology (2011)

Lee BH, Liu J, Wong D, Srinivasan S, Ashrafi K

 

A whole-organism screen identifies new regulators of fat storage.

Nature Chemical Biology (2011)

Lemieux GA, Liu J, Mayer N, Bainton RJ, Ashrafi K, Werb Z

 

A stress-responsive system for mitochondrial protein degradation.

Molecular Cell (2010)

Heo JM, Livnat-Levanon N, Taylor EB, Jones KT, Dephoure N, Ring J, Xie J, Brodsky JL, Madeo F, Gygi SP, Ashrafi K, Glickman MH, Rutter J

 

Regulation of C. elegans fat uptake and storage by acyl-CoA synthase-3 is dependent on NR5A family nuclear hormone receptor nhr-25.

Cell Metabolism (2010)

Mullaney BC, Blind RD, Lemieux GA, Perez CL, Elle IC, Faergeman NJ, Van Gilst MR, Ingraham HA, Ashrafi K

 

mTOR complex-2 activates ENaC by phosphorylating SGK1.

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2010)

Lu M, Wang J, Jones KT, Ives HE, Feldman ME, Yao LJ, Shokat KM, Ashrafi K, Pearce D

 

Caenorhabditis elegans as an emerging model for studying the basic biology of obesity.

Disease Models & Mechanisms (2009)

Jones KT, Ashrafi K

 

Rictor/TORC2 regulates Caenorhabditis elegans fat storage, body size, and development through sgk-1.

PLoS Biology (2009)

Jones KT, Greer ER, Pearce D, Ashrafi K

 

Fat rationing in dauer times.

Cell Metabolism (2009)

Cunningham KA, Ashrafi K

 

C. elegans fat storage and metabolic regulation.

Biochimica et  Biophysica Acta (2009)

Mullaney BC, Ashrafi K

 

A TRPV channel modulates C. elegans neurosecretion, larval starvation survival, and adult lifespan.

PLoS Genetics (2008)

Lee BH, Ashrafi K

 

Neural and molecular dissection of a C. elegans sensory circuit that regulates fat and feeding.

Cell Metabolism (2008)

Greer ER, Pérez CL, Van Gilst MR, Lee BH, Ashrafi K

 

Serotonin regulates C. elegans fat and feeding through independent molecular mechanisms.

Cell Metabolism (2008)

Srinivasan S, Sadegh L, Elle IC, Christensen AG, Faergeman NJ, Ashrafi K

 

Impaired processing of FLP and NLP peptides in carboxypeptidase E (EGL-21)-deficient Caenorhabditis elegans as analyzed by mass spectrometry.

Journal of Neurochemistry (2007)

Husson SJ, Janssen T, Baggerman G, Bogert B, Kahn-Kirby AH, Ashrafi K, Schoofs L

 

Obesity and the regulation of fat metabolism.

WormBook (2007)

Ashrafi K

 

Mapping out starvation responses.

Cell Metabolism (2006)

Ashrafi K

 

Genome-wide RNAi analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans fat regulatory genes.

Nature (2003)

Ashrafi K, Chang FY, Watts JL, Fraser AG, Kamath RS, Ahringer J, Ruvkun G