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Buel (Dan) Rodgers Assistant Professor and Assistant Animal Scientist Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley Office: ASLB 124 Phone: (509) 335-2991 E-mail: danrodgers@wsu.edu

MOLECULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY & ANIMAL GENOMICS. Skeletal muscle growth and development is controlled by different hormones, growth factors and cytokines and although subtle species-specific differences often exist, the participating factors and their mechanisms of action are very well conserved. The research performed in our laboratory investigates these mechanisms at the molecular level and attempts to successfully manipulate them in the clinic and on the farm. Our specific interests include (i) defining the signal transduction pathways and sites of cross-talk between the insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I & -II), their high affinity binding proteins (IGFBPs) and myostatin and (ii) describing the nuclear actions of IGFBP-3. Different animal models are utilized in our studies, which incorporate cutting-edge molecular, biochemical and genomic methodologies. Our goal is to improve animal production and human health by better understanding and possibly manipulating hormone action at the most fundamental and intricate levels.

Specific Research Areas:

• The Endocrine Regulation of Rainbow Trout Skeletal Muscle Growth and Development
  
• Myostatin Regulation of Zebrafish Skeletal Muscle Development
  
• Intracellular Actions of Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 in Skeletal Muscle
  

Selected Publications:

1. D. Garikipati, S.A. Ghar, E.A. Roalson and B.D. Rodgers. Characterization of rainbow trout myostatin-2 genes (rtMSTN-2a & -2b): genomic organization, differential expression and pseudogenization. Endocrinology (in press).
2. D.L.I. Helterline, D. Garikipati, D.L. Stenkamp and B.D. Rodgers. Embryonic and Tissue-specific Regulation of Myostatin-1 and -2 Gene Expression in Zebrafish. Gen Comp Endocrinol (in press).
3. D. Garikipati, S.A. Ghar and B.D. Rodgers. Identification, Characterization and Quantitative Expression Analysis of Rainbow Trout Myostatin-1a and -1b Genes. J Endocrinol 190(3):879-88, 2006.
4. M. Oufattole, S.W.J. Lin, B. Liu, D. Mascarenhas, P. Cohen and B.D. Rodgers. RNA polymerase II subunit 3 (Rpb3), a potential nuclear target of IGFBP-3. Endocrinology 147(5):2138-46, 2006.
5. T. Kerr, E.H. Roalson and B.D. Rodgers. Phylogenetic Analysis of the Myostatin Gene Sub-family and the Differential Expression of a Novel Member in Zebrafish. Evo Devo 7(5):391-401, 2005.
6. B.D. Rodgers, G.M. Weber, K.M. Kelley and M.A. Levine. Prolonged fasting and cortisol reduce myostatin mRNA levels in developing tilapia larvae, short-term fasting elevates. Am J Physiol; Reg Int Comp Physiol, May;284(5):R1277-86, 2003.
7. B.D. Rodgers and G.M. Weber. Sequence conservation among fish myostatin orthologues and the characterization of two additional cDNA clones from Morone saxatilis and Morone americana. Comp Biochem Physiol (B Biochem Mol Biol) 129(2-3):597-603, 2001.
8. B.D. Rodgers, G.M. Weber, C.V. Sullivan and M.A. Levine. Isolation and characterization of myostatin cDNA clones from two commercially important fish: Oreochromis mossambicus and Morone chrysops. Endocrinology 142(4):1412-8, 2001.
9. T.J. Marcel, S.M. Harman, R.J. Urban, D.D. Metz, B.D. Rodgers and M.R. Blackman. Comparison of GH, IGF-I and testosterone with mRNA of receptors and myostatin in skeletal muscle in older men. Am J Physiol; Endocrinol Metab 281:E1159-E1164, 2001.