Jeff Brault, PhD

Bio

Dr Brault received his PhD in 2003 from the University of Missouri in the lab of Ronald Terjung where he studied skeletal muscle physiology and the principles of the control of high-energy phosphates (ATP and phosphocreatine). He then studied as a post-doctoral fellow in the labs of Ronald Meyer and Robert Wiseman at Michigan State University for 2 years in the use of in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure energetics in human and mouse muscle. Dr Brault completed a second post-doc fellowship in the lab of Alfred Goldberg at the Harvard Medical School to study molecular mechanisms of protein degradation and muscle atrophy. This lead in 2010 to a faculty position at East Carolina University in the Department of Kinesiology. In 2019 Dr Brault joined the IU School of Medicine, and he is a member of the Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health.

Titles & Appointments

Associate Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology

Education

2003 PhD University of Missouri

1992 BS Marquette University
Research

Dr. Brault conducts research on how cellular energetics regulates the loss of muscle protein and mitochondrial content typical of skeletal muscle atrophy. The long-term goal of the lab is to understand the molecular mechanisms and find therapeutic targets whereby cellular energy state (e.g. total adenine nucleotide (ATP+ADP+AMP) content, ratio of ATP/ADP, or available free energy of ATP hydrolysis) can be used as a treatment for skeletal muscle atrophy. This is being accomplished, in part, by a systematic genetic manipulation in mice and cultured muscle cells of the enzymes that modulate purine nucleotide synthesis and degradation. This is followed by biochemical, molecular, cellular, and physiology based outcome measures. Doctoral and post-doctoral trainees form the core of the lab and are involved in all aspects of the research: including but not limited to muscle cell cultures, modulating gene expression with overexpressing or knockdown adenoviral vectors, enzyme activity assays, protein synthesis and degradation assays using radiolabeled amino acids, fluorescent microscopy, western blotting, isolated mouse muscle contractile studies, and transgenic mouse genotyping.
Publications

Increased AMP deaminase activity decreases ATP content and slows protein degradation in cultured skeletal muscle.
Davis PR; Miller SG; Verhoeven NA; Morgan JS; Tulis DA; Witczak CA; Brault JJ; Metabolism: clinical and experimental 2020 May 1

Phospholipid methylation regulates muscle metabolic rate through Ca<sup>2+</sup> transport efficiency.
Verkerke ARP; Ferrara PJ; Lin CT; Johnson JM; Ryan TE; Maschek JA; Eshima H; Paran CW; Laing BT; Siripoksup P; Tippetts TS; Wentzler EJ; Huang H; Spangenburg EE; Brault JJ; Villanueva CJ; Summers SA; Holland WL; Cox JE; Vance DE; Neufer PD; Funai K; Nature metabolism 2019 Sep 16

Peroxisomal gene and protein expression increase in response to a high-lipid challenge in human skeletal muscle.
Huang TY; Zheng D; Hickner RC; Brault JJ; Cortright RN; Metabolism: clinical and experimental 2019 Jun 19

Increased Adenine Nucleotide Degradation in Skeletal Muscle Atrophy.
Miller SG; Hafen PS; Brault JJ; International journal of molecular sciences 2019 Dec 21
Professional Organizations

American College of Sports Medicine

American Physiological Society

American Society of Clinical Pathology
Awards

Org: NIH NIAMS
Desc: F32 NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship
Scope:
Date: 2007-08-01

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