Katsu Funai

Katsu Funai, MS, PhD

Languages spoken: Japanese

Academic Information

Departments Adjunct - Internal Medicine , Adjunct - Biochemistry

Divisions: Endocrinology

Dr. Funai’s research involves studying the molecular mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle metabolism. He uses cell culture, mouse models, and clinical studies to understand how lipid molecules mediate the effect that obesity has on cellular homeostasis. His laboratory is located at the Diabetes & Metabolism Research Center at the Eccles Institute of Human Genetics.

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Jensen-Urstad AP, Song H, Lodhi IJ, Funai K, Yin L, Coleman T, Semenkovich CF (04/01/2014). Nutrient-dependent phosphorylation channels lipid synthesis to regulate PPAR¿. J Lipid Res, 54, 1848-59. (Read full article)
  2. Iñigo MR (04/2020). Estrogen receptor-¿ in female skeletal muscle is not required for regulation of muscle insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial regulation. Mol Metab.
  3. Oh J, Riek AE, Darwech I, Funai K, Shao J, Chin K, Sierra OL, Carmeliet G, Ostlund RE, Bernal-Mizrachi C (10/01/2015). Deletion of macrophage Vitamin D receptor promotes insulin resistance and monocyte cholesterol transport to accelerate atherosclerosis in mice. Cell Rep, 10, 1872-86. (Read full article)
  4. Funai K, Semenkovich CF (09/01/2011). Skeletal muscle lipid flux: running water carries no poison. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 301, E245-51. (Read full article)
  5. Funai K, Song H, Yin L, Lodhi IJ, Wei X, Yoshino J, Coleman T, Semenkovich CF (05/01/2013). Muscle lipogenesis balances insulin sensitivity and strength through calcium signaling. 123, 1229-40. (Read full article)
  6. Funai K, Lodhi IJ, Spears LD, Yin L, Song H, Klein S, Semenkovich CF (06/01/2016). Skeletal Muscle Phospholipid Metabolism Regulates Insulin Sensitivity and Contractile Function. 65, 358-70. (Read full article)
  7. Cartee GD, Funai K (03/01/2010). Exercise and insulin: Convergence or divergence at AS160 and TBC1D1? Exerc Sport Sci Rev, 37, 188-95. (Read full article)
  8. Blair DR, Funai K, Schweitzer GG, Cartee GD (07/01/2009). A myosin II ATPase inhibitor reduces force production, glucose transport, and phosphorylation of AMPK and TBC1D1 in electrically stimulated rat skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 296, E993-E1002. (Read full article)
  9. Arias EB, Kim J, Funai K, Cartee GD (05/01/2007). Prior exercise increases phosphorylation of Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160) in rat skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 292, E1191-200. (Read full article)
  10. Schweitzer GG, Castorena CM, Hamada T, Funai K, Arias EB, Cartee GD (02/01/2012). The B2 receptor of bradykinin is not essential for the post-exercise increase in glucose uptake by insulin-stimulated mouse skeletal muscle. Physiol Res, 60, 511-9. (Read full article)
  11. Funai K, Parkington JD, Carambula S, Fielding RA (06/01/2006). Age-associated decrease in contraction-induced activation of downstream targets of Akt/mTor signaling in skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 290, R1080-6. (Read full article)
  12. Park H, He A, Tan M, Johnson JM, Dean JM, Pietka TA, Chen Y, Zhang X, Hsu FF, Razani B, Funai K, Lodhi IJ (02/01/2019). Peroxisome-derived lipids regulate adipose thermogenesis by mediating cold-induced mitochondrial fission. 129, 694-711. (Read full article)
  13. Heden TD, Neufer PD, Funai K (12/01/2017). Looking Beyond Structure: Membrane Phospholipids of Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria. 27, 553-562. (Read full article)
  14. Johnson JM, Ferrara PJ, Verkerke ARP, Coleman CB, Wentzler EJ, Neufer PD, Kew KA, de Castro Brás LE, Funai (2018). Targeted overexpression of catalase to mitochondria does not prevent cardioskeletal myopathy in Barth syndrome. Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 121, 94-102. (Read full article)
  15. Heden TD, Johnson JM, Ferrara PJ, Eshima H, Verkerke ARP, Wentzler EJ, Siripoksup P, Narowski TM, Coleman CB, Lin CT, Ryan TE, Reidy PT, de Castro Brás LE, Karner CM, Burant CF, Maschek JA, Cox JE, Mashek DG, Kardon G, Boudina S, Zeczycki TN, Rutter J, Sh.. (2019). Mitochondrial PE potentiates respiratory enzymes to amplify skeletal muscle aerobic capacity. Science advances, 5(9), eaax8352. (Read full article)
  16. Paran CW, Zou K, Ferrara PJ, Song H, Turk J, Funai (2015). Lipogenesis mitigates dysregulated sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake in muscular dystrophy. Biochimica et biophysica acta, 1851, 1530-8. (Read full article)
  17. Gumucio JP, Qasawa AH, Ferrara PJ, Malik AN, Funai K, McDonagh B, Mendias C (2019). Reduced mitochondrial lipid oxidation leads to fat accumulation in myosteatosis. 33, 7863-7881. (Read full article)
  18. Funai K, Cartee G (2009). Contraction-stimulated glucose transport in rat skeletal muscle is sustained despite reversal of increased PAS-phosphorylation of AS160 and TBC1D1. 105, 1788-95. (Read full article)
  19. Lodhi IJ, Yin L, Jensen-Urstad AP, Funai K, Coleman T, Baird JH, El Ramahi MK, Razani B, Song H, Fu-Hsu F, Turk J, Semenkovich C (2013). Inhibiting adipose tissue lipogenesis reprograms thermogenesis and PPAR¿ activation to decrease diet-induced obesity. Cell metabolism, 16, 189-201. (Read full article)
  20. Paran CW, Verkerke AR, Heden TD, Park S, Zou K, Lawson HA, Song H, Turk J, Houmard JA, Funai (2015). Reduced efficiency of sarcolipin-dependent respiration in myocytes from humans with severe obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 23, 1440-9. (Read full article)
  21. Heden TD, Ryan TE, Ferrara PJ, Hickner RC, Brophy PM, Neufer PD, McClung JM, Funai (2018). Greater Oxidative Capacity in Primary Myotubes from Endurance-trained Women. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 49, 2151-2157. (Read full article)
  22. Johnson JM, Verkerke ARP, Maschek JA, Ferrara PJ, Lin CT, Kew KA, Neufer PD, Lodhi IJ, Cox JE, Funai (2020). Alternative splicing of UCP1 by non-cell-autonomous action of PEMT. Molecular metabolism, 31, 55-66. (Read full article)
  23. Ferrara PJ, Verkerke ARP, Brault JJ, Funai (2018). Hypothermia Decreases O2 Cost for Ex Vivo Contraction in Mouse Skeletal Muscle. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 50, 2015-2023. (Read full article)
  24. Funai K, Schweitzer GG, Castorena CM, Kanzaki M, Cartee G (2010). In vivo exercise followed by in vitro contraction additively elevates subsequent insulin-stimulated glucose transport by rat skeletal muscle. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism, 298, E999-1010. (Read full article)
  25. McKenzie AI, Reidy PT, Nelson DS, Mulvey JL, Yonemura NM, Petrocelli JJ, Mahmassani ZS, Tippetts TS, Summers SA, Funai K, Drummond M (2020). Pharmacological inhibition of TLR4 ameliorates muscle and liver ceramide content after disuse in previously physically active mice. American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology, (Read full article)
  26. Funai K, Schweitzer GG, Sharma N, Kanzaki M, Cartee G (2009). Increased AS160 phosphorylation, but not TBC1D1 phosphorylation, with increased postexercise insulin sensitivity in rat skeletal muscle. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism, 297, E242-51. (Read full article)
  27. Funai K, Cartee G (2009). Inhibition of contraction-stimulated AMP-activated protein kinase inhibits contraction-stimulated increases in PAS-TBC1D1 and glucose transport without altering PAS-AS160 in rat skeletal muscle. 58, 1096-104. (Read full article)
  28. Ridaura VK, Faith JJ, Rey FE, Cheng J, Duncan AE, Kau AL, Griffin NW, Lombard V, Henrissat B, Bain JR, Muehlbauer MJ, Ilkayeva O, Semenkovich CF, Funai K, Hayashi DK, Lyle BJ, Martini MC, Ursell LK, Clemente JC, Van Treuren W, Walters WA, Knight R, Newgard .. (2013). Gut microbiota from twins discordant for obesity modulate metabolism in mice. 341, 1241214. (Read full article)
  29. Mahmassani Z (2020). Absence of MyD88 from skeletal muscle protects female mice from inactivity-induced adiposity and insulin resistance.
  30. Verkerke AR (2019). Phospholipid methylation regulates muscle metabolic rate through Ca2+ transport efficiency.
  31. Anderson EJ, Vistoli G, Katunga LA, Funai K, Regazzoni L, Monroe TB, Gilardoni E, Cannizzaro L, Colzani M, De Maddis D, Rossoni G, Canevotti R, Gagliardi S, Carini M, Aldini (2018). A carnosine analog mitigates metabolic disorders of obesity by reducing carbonyl stress. 128, 5280-5293. (Read full article)

Review

  1. Funai K (2019). Reign in the Membrane: How common lipids govern mitochondrial function. [Review]. Curr Opin Cell Biol.
  2. Pennington ER, Funai K, Brown DA, Shaikh S (2019). The role of cardiolipin concentration and acyl chain composition on mitochondrial inner membrane molecular organization and function. Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular and cell biology of lipids, 1864, 1039-1052. (Read full article)