Kimberly Buhman

Educational Background  

• B.S., Agricultural Biochemistry at Iowa State University in 1992 
• Ph.D., Nutritional Biochemistry at Purdue University in 1999 
• Post-Doc., Lipid Metabolism at Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease in 2002 
• Post-Doc., Cardiology at Washington University School of Medicine in 2005 

Awards & Honors  

• E.L.R. Stokstad Award from American Society of Nutrition, 2013 

Discovery  

• The long-term goal of the Buhman laboratory is to identify novel factors that regulate dietary fat sensing, metabolism or absorption that may be exploited for preventive and therapeutic interventions for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Research in the Buhman laboratory focuses on trafficking and metabolism of digestive products of dietary fat within the absorptive cells of the small intestine, enterocytes. Projects in the Buhman laboratory are currently addressing how diet, drugs and genetics affect chylomicron synthesis and secretion, cytoplasmic lipid droplets synthesis and metabolism, and fatty acid oxidation by enterocytes. Recent publications from the Buhman laboratory highlight important functions of diet, drugs, and genetics in regulation of dietary fat processing within enterocytes that results in effects related to metabolic diseases such as body weight, blood lipid concentrations, and hepatic steatosis. 

Discovery Publications  

• Wilfling, F., Wang, H., Haas, J. T., Krahmer, N., Gould, T., Uchida, A., Cheng, J-X., Graham, M., Christiano, R., Frohlich, F., Liu, X., Buhman, K.K., Coleman, R.A., Bewersdorf, J., Farese, R.V. Jr., and Walther, T. C. (2013) Triacylglycerol synthesis enzymes mediate lipid droplet growth by relocalizing from the ER to lipid droplets. Developmental Cell. In press. 
• Uchida, A., Whitsitt, M.C., Eustaquio, T., Slipchenko, M.N., Leary, J.F., Cheng, J., and Buhman K.K. (2012) Reduced triglyceride secretion in response to an acute dietary fat challenge in obese compared to lean mice. Frontiers in Fatty Acid and Lipid Physiology. 3: 1-10 
• Uchida, A., Slipchenko, M.N., Cheng, J.X., Buhman, K.K. (2011) Fenofibrate (FEN), a peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARá) agonist, decreases dietary fat alters triglyceride (TG) metabolism in enterocytes of mice. Biochim Biophys Acta 1811(3):170-6.  
• Lee, B., Zhu, J., Fast, A., Cheng, J-X., and Buhman K.K†. (2010) Intestine specific expression of acylCoA: diacylglycerol acyltransferease 1 (DGAT1) reverses the resistance to diet-induced hepatic steatosis and obesity in Dgat1-/- mice. Journal of Lipid Research. 51(7):1770-80. 
• Antalis, C.J., Arnold, T., Rasool, T., Lee, B-G., Buhman, K.K. and Siddiqui, R.A. (2009) High ACAT1 expression in estrogen receptor negative basal-like breast cancer cells is associated with LDL-induced proliferation. Breast Cancer Res Treat Oct 23 [Epub ahead of print].  
• Lee, B-G., Zhu, J., Wolins, N., Cheng, J-X., Buhman, K.K. (2009) Differential association of Adipophilin and TIP47 with cytoplasmic lipid droplets in mouse enterocytes during dietary fat absorption. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1791(12):1173-80.  
• Antalis, C.J., Arnold, T., Lee, B-G, Buhman K.K., and Siddiqui, R.A. (2009) Docosahexaenoic acid is a substrate for ACAT1 and inhibits cholesterol ester formation from oleic acid in MCF-10A cells. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids. epub ahead of print  
• Zhu, J., Lee, B., Buhman, K.K., Cheng, J.X. (2009) Direct Observation of a Dynamic Triglyceride Pool in Mouse Enterocytes during Dietary Fat Absorption by Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Imaging. J. of Lipid Research. 50(6):1080-9.  
• Borradaile N.M., Buhman K.K., Listenberger L.L., Magee C.J., Morimoto E.T.A., Ory D.S., Schaffer J.E. (2006) A critical role for eukaryotic elongation factor (eEF) 1A-1 in lipotoxic cell death. Mol Biol Cell. 17(2):770-8.  
• Wilner E.L., Tow B., Buhman K.K., Wilson M., Sanan D.A., Rudel L.L., Farese R.V. Jr. (2003) Deficiency of acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 2 prevents atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A. 100(3):1262-7.  
• Buhman K.K., Smith S.J., Stone S.J., Repa J.J., Wong J.S., Knapp F.F. Jr, Burri B.J., Hamilton R. L., Abumrad N.A., Farese R.V. Jr. (2002) DGAT1 is not essential for intestinal triacylglycerol absorption or chylomicron synthesis. J. Biol. Chem. 277(28):25474-9.  
• Buhman, K.K., M. Accad, S. Novak, R.S. Choi, J.S. Wong, R.L. Hamilton, S. Turley, and R.V. Farese, Jr. (2000) Resistance to diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and gallstone formation in ACAT2-deficient mice. Nat Med. 12:1341-7.  

Books, Chapters & Monograph Publications  

• Buhman K.K., M. Accad, R.V. Farese (2000) Mammalian acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferases. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 529(1-3):42-154.  
• Buhman K.K., H.C. Chen, R.V. Farese (2001) The enzymes of neutral lipid synthesis. J. Biol. Chem. 276(44):40369-72.  
• Chen, H., Wang, H., Jung, Y., Shi, Y., Zhu, J., Buhman, K., Cheng, J-S. (2009) A Multimodal Platform for Nonlinear Optical Microscopy and Microspectroscopy. Optics Express. 17(3):1282-1290.  
• Antalis, C and Buhman, K.K. (2012) Lipoproteins and Cancer. Lipoproteins- Role in Health and Disease. InTECH. ISBN 9789535107736.  
• Buhman, K.K. (2012) Visualization of dietary fat absorption by CARS. Coherent Raman Scattering Microscopy. CRC Press. ISBN 9781439867655 

Learning  

• FN 29700

  Introduction to Honors Research: Introduces students to the design and implementation of an honors research project.

• FN 43700

  Macronutrient Metabolism in Health and Disease: Metabolism of the macronutrients, carbohydrate, lipid and protein in humans integrating physiology, biochemistry, and nutrition with a focus on maintaining optimal health and preventing disease.

• FN 59000

  Lipid Regulation and Cell Function: Introduction of hot topics in the area of lipid regualtion and cell function and critical evaluation of scientific literature.

• FN 59000

  Obesity: Behavior, Physiology and Policy: To provide a foundation in scientific concepts, biochemistry and physiology relevant to obesity, and to be able to apply these principles to public health and policy issues related to obesity. To explore, in depth, important and current issues in obesity, including behavioral and policy issues.

• FN 59000

  Food Lipids: To provide an overview of the importance of lipids in the diet and food systems with emphasis on changes occurring during processing, preparation, and storage (FS 60900).

• FN 60500

  Nutritional Physiology and Biochemistry I: Integration of biochemical and physiological functions of nutrients in humans and animals. Dr. Buhman teaches a section related to digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and lipids.

• FN 60700

  Nutritional Physiology and Biochemistry III: Integration of biochemical and physiological functions of nutrients in humans and animals, emphasizing transport and metabolism in the context of cardiovascular function. Dr. Buhman teaches a section related to lipoprotein metabolism.