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Research Interests:

Our laboratory focuses on brain sites and substrates mediating energy balance. These investigations involve study of neuropeptides that regulate feeding behavior and energy expenditure, including physical activity. Specifically, we are studying the role of urocortin, a CRH-related neuropeptide, in the intermediate septal area on feeding behavior. Urocortin markedly suppresses eating behavior and urocortin within the septal area may provide contextual information about feeding. Further, septal urocortin containing projections to the lateral hypothalamus influence orexin-containing feeding pathways. Orexin, also known as hypocretin, is a recently identified neuropeptide predominantly located in the lateral hypothalamus that enhances feeding and influences sleep patterns. Orexin may also be implicated in elevating non-volitional low-level activity, which has an important impact on body weight control. The techniques we use include stereotaxic surgery, immunohistochemistry, food intake measurements, physical activity chamber measurements, indirect calorimetry, radioimmunoassay and molecular biology procedures, including RNA/DNA extraction, northern blots, slot blots, rtPCR, cDNA probe synthesis, random primer labeling, hybridization, densitometry and microarrays.

Selected Publications:

Catherine M. Kotz, 1 ,2 ,3 Jennifer A. Teske, 3 and Charles J. Billington 1 ,2 ,4 Neuroregulation of nonexercise activity thermogenesis and obesity resistance Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 294: R699-R710, 2008.

Kotz CM. Rewired to be thin? When exercise hits the brain. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 294: R288-R289, 2008.

Teske JA, Billington CJ, Kotz CM. Neuropeptidergic Mediators of Spontaneous Physical Activity and Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. Neuroendocrinology. 2007 Nov 5.

Wang C, Bomberg E, Billington C, Levine A, Kotz CM. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus reduces energy intake. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2007 Sep;293(3):R1003-12.

Wang C, Bomberg E, Billington C, Levine A, Kotz CM. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus increases energy expenditure by elevating metabolic rate. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2007 Sep;293(3):R992-1002. Epub 2007 Jun 13.

Wang C, Bomberg E, Levine A, Billington C, Kotz CM. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus reduces energy intake. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2007 Sep;293(3):R1037-45.

Doane DF, Lawson MA, Meade JR, Kotz CM, Beverly JL. Orexin-induced feeding requires NMDA receptor activation in the perifornical region of the lateral hypothalamus. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2007 Sep;293(3):R1022-6.

Thorpe AJ, Doane DF, Sweet DC, Beverly JL, Kotz CM. Orexin A in the rostrolateral hypothalamic area induces feeding by modulating GABAergic transmission. Brain Res. 2006 Dec 13;1125(1):60-6.

Kotz CM, Wang C, Teske JA, Thorpe AJ, Novak CM, Kiwaki K, Levine JA. Orexin A mediation of time spent moving in rats: neural mechanisms. Neuroscience. 2006 Sep 29;142(1):29-36. 

Kotz CM. Integration of feeding and spontaneous physical activity: role for orexin. Physiol Behav. 2006 Jun 30;88(3):294-301.

Teske JA, Levine AS, Kuskowski M, Levine JA, Kotz CM. Elevated hypothalamic orexin signaling, sensitivity to orexin A, and spontaneous physical activity in obesity-resistant rats. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2006 Oct;291(4):R889-99.

Li D, Olszewski PK, Shi Q, Grace MK, Billington CJ, Kotz CM, Levine AS. Effect of opioid receptor ligands injected into the rostral lateral hypothalamus on c-fos and feeding behavior. Brain Res. 2006 Jun 22;1096(1):120-4.

Current Graduate Students:

Erwin Ferri (Neuroscience, University of Minnesota).

Former Graduate Students:

Andrew Thorpe (Ph.D. 2004, Neuroscience, University of Minnesota).