Cell, Molecular, & Developmental Biology  http://www.gbs.uab.edu  http://www.uab.edu/graduate  Back to Main

Faculty Detail    
Name CHAD S. HUNTER
Associate Professor		  
Campus Address SHEL 1211 Zip 2182
Phone  (205) 975-6359
E-mail  huntercs@uab.edu
Other websites UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center faculty page
     

Education
Undergraduate  Franklin College of Indiana    1997  B.A. 
Graduate  Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis    2007  Ph.D. 
Fellowship  Vanderbilt University    2013  N/A 


Faculty Appointment(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Primary  Med - Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism  Med - Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Professor
Secondary  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology Associate Professor
Center  Comprehensive Diabetes Center  Comprehensive Diabetes Center Professor
Center  Ctr for Clinical & Translational Sci  Ctr for Clinical & Translational Sci Professor
Center  Nutrition Sciences Research  Nutrition Obesity Res Ctr (NORC) Professor

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations
Biochemistry and Structural Biology 
Cell, Molecular, & Developmental Biology 
Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine 

Society Memberships
Organization Name Position Held Org Link
American Diabetes Association  Full Membership  www.diabetes.org/ 
Endocrine Society  Full Membership  www.endocrine.org/ 
Society for Developmental Biology  Full Membership  http://www.sdbonline.org/ 
 



Research/Clinical Interest
Title
Transcriptional control of pancreatic beta cell development and adult islet cell function
Description
My lab is interested in understanding how transcription factors and transcriptional coregulators control decisions governing pancreatic beta-cell development and postnatal cell function. These topics are critical for developing future cell-based diabetes therapies. I utilize in vitro molecular biology/biochemical approaches and in vivo Cre/LoxP knockout strategies to determine the function of pancreatic islet-enriched factors. Specifically, I am interested in the pan-endocrine LIM-Homeodomain class Islet1 (Isl1) transcription factor and an interacting coregulator, Ldb1. These factors are required for beta- and alpha-cell development and postnatal function. However, little is known of target genes or additional binding factors comprising a transcriptional complex. Furthermore, Ldb1 appears to have Isl1-independent function in early pancreas progenitor cells. Thus, I am interested in determining roles for this coregulator in this context.

Selected Publications 
Publication PUBMEDID
Islet encapsulation with polyphenol coatings decreases pro-inflammatory chemokine synthesis and T cell trafficking.
Pham-Hua D, Padgett LE, Xue B, Anderson B, Zeiger M, Barra JM, Bethea M, Hunter CS, Kozlovskaya V, Kharlampieva E, Tse HM.
Biomaterials. 2017 Jun;128:19-32. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.03.002.  		 28285194 
Evidence for Loss in Identity, De-Differentiation, and Trans-Differentiation of Islet Beta-Cells in Type 2 Diabetes. Hunter CS, Stein RW. Front Genet. 2017 Mar 29;8:35. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2017.00035. eCollection 2017.  28424732 
Ldb1 Regulates Energy Homeostasis During Diet-Induced Obesity. Loyd C, Liu Y, Kim T, Holleman C, Galloway J, Bethea M, Ediger BN, Tang Y, Swain TA, Stoffers DA, Rowe GC, Young M, Steele C, Habegger KM, Hunter CS. Endocrinology. 2016 Dec 23:en20161791. doi: 10.1210/en.2016-1791.  28009534 
LIM domain-binding 1 maintains the terminally differentiated state of pancreatic β cells. Ediger BN, Lim HW, Juliana C, Groff DN, Williams LT, Dominguez G, Liu JH, Taylor BL, Walp ER, Kameswaran V, Yang J, Liu C, Hunter CS, Kaestner KH, Naji A, Li C, Sander M, Stein R, Sussel L, Won KJ, May CL, Stoffers DA. J Clin Invest. 2017 Jan 3;127(1):215-229. doi: 10.1172/JCI88016.  27941246 
SSBP3 interacts with Islet-1 and Ldb1 to impact pancreatic beta cell target genes. Galloway JR, Bethea M, Liu Y, Underwood R, Mobley JA, Hunter CS. Mol Endocrinol. 2015 Dec;29(12):1774-86. doi: 10.1210/me.2015-1165. Epub 2015 Oct 23.  26495868 
Minireview: Directed differentiation and encapsulation of islet Beta-cells: recent advances and future considerations. Tse HM, Kozlovskaya V, Kharlampieva E, Hunter CS. Mol Endocrinol. 2015 Oct;29(10):1388-99. doi: 10.1210/me.2015-1085. Epub 2015 Sep 4.  26340406 
The FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 Transcription Factors are Required for Islet Alpha-Cell Proliferation and Function. Spaeth JM*, Hunter CS*, Bonatakis L, Morrisey EE, Stanger BZ, Ferrer J, Stein R. Diabetologia. 2015 Aug;58(8):1836-44. doi: 10.1007/s00125-015-3635-3. Epub 2015 May 29.  26021489 
Transcriptional activity of the islet beta-cell factor Pdx1 is augmented by lysine methylation catalyzed by the methyltransferase Set7/9. Maganti AV, Maier B, Teresy SA, Sampley ML, Mosley AL, Özcan S, Pachaiyappan B, Patrick M. Woster PM, Hunter CS, Stein R, Mirmira RG. J Biol Chem. 2015 Apr 10;290(15):9812-22. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M114.616219. Epub 2015 Feb 24.  25713082 
Islet-1 is Essential for Pancreatic Beta-Cell Function. Ediger BN, Du A, Liu J, Hunter CS, Walp ER, Schug J, Kaestner KH, Stein R, Stoffers DA, May CL. Diabetes. 2014 Dec;63(12):4206-17. doi: 10.2337/db14-0096. Epub 2014 Jul 15.  25028525 
Revealing transcription factors during human pancreatic beta cell development. Conrad E, Stein R, Hunter CS. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2014 May 12. pii: S1043-2760(14)00060-5. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2014.03.013.  24831984 
LHX3 interacts with inhibitor of histone acetyltransferase complex subunits LANP and TAF-1beta; to modulate pituitary gene regulation. Hunter CS, Malik RE, Witzmann FA, Rhodes SJ. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 4;8(7):e68898. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068898.  23861948 
Characterization of an apparently novel beta-cell line-enriched 80-88 kDa transcriptional activator of the MafA and Pdx1 genes. Hunter CS, Stein R. J Biol Chem. 2013 Feb 8;288(6):3795-803. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M112.434282.  23269676 
Islet alpha-, beta-, and delta-cell development is controlled by the Ldb1 coregulator, acting primarily with the islet-1 transcription factor. Hunter CS, Dixit S, Cohen T, Ediger B, Wilcox C, Ferreira M, Westphal H, Stein R, May CL. Diabetes. 2013 Mar;62(3):875-86. doi: 10.2337/db12-0952.  23193182 
Islet-1 regulates Arx transcription during pancreatic islet alpha-cell development. Liu J, Hunter CS, Du A, Ediger B, Walp E, Murray J, Stein R, May CL. J Biol Chem. 2011 Apr 29;286(17):15352-60. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.231670.  21388963 
Hnf1alpha (MODY3) regulates beta;-cell-enriched MafA transcription factor expression. Hunter CS, Maestro MA, Raum JC, Guo M, Thompson FH 3rd, Ferrer J, Stein R. Mol Endocrinol. 2011 Feb;25(2):339-47. doi: 10.1210/me.2010-0362.  21193557 
Islet beta-cell-specific MafA transcription requires the 5'-flanking conserved region 3 control domain. Raum JC, Hunter CS, Artner I, Henderson E, Guo M, Elghazi L, Sosa-Pineda B, Ogihara T, Mirmira RG, Sussel L, Stein R. Mol Cell Biol. 2010 Sep;30(17):4234-44. doi: 10.1128/MCB.01396-09.   20584984 
Islet-1 is required for the maturation, proliferation, and survival of the endocrine pancreas. Du A, Hunter CS, Murray J, Noble D, Cai CL, Evans SM, Stein R, May CL. Diabetes. 2009 Sep;58(9):2059-69. doi: 10.2337/db08-0987.   19502415 
LIM-homeodomain genes in mammalian development and human disease. Hunter CS and Rhodes S. Mol Biol Rep. 2005 Jun;32(2):67-77.  16022279 
 

Keywords
Diabetes, Transcription Factor, Coregulators, Gene Regulation, Organogenesis, Pancreas, Chromatin, Developmental Biology, Endocrinology