Kotz, Catherine, M., Ph.D.

AGING/BRAIN SCIENCE

Our laboratory focuses on brain sites and substrates mediating energy balance during aging. 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, radioimmunoassay and molecular biology procedures, including RNA/DNA extraction, northern blots, slot blots, cDNA probe synthesis, random primer labeling, hybridization and densitometry. We have recently implemented microarray technology in our laboratory, which makes it possible to measure gene expression profile of thousands of genes and can help identify genes involved in disease pathology. The ultimate goal of these endeavors is to study gene expression patterns in specific brain regions during and after the development of age- and diet-induced obesity in several animal models.