The long-term goal of my research is to understand the molecular cell biology of lactation.
Current work is focused on glucose transport in lactating mammary gland.
Since glucose is the key substrate for the synthesis of lactose, the major osmotic constituent of human milk, it is the major determinant of the volume of milk produced. Glucose also is a key substrate for the synthesis of lipid, the major determinant of the caloric concentration of human milk. I am studying the regulation of the amount, activity, and subcellular targeting of GLUT1, the only glucose transporter isoform identified in mammary gland, in established and primary mammary epithelial cell lines as well as in humans and rodents. Efforts are underway to elucidate the mechanisms of altered glucose transporter targeting, including Golgi sequestration and polarization of plasma membrane distribution, that we have observed during lactation and to understand the impact of GLUT1 retargeting and of altered GLUT1 gene expression on lactose synthesis and milk production. An artificial rearing system to study nutrient-gene interactions and possible programming effects in the regulation of glucose transport during rodent development .