James Minchin
Senior Research Fellow (EPICT) `Edinburgh Principal Investigor
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science
Contact details
- Tel: +44 (0)131 242 7930
- Email: james.minchin@ed.ac.uk
Address
- Street
-
The Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh BioQuarter
- City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH16 4TJ
Research summary
Adipose tissues are lipid-rich structures distributed throughout the human body, that supply and sequester energy-dense lipid in response to energy status. Accumulation of lipid within adipose tissue provides 'energy insurance' to an organism in times of physiologcal burden (ie, low food availability, migration or cold temperatures); however, in modern societies - when food availability is high and energy expenditure is low - excessive accumulation of lipid within adipose can cause tissue dysfunction and increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Although diet and other environmental factors have a substantial influence on energy balance and lipid accumulation within adipose, the genotype of an individual also exerts a strong influence and can determine the propensity to accumulate lipid, the site of lipid storage and disease susceptibility. The long-term goal of our lab is to understand the genetics that influence a range of adiposity traits, including; obesity, early-onset obesity and body fat distribution. A greater understanding of genetic susceptibility to these adipose-related disorders will help to identify vulnerable individuals and circumvent adipose-related disease prior to its onset.
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RSPO3 impacts body fat distribution and regulates adipose cell biology in vitro
In:
Nature Communications, vol. 11
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16592-z
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Quantitative analyses of adiposity dynamics in zebrafish
In:
Adipocyte
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21623945.2019.1648175
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Adaptation of blind cavefish to nutrient poor environments: uncovering diverse new mechanisms that regulate body fat levels
In:
Developmental Biology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.01.017
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Human semaphorin 3 variants link melanocortin circuit development and energy balance
(22 pages)
In:
Cell, vol. 176, pp. 729-742
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.12.009
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Deep phenotyping in zebrafish reveals genetic and diet-induced adiposity changes that may inform disease risk
In:
Journal of lipid research, pp. jlr.D084525
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1194/jlr.D084525
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Adipose morphology and metabolic disease
In:
Journal of Experimental Biology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.164970
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Elucidating the role of plexin D1 in body fat distribution and susceptibility to metabolic disease using a zebrafish model system
(7 pages)
In:
Adipocyte, pp. 1-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21623945.2017.1356504
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
The role of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) in adipogenesis: applying knowledge from the fish aquaculture industry to biomedical research
In:
Frontiers in Endocrinology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2017.00102
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (Published) -
A classification system for zebrafish adipose tissues
In:
Disease Models and Mechanisms
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1242/dmm.025759
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
In vivo imaging and quantification of regional adiposity in zebrafish
(25 pages)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.mcb.2016.11.010
Research output: › Chapter (peer-reviewed) (E-pub ahead of print) -
Compositions and methods for identifying and modulating metabolic health
Research output: › Patent (Published) -
Plexin D1 determines body fat distribution by regulating the type V collagen microenvironment in visceral adipose tissue
(6 pages)
In:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), vol. 112, pp. 4363-4368
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1416412112
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Oesophageal and sternohyal muscle fibres are novel Pax3-dependent migratory somite derivatives essential for ingestion
(13 pages)
In:
Development, vol. 140, pp. 2972-2984
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.090050
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Dwarfism and increased adiposity in the gh1 mutant zebrafish vizzini
(12 pages)
In:
Endocrinology, vol. 154, pp. 1476-1487
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2012-1734
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Cellular and molecular investigations into the development of the pectoral girdle
(9 pages)
In:
Developmental Biology, vol. 357, pp. 108-116
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.06.031
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
In vivo Analysis of White Adipose Tissue in Zebrafish
(24 pages)
In:
Methods in cell biology, vol. 105, pp. 63-86
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-381320-6.00003-5
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Sequential actions of Pax3 and Pax7 drive xanthophore development in zebrafish neural crest
(15 pages)
In:
Developmental Biology, vol. 317, pp. 508-522
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.02.058
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Signals and myogenic regulatory factors restrict pax3 and pax7 expression to dermomyotome-like tissue in zebrafish
(18 pages)
In:
Developmental Biology, vol. 302, pp. 504-521
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.10.009
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Variant surface glycoprotein RNA interference triggers a precytokinesis cell cycle arrest in African trypanosomes
(6 pages)
In:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), vol. 102, pp. 8716-8721
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0501886102
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published)