Peter Tontonoz, M.D., Ph.D.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
675 Charles Young Dr., MRL 5-748
University of California
Los Angeles, CA 90095
416 Beirut Avenue
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
ptontonoz@mednet.ucla.edu
(310) 206-4546
Place of Birth:
Worcester, Massachusetts
Education:
M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (1996)
Ph.D., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (1996)
Department of Genetics
B.A., Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT (1989)
High Honors in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Experience:
Professor (2006-present)
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA
Investigator (2000-present)
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Associate Professor with Tenure (2002-2006)
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA
Assistant Professor (1999-2002)
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA
Honors:
Editorial Boards:
2010
2008
2005
2004
2004
1999
1994
1988
Hoeg Award for Basic and Clinical Research, AHA
Leadership Council, ASCI
Weitzman Memorial Award, Endocrine Society
Bristol-Myers Squibb Freedom to Discover Award
American Society for Clinical Investigation
Damon Runyon Scholar Award
Dana-Farber Smith Prize for Outstanding Research,
Phi Beta Kappa, Wesleyan University
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Molecular Endocrinology
Journal of Lipid Research
Selected Publications:
Pei, L., Waki, H., Vaitheesvaran, B., Wilpitz, D.C., Kurland, I., and Tontonoz, P. (2006). NR4A orphan
nuclear receptors are transcriptional regulators of hepatic glucose metabolism. Nature Medicine.
12:1048-55.
Waki, H., Park, K.W., Mitro, N., Pei, L., Damoiseaux, R., Wilpitz, D., Reue, K., Saez, E., Tontonoz, P.
(2007). The small molecule harmine is an anti-diabetic cell-type-specific regulator of PPARγ
expression. Cell Metabolism. 5:357-370. Cover Article.
Zelcer, N., Khanlou, N., Clare, R., Jiang, Q., Reed-Geaghan, E.G., Landreth, G.E., Vinters, H.V.V.,
and Tontonoz, P. (2007). Attenuation of neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease pathology by
LXRs. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104:10601-10606.
Bradley, M.N., Hong, C., Joseph, S.B., Chen, M., Wang. X., Lusis, J., Collins, A., Hseuh, W.A. Collins,
J.L., Tangirala, R. and Tontonoz, P. (2007). Ligand activation of LXRβ reverses whole body cholesterol
overload and atherosclerosis in LXRα-/-apoE-/- mice. J. Clin. Invest. 117:2337-2346.
Chao, L.C., Zhang, Z., Tsugumichi, S., Tontonoz, P. and Pilch, P. (2007). Nur77 coordinately regulates
expression of genes linked to glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle. Molecular Endocrinology.
21:2152-2163.
Park, K.W., Waki, H., Villanueva, C.J., Monticelli, L., Hong, C., Kang, S., MacDougald, O.A., Goldrath,
A.W., and Tontonoz, P. (2008). Id2 is a small molecule-inducible modulator of PPARγ expression and
adipocyte differentiation. Molecular Endocrinology. 22:2038-48.
Bensinger, S.J., Bradley, M.N., Joseph, S.B., Zelcer, N., Janssen, E.M., Hausner, M.A., Shih, R.,
Parks, J., Edwards, P.A., Jamieson, B.D., and Tontonoz, P. (2008). LXR signaling couples sterol
metabolism to proliferation in the acquired immune response. Cell. 134:97-111.
Chao, L.C., Bensinger, S.J., Wroblewski, K., and Tontonoz, P. (2008). Inhibition of adipocyte
differentiation by Nur77, Nurr1 and Nor-1. Molecular Endocrinology. 22:2596-608. Cover Article.
Bensinger, S.J. and Tontonoz, P. (2008). Integration of metabolism and inflammation by lipid-activated
nuclear receptors. Nature. 454:470-477.
Zelcer, N., Hong, C., Boyadjian, R., and Tontonoz, P. (2009). LXR regulates cholesterol uptake
through Idol-dependent ubiquitination of the LDL receptor. Science. 325:100-104.
A-Gonzalez, N., Bensinger, S.J., Bradley, M.N., Zelcer, N., Beceiro, S., Hong, C., Deniz, J., Ramirez,
C.M., Gallardo, G., Galarreta, C., Salazar, J., Lopez, F., Parks, J., Edwards, P.A., Andujar, M.,
Tontonoz, P. and Castrillo, A. (2009). Apoptotic cells promote their own clearance and immune
tolerance through activation of LXR signaling. Immunity. 31:245-258.
Chao, L.C., Wroblewski, K., Zhang, Z., Pei, L., Vergnes, L., Reue, K., Watt, M.J., Newgard, C.B., Pilch,
P.F., Hevener, A.L. and Tontonoz, P. (2009). Insulin resistance and altered systemic glucose
metabolism in mice lacking Nur77. Diabetes. 58:2788-96.