Research in the Gunn lab is primarily focused on the role of Attractin-Mahogunin signaling. Mice with mutations in the Attractin1 (Atrn1; formerly named mahogany) and Mahogunin Ring Finger 1 (Mgrn1; formerly named mahoganoid) genes have dark fur due to a role in the Agouti-melanocortin signaling pathway that regulates whether melanocytes produce black or yellow pigment. In addition, loss of Atrn1 in mice, rats and hamsters, or Mgrn1 in mice, results in progressive adult-onset neurodegeneration. In most Attractin1 mutant mice, neurodegeneration is associated with hyperactivity and decreased body weight. While Atrn1 encodes a protein of unknown function, Mgrn1 encodes a protein with ubiquitin ligase activity, implicating defects in protein turnover and/or trafficking in neuronal death in mutant animals. We are using genetic, molecular, biochemical and proteomics approaches to identify additional components of the Attractin-Mahogunin signaling pathway(s) and elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) of neuro degeneration and other phenotypes in these mutant animals.

Dr. Gunn is a member of the Graduate Fields of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, Genetics & Development, Comparative Biomedical Sciences and Nutrition.

For more information, visit the Gunn Lab website.

Select Publications

1. Walker, WP, Aradhya, S, Hu, C-L, Shen, S, Zhang, W, Azarani, A, Lu, X-Y, Barsh, GS and Gunn, TM (2007) Genetic analysis of Attractin homologs. Genesis 45:744-756. *Featured on the cover*
2. Sun, K, Johnson, BS and Gunn, TM (2007) Mitochondrial dysfunction precedes neurodegeneration in Mahogunin (Mgrn1) mutant mice. Neurobiology of Aging 28(12): 1840-1852.
3. Azouz, A, Gunn, TM and Duke-Cohan, JS (2007) Juvenile-onset loss of lipid-raft domains in attractin-deficient mice. Exp. Cell Res. 313:761-771.
4. Hackett, SR, Jung, S-W, Kirkness, E, Cruickshank, J, Vikstrom, KL, Moïse, NS and Gunn, TM (2007) Identification and characterization of canine microsatellite markers in cardiac genes. An Gen. 38(1):89-91.
5. Cota, CD*, Bagher, P*, Pelc, P, Smith, CO, Bodner, CR and Gunn, TM (2006) Mice with mutations in Mahogunin Ring Finger 1 exhibit abnormal patterning of the left-right axis. Dev Dyn. 235:3438-3447. (*authors contributed equally)
6. Bagher, P, Jiao, J, Smith, CO, Cota, CD and Gunn, TM (2006) Characterization of Mahogunin Ring Finger 1 expression in mice. Pigment Cell Res. 19(6): 635-643.
7. Liu, W, Hackett, SR, Cruickshank, J, Vikstrom, KL, Moïse, NS and Gunn, TM (2006) Canine microsatellites associated with genes implicated in cardiac development and function. An Gen 37(1):87-88.
8. He, L, Lu, X-Y, Jolly, AF, Eldridge, AG, Watson, SJ, Jackson, PK, Barsh, GS and Gunn, TM (2003) Spongiform degeneration in mahoganoid mutant mice. Science 299(5607):710-712.