Lee S. Weinstein, M.D. : NIDDK

Lee S. Weinstein, M.D.


MDB
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION SECTION
NIDDK, National Institutes of Health
Building 10, Room 8C101
10 Center Dr.
Bethesda, MD 20892-1752
Tel: 301-402-2923
Fax: 301-402-0374
Email: leew@mail.nih.gov

Education / Previous Training and Experience:
B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1979
M.D., Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1983


Research Statement:

Our laboratory studies the genetic regulation, biochemistry, and physiological roles of the heterotrimeric G protein Gs, which is required for hormone-stimulated intracellular cAMP accumulation. Using the human genetic model Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO), which is associated with heterozygous inactivating mutations in the Gs alpha-subunit gene (GNAS), and a mouse model with heterozygous inactivation of Gnas, we have demonstrated that Gs-alpha is imprinted in a tissue-specific manner with the paternal allele poorly expressed in some tissues. This most likely explains why maternal transmission of AHO leads to multihormone resistance while paternal transmission does not. By examining naturally occurring AHO mutations, we have identified amino acid residues in Gs-alpha that are required for normal guanine nucleotide binding, activation, and inactivation. The phenotype of the Gnas knockout mice suggests that this gene plays a major role in many developmental and metabolic processes, including the regulation of energy metabolism and insulin action. Present studies in additional germline and tissue-specific knockout lines are examining the roles of Gs-alpha and other Gnas gene products in these processes and the mechanism by which Gs-alpha is imprinted in a tissue-specific manner. Studies in mouse models and patients with isolated parathyroid hormone resistance (pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1B) have identified a region important for Gs-alpha imprinting, and studies are ongoing to define the mechanisms involved.

Clinical Protocols

  • Studies of States with Resistance to Vitamin D and Parathyroid Hor, 89-DK-0173

  • Studies of Hyperparathyroidism and Related Disorders, 91-DK-0085

  • Family Studies in Metabolic Diseases and Mineral Metabolism, 93-DK-0127


Selected Publications:

Chen M, Gavrilova O, Liu J, Xie T, Deng C, Nguyen AT, Nackers LM, Lorenzo J, Shen L, Weinstein LS Alternative Gnas gene products have opposite effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A(102): 7386-91, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Sakamoto A, Chen M, Kobayashi T, Kronenberg HM, Weinstein LS Chondrocyte-specific knockout of the G protein G(s)alpha leads to epiphyseal and growth plate abnormalities and ectopic chondrocyte formation. J Bone Miner Res(20): 663-71, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Sakamoto A, Chen M, Nakamura T, Xie T, Karsenty G, Weinstein LS Deficiency of the G-protein alpha-subunit G(s)alpha in osteoblasts leads to differential effects on trabecular and cortical bone. J Biol Chem(280): 21369-75, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Liu J, Nealon JG, Weinstein LS Distinct patterns of abnormal GNAS imprinting in familial and sporadic pseudohypoparathyroidism type IB. Hum Mol Genet(14): 95-102, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Collins MT, Lindsay JR, Jain A, Kelly MH, Cutler CM, Weinstein LS, Liu J, Fedarko NS, Winer KK Fibroblast growth factor-23 is regulated by 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. J Bone Miner Res(20): 1944-50, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Liu J, Chen M, Deng C, Bourc''his D, Nealon JG, Erlichman B, Bestor TH, Weinstein LS Identification of the control region for tissue-specific imprinting of the stimulatory G protein alpha-subunit. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A(102): 5513-8, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Chen M, Gavrilova O, Zhao WQ, Nguyen A, Lorenzo J, Shen L, Nackers L, Pack S, Jou W, Weinstein LS Increased glucose tolerance and reduced adiposity in the absence of fasting hypoglycemia in mice with liver-specific Gs alpha deficiency. J Clin Invest(115): 3217-27, 2005. [Full Text/Abstract]

Chen M, Haluzik M, Wolf NJ, Lorenzo J, Dietz KR, Reitman ML, Weinstein LS Increased insulin sensitivity in paternal Gnas knockout mice is associated with increased lipid clearance. Endocrinology(145): 4094-102, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Spiegel AM, Weinstein LS Inherited diseases involving G proteins and G protein-coupled receptors. Annu Rev Med(55): 27-39, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS, Liu J, Sakamoto A, Xie T, Chen M Minireview: GNAS: normal and abnormal functions. Endocrinology(145): 5459-64, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Bastepe M, Weinstein LS, Ogata N, Kawaguchi H, Juppner H, Kronenberg HM, Chung UI Stimulatory G protein directly regulates hypertrophic differentiation of growth plate cartilage in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A(101): 14794-9, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Sakamoto A, Liu J, Greene A, Chen M, Weinstein LS Tissue-specific imprinting of the G protein Gsalpha is associated with tissue-specific differences in histone methylation. Hum Mol Genet(13): 819-28, 2004. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS Simonds WF HRPT2, a marker of parathyroid cancer. N Engl J Med (349): 1691-2, 2003. [Full Text/Abstract]

Liu J, Erlichman B, Weinstein LS The stimulatory G protein alpha-subunit Gs alpha is imprinted in human thyroid glands: implications for thyroid function in pseudohypoparathyroidism types 1A and 1B. J Clin Endocrinol Metab (88): 4336-41, 2003. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS, Yu S, Liu J Analysis of genomic imprinting of Gs alpha gene. Methods Enzymol (344): 369-83, 2002. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS, Chen M, Liu J Gs(alpha) mutations and imprinting defects in human disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci (968): 173-97, 2002. [Full Text/Abstract]

Bastepe M Gunes Y Perez-Villamil B Hunzelman J Weinstein LS Juppner H Receptor-mediated adenylyl cyclase activation through XLalpha(s), the extra-large variant of the stimulatory G protein alpha-subunit. Mol Endocrinol (16): 1912-9, 2002. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS, Yu S, Warner DR, Liu J Endocrine manifestations of stimulatory G protein alpha-subunit mutations and the role of genomic imprinting. Endocr Rev (22): 675-705, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Yu S, Castle A, Chen M, Lee R, Takeda K, Weinstein LS Increased insulin sensitivity in Gsalpha knockout mice. J Biol Chem (276): 19994-8, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS The role of tissue-specific imprinting as a source of phenotypic heterogeneity in human disease. Biol Psychiatry (50): 927-31, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS The stimulatory G protein alpha-subunit gene: mutations and imprinting lead to complex phenotypes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab (86): 4622-6, 2001. [Full Text/Abstract]

Liu J Litman D Rosenberg MJ Yu S Biesecker LG Weinstein LS A GNAS1 imprinting defect in pseudohypoparathyroidism type IB. J Clin Invest (106): 1167-74, 2000. [Full Text/Abstract]

Liu J Yu S Litman D Chen W Weinstein LS Identification of a methylation imprint mark within the mouse Gnas locus. Mol Cell Biol (20): 5808-17, 2000. [Full Text/Abstract]

Yu S Gavrilova O Chen H Lee R Liu J Pacak K Parlow AF Quon MJ Reitman ML Weinstein LS Paternal versus maternal transmission of a stimulatory G-protein alpha subunit knockout produces opposite effects on energy metabolism. J Clin Invest (105): 615-23, 2000. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS, Yu S, Ecelbarger CA Variable imprinting of the heterotrimeric G protein G(s) alpha-subunit within different segments of the nephron. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol (278): F507-14, 2000. [Full Text/Abstract]

Warner DR, Weinstein LS A mutation in the heterotrimeric stimulatory guanine nucleotide binding protein alpha-subunit with impaired receptor-mediated activation because of elevated GTPase activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (96): 4268-72, 1999. [Full Text/Abstract]

Ecelbarger CA, Yu S, Lee AJ, Weinstein LS, Knepper MA Decreased renal Na-K-2Cl cotransporter abundance in mice with heterozygous disruption of the G(s)alpha gene. Am J Physiol (277): F235-44, 1999. [Full Text/Abstract]

Merlet F, Weinstein LS, Goldsmith PK, Rarick T, Hall JL, Bisson JP, de Mazancourt P Identification and localization of G protein subunits in human spermatozoa. Mol Hum Reprod (5): 38-45, 1999. [Full Text/Abstract]

Yu D, Yu S, Schuster V, Kruse K, Clericuzio CL, Weinstein LS Identification of two novel deletion mutations within the Gs alpha gene (GNAS1) in Albright hereditary osteodystrophy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab (84): 3254-9, 1999. [Full Text/Abstract]

Warner DR, Romanowski R, Yu S, Weinstein LS Mutagenesis of the conserved residue Glu259 of Gsalpha demonstrates the importance of interactions between switches 2 and 3 for activation. J Biol Chem (274): 4977-84, 1999. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS Yu S The Role of Genomic Imprinting of Galpha in the Pathogenesis of Albright Hereditary Osteodystrophy. Trends Endocrinol Metab (10): 81-85, 1999. [Full Text/Abstract]

Warner DR Weng G Yu S Matalon R Weinstein LS A novel mutation in the switch 3 region of Gsalpha in a patient with Albright hereditary osteodystrophy impairs GDP binding and receptor activation. J Biol Chem (273): 23976-83, 1998. [Full Text/Abstract]

Yu S Yu D Lee E Eckhaus M Lee R Corria Z Accili D Westphal H Weinstein LS Variable and tissue-specific hormone resistance in heterotrimeric Gs protein alpha-subunit (Gsalpha) knockout mice is due to tissue-specific imprinting of the gsalpha gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (95): 8715-20, 1998. [Full Text/Abstract]

Warner DR, Gejman PV, Collins RM, Weinstein LS A novel mutation adjacent to the switch III domain of G(S alpha) in a patient with pseudohypoparathyroidism. Mol Endocrinol (11): 1718-27, 1997. [Full Text/Abstract]

Eschenhagen T, Friedrichsen M, Gsell S, Hollmann A, Mittmann C, Schmitz W, Scholz H, Weil J, Weinstein LS Regulation of the human Gi alpha-2 gene promotor activity in embryonic chicken cardiomyocytes. Basic Res Cardiol (91 Suppl 2): 41-6, 1996. [Full Text/Abstract]

Yu S, Yu D, Hainline BE, Brener JL, Wilson KA, Wilson LC, Oude-Luttikhuis ME, Trembath RC, Weinstein LS A deletion hot-spot in exon 7 of the Gs alpha gene (GNAS1) in patients with Albright hereditary osteodystrophy. Hum Mol Genet (4): 2001-2, 1995. [Full Text/Abstract]

Shenker A, Chanson P, Weinstein LS, Chi P, Spiegel AM, Lomri A, Marie PJ Osteoblastic cells derived from isolated lesions of fibrous dysplasia contain activating somatic mutations of the Gs alpha gene. Hum Mol Genet (4): 1675-6, 1995. [Full Text/Abstract]

Schipani E, Weinstein LS, Bergwitz C, Iida-Klein A, Kong XF, Stuhrmann M, Kruse K, Whyte MP, Murray T, Schmidtke J Pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ib is not caused by mutations in the coding exons of the human parathyroid hormone (PTH)/PTH-related peptide receptor gene. J Clin Endocrinol Metab (80): 1611-21, 1995. [Full Text/Abstract]

Shenker A, Weinstein LS, Sweet DE, Spiegel AM An activating Gs alpha mutation is present in fibrous dysplasia of bone in the McCune-Albright syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab (79): 750-5, 1994. [Full Text/Abstract]

Gejman PV, Weinstein LS Detection of mutations and polymorphisms of Gs alpha subunit gene by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Methods Enzymol (237): 308-20, 1994. [Full Text/Abstract]

de Mazancourt P, Goldsmith PK, Weinstein LS Inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity by galanin in rat insulinoma cells is mediated by the G-protein Gi3. Biochem J 303 ( Pt 2): 369-75, 1994. [Full Text/Abstract]

Spiegel AM, Weinstein LS, Shenker A Abnormalities in G protein-coupled signal transduction pathways in human disease. J Clin Invest (92): 1119-25, 1993. [Full Text/Abstract]

Shenker A, Weinstein LS, Moran A, Pescovitz OH, Charest NJ, Boney CM, Van Wyk JJ, Merino MJ, Feuillan PP, Spiegel AM Severe endocrine and nonendocrine manifestations of the McCune-Albright syndrome associated with activating mutations of stimulatory G protein GS. J Pediatr (123): 509-18, 1993. [Full Text/Abstract]

Spiegel AM, Shenker A, Weinstein LS Receptor-effector coupling by G proteins: implications for normal and abnormal signal transduction. Endocr Rev (13): 536-65, 1992. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS, Shenker A, Gejman PV, Merino MJ, Friedman E, Spiegel AM Activating mutations of the stimulatory G protein in the McCune-Albright syndrome. N Engl J Med (325): 1688-95, 1991. [Full Text/Abstract]

Gejman PV, Weinstein LS, Martinez M, Spiegel AM, Cao Q, Hsieh WT, Hoehe MR, Gershon ES Genetic mapping of the Gs-alpha subunit gene (GNAS1) to the distal long arm of chromosome 20 using a polymorphism detected by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Genomics (9): 782-3, 1991. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS, Kats I, Spiegel AM, Carter AD Characterization of the promoter of the human Gi2 alpha-subunit gene. Mol Endocrinol (4): 958-64, 1990. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS, Gejman PV, Friedman E, Kadowaki T, Collins RM, Gershon ES, Spiegel AM Mutations of the Gs alpha-subunit gene in Albright hereditary osteodystrophy detected by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (87): 8287-90, 1990. [Full Text/Abstract]

Friedman E, Sakaguchi K, Bale AE, Falchetti A, Streeten E, Zimering MB, Weinstein LS, McBride WO, Nakamura Y, Brandi ML Clonality of parathyroid tumors in familial multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. N Engl J Med (321): 213-8, 1989. [Full Text/Abstract]

Weinstein LS, Spiegel AM, Carter AD Cloning and characterization of the human gene for the alpha-subunit of Gi2, a GTP-binding signal transduction protein. FEBS Lett (232): 333-40, 1988. [Full Text/Abstract]



Page last updated: December 17, 2008

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