Love-Rutledge Lab

Applying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to understanding and preventing Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults, Type 1 & 2 Diabetes, and Aging induced disease.

Our Primary Investigator

Education

Michigan State University, Department of Physiology, Post-Doctoral Research Associate, 2014-2017

Ph.D., The University of Alabama, 2014

M.S. The University of Alabama

B.S., Tougaloo College, 2008

Dr. Love-Rutledge is an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry department at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Bench Research Summary

Dr. Love-Rutledge’s research interests are in the areas of diabetes and insulin resistance. Research in her laboratory focuses on two specific goals i) identification and characterization of early target-able signals related to the dysfunction of insulin secreting β cells and ii) understanding the effect proteins, like FAT10, a Type 1 diabetes susceptibility gene, have on β cells and insulin sensitive tissues such as (or including) liver, skeletal muscle, and fat. In the laboratories efforts to solve complex problems, identify important disease pathways and isolate biomarkers for disease status during the onset of diabetes, we utilize a combination of state-of-the-art biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and molecular biology methodology to achieve our research goals.

Educational Research Summary

Dr. Love-Rutledge also has a vested interest in student learning. She actively collaborates with Education Researchers to pursue projects to improve student outcomes. To this end she serves as the Campus Director for the UAH Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation program, FLAMEnet, Immunoreach, and actively collaborates on biochemistry educational projects.

Publications

Wimalarathne, MM, Bowser, B, Arul, AB, Wilkerson Vidal, QC, Gibson, H, Robinson, R, Love-Rutledge, ST. Hyperinsulinemic Male LEW.1WR1 Rats Show Early Signs of Impaired Liver Metabolism 2023 Submitted
Quiana Wilkerson-Vidal , Moses A. David, James Gerard Wolfsberger, Madushika Wimalarathne, Evann Fowler, John R. Diaz, Alexis Fink, Elijah S. Sterkel, Ian Ross, Bernhard Vogler, and Sharifa T. Love-Rutledge Insulin resistant, male LEW.1WR1 rats do not develop β-cell mass expansion in response to a moderate sucrose diet. Journal of Molecular Pathology (submitted April 2024)
Wilkerson-Vidal, Q.C. Wimalarathne, M. M. Hunt, E.C. Mercado, L. David, M.A. Apperson, C.R. Smiley, A. Love-Rutledge *,S.T. Vogler *,B.W.G. Male LEW.1WR1 Rats develop metabolic dysfunction, steatohepatitis, and liver damage. Endocrines (accepted April 2024)
Cell Voices Article: The Legacy of Congressman Stokes- Sharifa T. Love-Rutledge, The University of Alabama in Huntsville June 2023
Ahmed I, Armstrong A, Clemons TA, Clune-Taylor C, Love-Rutledge ST, Phillips MA, Rogers CD, Williams MJ. How do DEI initiatives impact STEMM, and why do we still need them? Cell. 2023 Jun 8;186(12):2506-2509. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.05.015. Epub 2023 Jun 8. PMID: 37295395.
Marshall AG, Neikirk K, Stephens DC, Vang L, Vue Z, Beasley HK, Crabtree A, Scudese E, Lopez EG, Shao B, Krystofiak E, Rutledge S, Davis J, Murray SA, Damo SM, Katti P, Hinton A Jr. Serial Block Face-Scanning Electron Microscopy as a Burgeoning Technology. Adv Biol (Weinh). 2023 May 28:e2300139. doi: 10.1002/adbi.202300139. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37246236.
Katti, P, Love-Rutledge, S, Murray, S. A., Hinton, A. Editorial: The Role of Mitochondrial Endoplasmic Reticulum Contact Sites in Human Health and Disease Frontiers Molecular Biosciences 2023 PMID: 37287753
Wilkerson Vidal, QC, Wimalarathne, MM, Collins, G., Wolfsberger, JG, Clopp A, Mercado, LD, Fowler, ET, Gibson, H, McConnell, V. Martin, S. Hunt, EC, Vogler, B. Love-Rutledge, ST. Young Adult Male LEW.1WR1 Rats Have Reduced Beta Cell Area And Develop Glucose Intolerance. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 2023-02 10.1016/j.mce.2022.111837
Wimalarathne, MM, Wilkerson-Vidal, QC, Hunt, E & Love-Rutledge, ST. The Case for FAT10 as a Novel Target in Fatty Liver Diseases. Frontiers in Pharmacology, section Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Pharmacology 2022 10.3389/fphar.2022.972320
Wolfsberger, JG, Hunt, EC, Bobba, SS, Love-Rutledge, S. Vogler, B. Metabolite Quantification: A Fluorescence Based method for Urine Sample Normalization Prior to 1H-NMR analysis. Metabolomics 2022 10.1007/s11306-022-01939-y
Love ST, Di Bona KR, Sinha SH, McAdory D, Skinner BR, Rasco JF, & Vincent JB. Urinary Chromium Excretion in Response to an Insulin Challenge Is Not a Biomarker for Chromium Status Biological Trace Element Research 2013, 152(1):57-65
Staniek H, Rhodes NR, Di Bona KR, Deng G, Love ST, Pledger LA, Blount J, Gomberg E, Grappe F, Cernosek C, Peoples B, Rasco JF, Krejpcio Z, &Vincent JB. Comparison of Tissue Metal Concentrations in Zucker Lean, Zucker Obese, and Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats and the Effects of Chromium Supplementation on Tissue Metal Concentrations Biological Trace Element Research 2013, 151(3):373-83
Vincent JB, Love S. The Need for Combined Inorganic, Biochemical, and Nutritional Studies of Chromium (III) Chemistry & Biodiversity 2012, 9(9):1923-41
Vincent JB, Love S. The binding and transport of alternative metals by transferrin. Biochimica Biophysica Acta -General Subjects 2012, 1820(3):362-78
Di Bona KR, Love S, Rhodes NR, McAdory D, Sinha SH, Kern N, Kent J, Strickland J, Wilson A, Beaird J, Ramage J, Rasco JF & Vincent JB. Chromium is not an essential trace element for mammals: Effects of a “low-chromium” diet. Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry. 2010, 16(3):381-90.
Rhodes NR, McAdory D, Love S, Di Bona KR, Chen Y, Ansorge K, Hira J, Kern N, Kent J, Lara P, Rasco JF & Vincent JB. Urinary chromium loss associated with diabetes is offset by increases in absorption. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 2010, 104(7): 790-97.

Selected bench science presentations

Entries from a laboratory course *won an award

Moses Adaji David, et al. Male LEW.1WR1 Rats Developed Metabolic-dysfunction Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) North Alabama Wilson Dam Chemistry Research Symposium April 2024- 2nd place Graduate Award
Quiana Wilkerson Vidal, et al. LEW.1WR1 rats are insulin-resistant independent of dietary challenge North Alabama Wilson Dam Chemistry Research Symposium April 2024- 1st place Graduate Award
Caroline Bendickson, Tia Lambert, Alexia Gorka, Sunny Overby; Supervisors: Emily Hunt, Dr. Sharifa Love-Rutledge Enzymatic characterization of N404S 𝛽-glucosidase mutant North Alabama Wilson Dam Chemistry Research Symposium April 2024
Cuong Vo, Rayan Haque Supervisors: Emily Hunt, Dr. Sharifa Love-Rutledge, Evaluation of kinetic and structural properties of a novel mutant β-glucosidase protein North Alabama Wilson Dam Chemistry Research Symposium April 2024
David Sensat, Marina Ajinov, Luke Weaver, Jacob Rollin Supervisors: Emily Hunt, Dr. Sharifa Love-Rutledge Enzymatic activity changes for single amino acid substitution in ß-Glucosidase North Alabama Wilson Dam Chemistry Research Symposium April 2024
Nicole Stark, Emily McMurry, Jackson Jones, Monet Le Supervisors: Emily Hunt, Dr. Sharifa Love-Rutledge Effects of an E406N Point-Mutation on the Activity of the Enzyme 𝛃-Glucosidase North Alabama Wilson Dam Chemistry Research Symposium April 2024
Fowler, E.T., Mercado, L., Wilkerson-Vidal, Q. Wimalarathne, M., Love-Rutledge, S. LEW.1WR1 Rats Have Decreased Normalized Beta Cell Area Special Issue: Experimental Biology 2021 Meeting Abstracts May 2021 Volume 35, IssueS1 *
Mercado, L. Wimalarathne, M.M., McConnell, V. Love-Rutledge, S. LEW.1WR1 Rat Shows an Increased Risk of Developing Malignant Forms of NAFLD. Special Issue: Experimental Biology 2021 Meeting Abstracts 2021 Volume 35, IssueS1*
Wimalarathne, M. M., Mercado, L.D., Wilkerson Vidal, Q.C., Wolfsberger, J., McConnell, V.J., Vogler, B., Love-Rutledge, S.T. Young Adult LEW.1WR1 Rats, a Model of Liver FAT10 Overexpression, Develop Insulin Resistance and Fatty Liver with Age. Endocrine Society 2021 (Abstr.). Virtual
Wilkerson Vidal, Q.C, Collins, G.L., Fowler, E., Wimalarathne, M. M., Mercado, L.D., Gibson, H., Martin, S. C., Love-Rutledge, S.T. P14. Dysregulated Metabolic Response Young Adult LEW.1WR1 Rats Develop Dysregulated Islet Function and Impaired Liver Insulin Responses. Endocrine Society 2021 (Abstr.). Virtual
Wimalarathne, M. Wade, A. Love-Rutledge, S. LEW.1WR1 Rats have increased insulin levels and liver lipid lipolytic gene expression during their type 1 diabetes susceptibility window. Experimental Biology 2020(Abstr.). San Diego California
Vidal, Q.W., Collins, G., Mercado, L., Martin, S., Wright, L.C., Gibson, H., Love-Rutledge, S. Gene Expression in LEW.1WR1 Rats Indicate Insulin Resistance in Muscle and Liver Tissue. Experimental Biology 2020(Abstr.). San Diego California
Hart, A., Wimalarathne, M., Love-Rutledge, S. Correlating Changes in Urine Metabolites and Metabolic Hormones During Insulitis Onset. ERN (Abstr.). Washington, DC
Martin, S., Wright, L.C., Vidal, Q.W., Mercado, L., Collins, G., Love-Rutledge, S. Imbalanced Muscle Lipid Metabolism in LEW.1WR1 Rats Results in Increased Mass and Reduced Insulin Sensitivity SURC 2020 (Abstr.). Tuscaloosa, AL
Mercado, L., Collins, G., Clopp, A., Love-Rutledge, S. Characterizing Insulin Sensitivity in Young Adult LEW.1WR1 Rats. SURC 2020 (Abstr.). Tuscaloosa, AL
Gibson, H., Vidal, Q.W., Collins, G., Clopp, A., Love-Rutledge, S. Liver Ubd is Upregulated in the LEW.1WR1 Rat. SURC 2020 (Abstr.). Tuscaloosa, AL
Hart, A., Wimalarathne, M., Love-Rutledge, S. Correlating Changes in Urine Metabolites and Metabolic Hormones During Insulitis Onset. SURC 2020 (Abstr.). Tuscaloosa, AL
Collins, G. Love-Rutledge, S. The LEW.1WR1 Rat Model is Glucose Intolerant NOBCChE National Meeting 2019 (Abstr.). St. Louis, MO
Collins, G. Clopp, A. Mercado, L. Gibson, H. Love-Rutledge, S. Young Adult LEW.1WR1 Rats develop Increased Glucose Intolerance on a Moderately Increased Sucrose Diet. Endocrine Society 2019 (Abstr.). New Orleans, LA
Wimalarathne, M., Cantrell, K., Derbort, J., Love-Rutledge, S Altered inflammatory responses and plasma cholesterol content in LEW.1WR1 rats during Type 1 Diabetes Induction UAH Research Horizon’s Day 2019 (Abstr.). Huntsville, AL
Wade, A. Wimalarathne, M. Cantrell, K. Gibson, H. Love-Rutledge S. Characterizing the Insulin Staining of LEW.1WR1 and LEW/SsNHsd Rats in Response to Polyinosinic-Cytidylic Acid. Experimental Biology 2019 (Abstr.). Orlando, FL
Mercado, L.D., Clopp A., Collins G., Love-Rutledge, S. Characterizing Insulin Sensitivity in Adult LEW.1WR1 Rats. Experimental Biology 2019 (Abstr.). Orlando, FL
Truong, N. Love-Rutledge, S. Lydic, T. Olson, L.K. Effect of interferon gamma on neutral lipid levels, lipid droplet formation, and antiviral responses in pancreatic islets and INS-1 beta cells Experimental Biology 2019 (Abstr.). Orlando, FL
Wimalarathne, M., Cantrell, K., Love-Rutledge, S. LEW.1WR1 rats have altered inflammation responses during Type 1 Diabetes Induction Southeast Regional Lipid Conference Fall 2018 (Abstr.). Cashier’s, NC
Mercado, L., Collins, G., Clopp, A., Love-Rutledge, S. Characterizing Glucose Tolerance in adult LEW.1WR1 rats. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students Fall 2018 (Abstr.). Indianapolis, IN (Outstanding Presentation Winner)
McConnell, V., Mercado, L., Clopp, A., Gibson, H., Collins, G., Love-Rutledge, S. LEW.1WR1 Rats: A Novel Model for the Study of Insulin Resistance and Neuroinflammation? UAB School of Medicine Comprehensive Neuroscience Center Retreat Fall 2018 (Abstr.). Birmingham, AL
Collins, G., Clopp, A. Mercado, L., Love-Rutledge, S. Characterizing the metabolic profile of the Type 1 Diabetes Model, LEW.1WR1 NOBCChE National Meeting 2018(Abstr.). Orlando, FL

Selected Educational Research Presentations and Abstracts

Spotlight Talk title: “Taking Metabolism and metabolic dysfunction beyond the biochemistry textbook: Liver Metabolism as an undergraduate research training tool." Discover BMB-ASBMB 2024
Giving you the best that I got: Self-care and Diabetes Prevention. NANBPWC-Southeast 2024 Keynote speaker
LSMAMP Symposium in conjunction with the Mississippi Academy of Sciences in Hattiesburg Mississippi “Research as a Corner Stone to Achieving a PhD
Assessing Undergraduate Expressions of Biochemical Mechanisms Accepted for ACS National Meeting 2023(Abstr.) Poster presentation by Lauren Richardson co Authored by Sharifa T Love-Rutledge and Sara Johnson
Assessing Biochemistry Student's Use of Metabolic Pathway Entities Accepted for ACS National Meeting 2023(Abstr.) Poster Presentation by Nina Fortier co Authored by Sara L. Johnson Sharifa Love-Rutledge
"Being afraid to “look stupid:” Examining student perspectives on interventions to improve student performance, perceived competence, and sense of belonging in General Chemistry I courses." FLAMEnet; November 2022; November 2022 Co Presented with Dr. Michelle Greene, and Dalia Altubuh
"Being afraid to “look stupid:” Examining student perspectives on interventions to improve student performance, perceived competence, and sense of belonging in General Chemistry I courses." RELACS; November 2022 Co Presented with Dr. Jennifer Sims, Dr. Michelle Greene, and Dalia Altubuh
“ImmunoReach: At the Intersection of Biochemistry & Immunology” -2022 ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators; July 2021; Co-Presented with Dr. Heather Bruns from UAB
"Engaging metabolic pathways: Infographics to promote creativity and multimodal learning in biochemistry "-SERMACS 2021; November 2021; Co-Presented with Dr. Sara Johnson from UNA
"Engaging Metabolic Pathways: Infographics to Promote Creativity and Multimodal Learning in Biochemistry." Experimental Biology 2020 (Abstr.). San Diego California Co-Authored with Dr. Joy Robinson (Poster Presentation Cancelled due to COVID-19)

CV 09-02-2023.pdf

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