Title: Chemical control of mammalian physiology
Abstract: Chemical signaling is a fundamental mechanism for cell-cell communication in mammalian physiology. Here, I will discuss our recent work on chemical signals derived by enzymatic conjugation of amino acids and diverse organic acids. This biotransformation produces a large class of signaling metabolites that can be broadly classified as N-acyl amino acids. Our pharmacological gain-of-function studies, as well as genetic loss-of-function studies in mice, establish roles for N-acyl amino acids as metabolic messengers that regulate systemic energy homeostasis. Lastly, I will discuss our ongoing work on using humans as a model system for understanding the biochemistry, genetics, and physiology of this metabolite family.