Sandra Peters, PhD

(Retired) Professor Emeritus, Kinesiology

speters@brocku.ca

My research program seeks to understand the regulation of muscle metabolism in response to diet, exercise, and endurance training. My first research interest was focused on studying the interaction between carbohydrate and fat metabolism through the regulation of the enzyme “pyruvate dehydrogenase”.  More recently, my interests have shifted to learning about the muscle “perilipin” or PLIN proteins, which coat lipid droplets and putatively regulate muscle fat metabolism.  I am pleased to have strong collaborative ties, and an emerging interest in the regulation  of bone metabolism.

Research Interests

  • Regulation of muscle metabolism
  • Muscle lipid droplet proteins, the perilipin family (PLINs)
  • Regulation of muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase by diet and exercise

Professional affiliations and accreditation/certification

  • Co-recipient of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Research Excellence Award 2016
  • Recipient of the Michael J Plyley Graduate Mentorship Award 2014 (for Master’s and PhD students)
  • Member of American Physiological Society and Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology

Publications

Bott, K.N., S.M. Sacco, P.C. Turnbull, A.B. Longo, W.E. Ward and S.J. Peters. Skeletal-site specific effects of endurance running on bone structure and strength in growing rats. Submitted to App Physiol Nutr Metab 41(6): 597-604, 2016.

Nash, L.A., S.J. Peters, P.J. Sullivan, and W.E. Ward. Supraphysiological levels of quercetin glycosides are required to alter mineralization in Saos2 cells. Int J Environ Res Public Health 13(5): E460, 2016.

Turnbull, P.C., A.B. Longo, S.V. Ramos, B.D. Roy, W.E. Ward, and S.J. Peters. Increases in skeletal muscle ATGL and its inhibitor G0S2 following 8 weeks of endurance training in metabolically different rat skeletal muscles. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 310(2): R125-R133, 2016.

Sullivan, P., M. Gagnon, K. Gammage, and S.J. Peters. Is the effect of behavioral synchrony on cooperative behavior mediated by pain threshold? J Social Psych 155(6): 650-660, 2015.

Turnbull, P.C., S.V. Ramos, R.E.K. MacPherson, B.D. Roy and S.J. Peters. Characterization of lipolytic inhibitor G(0)/G(1) switch gene-2 protein expression in skeletal muscle and heart compared to relative content of ATGL and CGI-58. PLOSone 10(3): e0120136, 2015.

Ramos S.V., P.C. Turnbull, R.E.K MacPherson, P.J. LeBlanc, W.E. Ward, and S.J. Peters. Changes in mitochondrial PLIN3 and PLIN5 protein content in rat skeletal muscle following endurance training and acute stimulated contraction. Exp Physiol 100(4): 450-462, 2015.

MacPherson R.E.K., L.M. Castelli, P.M. Miotto, S. Frendo-Cumbo, A. Milburn, B.D. Roy, P.J. LeBlanc, W.E. Ward, and S.J. Peters. A maternal high fat diet has long-lasting effects on skeletal muscle lipid and PLIN protein content in rat offspring at young adulthood. Lipids 50(2): 205-217, 2015.

Nash, L.A., P.J. Sullivan, S.J. Peters, W.E. Ward. Rooibos flavonoids, orientin and luteolin, stimulate mineralization in human osteoblasts through the Wnt pathway. Molec Nutr Food Res 59(3): 443-453, 2015.

Ramos, S.V., R.E.K. MacPherson, P.C. Turnbull, K.N. Bott, P.J. Blanc, W.E. Ward, and S.J. Peters. Higher PLIN5 but not PLIN3 content in isolated skeletal muscle mitochondria following acute in vivo contraction in rat hindlimb. Physiological Reports 2(10): e12154, 2014.

Raper, J., L.K. Love, D.H. Paterson, S.J. Peters, G.J.F. Heigenhauser, J.M. Kowalchuck. The effect of high fat and high carbohydrate diets on pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics during the transition to moderate-intensity exercise. J Appl Physiol 117(11): 1371-1379, 2014.

Herbst E.A., R.E.K. MacPherson, P.J. LeBlanc, B.D. Roy, N.H. Jeoung, R.A. Harris, and S.J. Peters. Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 contributes to the recirculation of gluconeogenic precursors during post-exercise glycogen recovery. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 306(2): R102-R107, 2014.

Miotto, P., L. Castelli, F. Amoye, P.J. LeBlanc, S.J. Peters, B.D. Roy, and W.E. Ward. Maternal high fat feeding does not have long-lasting effects on body composition and bone health in female and male rat offspring at young adulthood. Molecules 18(12): 15094-15109, 2013.

MacPherson, R.E.K., R. Vandenboom, B.D. Roy, and S.J. Peters. Skeletal muscle PLIN3 and PLIN5 are serine phosphorylated at rest and following lipolysis during adrenergic or contractile stimulation. Physiological Reports 1(4): e00084, 2013.

MacPherson, R.E.K., R.V. Ramos, R. Vandenboom, B.D. Roy, and S.J. Peters. Skeletal muscle PLIN proteins, ATGL and CGI-58, interactions at rest and following stimulated contraction. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 304(8): R644-650, 2013.

Farlinger, C., A.J. Lui, R.C. Harrison, P.J. LeBlanc, S.J. Peters, and B.D. Roy. Extracellular hyper-osmotic stress stimulates glucose uptake in incubated fast-twitch rat skeletal muscle. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 38(6): 605-612, 2013.

Peters, S.J., I.A. Samjoo, M.C. Devries, I. Stevic, H.A. Robertshaw, and M.A. Tarnopolsky. Perilipin (PLIN) family proteins in human skeletal muscle: the effects of sex, obesity and training. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 37(4): 724-735, 2012.

MacPherson R.E.K., E.A.F. Herbst, E.J. Reynolds, R. Vandenboom, B.D. Roy, and S.J. Peters. Subcellular localization of skeletal muscle lipid droplets and PLIN family proteins (OXPAT and ADRP) at rest and following contraction in rat soleus muscle. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 302(1): R29-R33, 2012.

Herbst, E.A., E.A. Dunford, R.A. Harris, N.H. Jeoung, R. Vandenboom, P.J. LeBlanc, B.D. Roy, and S.J. Peters. Role of PDK4 in regulating PDH activation during acute muscle contraction. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 37(1): 48-52, 2012.

Teaching

  • Human Physiology
  • Exercise physiology and metabolism

Funding

2016-2021:  National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grant:  Regulation of mammalian skeletal muscle lipid metabolism:  the role of perilipin proteins.  ($35000 x 5 years)