Graduate Group Affiliations

Exercise Science

Molecular, Cellular and
Integrated Physiology

Research Interests

Dr Baar’s research is focused on determining the molecular mechanisms underlying the physiological and functional adaptations of muscle to exercise. To delve deeper into the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of exercise, Keith’s lab is currently engineering muscle tissue outside the body with a particular interest in applying this model towards understanding muscle physiology and function. His recent work has used this model to show that the physiologic differences between fast and slow muscles can be retained in muscles engineered in vitro and has also used machines to alter muscle phenotype using different patterns of electrical stimulation. He is now using these techniques to study the effect of genetic manipulation on muscle function in an attempt to identify genes that could be targeted to improve performance or treat obesity, diabetes, and frailty.

For more information, please visit: The Functional Molecular Biology Lab

 

Representative Publications

Philp A, Perez-Schindler J, Green C, Hamilton DL, Baar K. Pyruvate suppresses PGC-1α expression and substrate utilisation despite increased respiratory chain content in C2C12 myotubes. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2010 Apr 21. [Epub ahead of print]

Bayer ML, Yeung CY, Kadler KE, Qvortrup K, Baar K, Svensson RB, Magnusson SP, Krogsgaard M, Koch M, Kjaer M. The initiation of embryonic-like collagen fibrillogenesis by adult human tendon fibroblasts when cultured under tension. Biomaterials. 2010 Jun;31(18):4889-97.

Hulston, C.J., M.C. Venables, C.H. Mann, C. Martin, A. Philp, K. Baar, and A.E. Jeukendrup. Training with low muscle glycogen enhances adaptations in fat metabolism in well-trained cyclists. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 Mar 25. [Epub ahead of print]

Donnelly, K, A. Philp, A. Khodubukus, L. Deldicque and K. Baar. A novel bioreactor for stimulating skeletal muscle in vitro. Tissue Eng Part C Methods. 2009 Oct 6. [Epub ahead of print]

McPhee, JS, A.G. Williams, C. Stewart, K. Baar, J.P. Schindler, S. Aldred, N. Maffulli, A.J. Sargeant, and D.A. Jones The training stimulus experienced by the leg muscles during cycling in humans. Exp. Physiol. 2009 Jun;94(6):684-94.

Khodabukus, A., and K. Baar. Regulating Fibrinolysis to Engineer Skeletal Muscle from the C2C12 Cell Line. Tissue Eng Part C Methods. 2009 Sep;15(3):501-11.

MacKenzie, M.G., D.L. Hamilton, J.T. Murray, P.M. Taylor, and K. Baar. mVps34 is activated following high-resistance contractions. J Physiol. 2009 Jan 15;587(Pt 1):253-60.

Paxton, J.Z., K. Donnelly, R.P. Keatch, and K. Baar. Engineering the Bone-Ligament Interface Using Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate Incorporated with Hydroxyapatite. Tissue Eng Part A. 2009 Jun;15(6):1201-9.

Kapacee, Z., S.H. Richardson, Y. Lu, T. Starborg, D.F. Holmes, K. Baar, and K.E. Kadler. Tension is required for fibripositor formation. Matrix Biology, 2008 27:371–375.

McGee, S.L., K.J. Mustard, D.G. Hardie, and K. Baar. Normal Hypertrophy Accompanied by Phosphoryation and Activation of AMPK-α1 Following Overload in LKB1 Knockout Mice. J Physiol. 2008 Mar 15;586(6):1731-41.

Mackenzie M.G., D.L. Hamilton, J.T. Murray, and K. Baar. mVps34 is activated by an acute bout of resistance exercise. Biochem Soc Trans. 2007 Oct;35(Pt 5):1314-6.

Cuthbertson D.J., J. Babraj, G.P. Leese, K. Baar, K.J.W. Mustard, K. Smith, C. Sutherland, D.G. Hardie, and M.J. Rennie. AICAR acutely stimulates skeletal muscle glucose uptake in healthy men. Diabetes. 2007 Aug;56(8):2078-84.

Timmons J.A., K. Wennmalm, O. Larsson, T.B. Walden, T. Lassmann, N. Petrovic, D.L. Hamilton, R.E. Gimeno, C. Wahlestedt, K. Baar, J. Nedergaard, and B. Cannon. Myogenic gene expression signature establishes that brown and white adipocytes originate from distinct cell lineages. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Mar 13;104(11):4401-6.

Arruda E.M., K. Mundy, S. Calve,,and K. Baar. Denervation does not change the ratio of collagen I and collagen III mRNA in the extracellular matrix of muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Feb;292(2):R983-7.

Lockhart NC, Baar K, Mazzeo RS, Brooks SV. Activation of Akt as a potential mediator of adaptations that reduce muscle injury. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Jun;38(6):1058-64.

Arruda EM, Calve S, Dennis RG, Mundy K, Baar K. Regional variation of tibialis anterior tendon mechanics is lost following denervation. J Appl Physiol. 2006 Oct;101(4):1113-7.

Huang YC, Dennis RG, Baar K. Cultured slow vs. fast skeletal muscle cells differ in physiology and responsiveness to stimulation. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2006 Jul;291(1):C11-7.

Hecker, L., K. Baar, and K.N. Bitar. Development of a 3-Dimensional Physiological Model of the Internal Anal Sphincter Bioengineered in-vitro from Isolated Smooth Muscle Cells. Amer. J. Physiol.: Gastrointest Liver Physiol, 2005 Aug;289: G188-G196.

Baar, K., R. Birla, M.O. Boluyt, G.H. Borschel, E.M. Arruda, and R.G. Dennis. Heart muscle by design: self-organization of rat cardiac cells into contractile 3-D cardiac tissue. FASEB J. 2005 Feb;19(2):275-7.

Huang, Y-C, R.G. Dennis, and K. Baar. Rapid formation of functional muscle in vitro using fibrin gels. Feb 2005; 98: 706 - 713.

Calve, S.C., R.G. Dennis, P.E. Kosnik II, K. Baar, K. Grosh and E.M. Arruda. Engineering of functional tendon. Tissue Engineering 2004 10(5/6): p. 755-761.

Baar, K., Z. Song, C.F. Semenkovich, T.E. Jones, D.H. Han, L.A. Nolte, E.O. Ojuka, M. Chen, and J.O. Holloszy. Overexpression of nuclear respiratory factor 1 increases muscle glucose transport capacity. FASEB J. 2003 17(12): p. 1666-1673.

Jones, T.E., K. Baar, E. Ojuka, M. Chen, and J. O. Holloszy. Exercise induces an increase in muscle UCP3 as a component of the increase in mitochondrial biogenesis. Amer. J. Physiol. 2003, 284 (Endocrinol. Metab.): E96-E101.

Baar, K., A.R. Wende, T.E. Jones, M. Marison, L.A. Nolte, M. Chen, D.P. Kelly, and J.O. Holloszy. Adaptation of skeletal muscle to exercise: rapid increase in the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1. FASEB J. 2002 16: 1879-1886.

Chen, Y.W., G. Nader, K. Baar, M. Fedele, E.P. Hoffman, and K.A. Esser. Response of muscle to acute resistance exercise defined by transcriptional and translational profiling. J. of Physiol. 2002 Nov 15;545(Pt 1):27-41.

Baar, K., C. E. Torgan, W. E. Kraus, and K. A. Esser. Autocrine phosphorylation of the 70 KDa S6 protein kinase in response to acute stretch in C2C12 myotubes. Mol. Cell Biol. Res. Comm. 2001: 76-80.

Baar, K., and K. A. Esser. Activation of p70S6k correlates with skeletal muscle hypertrophy in the rat. Amer. J. Physiol. 1999, 276 (Cell Physiol. 45): C120-C127.