Clavia Ruth Wooton-Kee

Clavia Ruth Wooton-Kee, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

(713) 798-0372

Email

wootenke@bcm.edu

Positions

Assistant Professor: Pediatrics
Nutrition
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Houston, TX, US

Faculty Senator: ��Ƶ of Medicine
Houston, Texas

Assistant Professor: Molecular and Cellular Biology - Secondary Appointment
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Assistant Professor: Pediatrics - Secondary Appointment
Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
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Addresses

Children's Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) (Lab): 1100 Bates
Office: 9070
Houston, TX, 77030
United States
Phone: (713) 798-0372
wootenke@bcm.edu

Education

BSc from Union College: 05/1996 - Barbourville, Kentucky, United States; Biology and Chemistry

MS from University of Louisville, School of Medicine: 12/1999 - Louisville, Kentucky, United States; Biochemistry

PhD from University of Kentucky, College of Medicine: 12/2008 - Lexington, Kentucky, United States; Toxicology

Professional Statement

The overall goal of my research program is to understand the role of nuclear receptors in hepatic metabolism and chronic liver disease. Our previous and current studies have utilized a mouse model for Wilson’s disease (Atp7b-/- mouse). Wilson’s disease results from mutations in the Atp7b transporter, which leads to excessive hepatic copper levels and progressive liver disease. Wilson’s disease patients and Atp7b-/- mice have profound mitochondria and nuclear ultrastructural changes that are likely due to copper induction of redox stress in the hepatocyte. Atp7b-/- mice also develop spontaneous hepatic nodules between 10-16 months of age. Our lab identified that excessive copper concentrations decreased metabolic nuclear receptor activity (FXR - farnesoid X receptor, HNF4a – hepatocyte nuclear factor, and LRH-1 – liver receptor homolog-1) in vivo and in Atp7b-/- mice (Wooton-Kee, et. al, JCI, 2015). We also found that Atp7b-/- mice exhibited reduced adiposity and hepatic steatosis and were more insulin sensitive compared with wild-type mice (Wooton-Kee, et. al, PNAS, 2020).
Our current projects aim to understand the mechanisms driving metabolic and hepatocellular changes in Atp7b-/- mice and whether ligand activation of nuclear receptors may lessen the hepatocellular dysfunction in Wilson’s disease. Future studies will address whether transcriptomic and proteomic signatures in Wilson’s disease overlap other chronic liver diseases.

Websites

Wooton-Kee Lab Website

Professional Development

Career Advancement Series: Workshop (Participant, 2017); Sponsor: ��Ƶ of Medicine

Selected Publications

Wooton-Kee CR, Yalamanchili HK, Mohamed I, Hassan M, Setchell KDR, Narvaez Rivas M, Coskun AK, Putluri V, Putluri N, Jalal P, Schilsky ML, Moore DD.. " " Hepatol Commun.. 2025 May 23;
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Suh JH, Cheon I, Jung HJ, Lee SH, Heo MJ, DeBerge M, Wooton-Kee CR, Kim KH.. " " Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab.. 2025 Jun 1;
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Wooton-Kee CR.. " " Pharmacol Ther.. 2023 Sep 22;
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Kim KH, Wooton-Kee CR.. " " 2023 Feb 15;
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Clavia Ruth Wooton-Kee, Ajay K. Jain, Martin Wagner, Michael A. Grusak, Milton J. Finegold, Svetlana Lutsenko, David D. Moore. " " Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2015 Sep 1; 125 (9) : 3449-60.
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3. Pankowicz FP, Barzi M, Kim KH, Legras X, Martins CS, Wooton-Kee CR, Lagor WR, Marini JC, Elsea SH, Bissig-Choisat B, Moore DD, Bissig KD.. " " ;
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Wagner M, Choi S, Panzitt K, Mamrosh JL, Lee JM, Zaufel A, Xiao R, Wooton-Kee R, Ståhlman M, Newgard CB, Borén J, Moore DD. " " Hepatology. 2015 Aug 12;
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Coy DJ, Wooton-Kee CR, Yan B, Sabeva NS, Su K, Graf GA, Vore M. " " Am J Physiol Gastrointestinal Liver Physiol. 2010 Apr 22; 299 (1) : 228-235.
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Antony Athippozhy, Huang L, Wooton-Kee CR, Zhao T, Jungsuwadee P, Stromberg AJ, and Vore, M. " " BMC Genomics. 2011 Feb 3; 12 (95)
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Wooton-Kee, C.R., Coy, D.J., Athippozhy, A.T., Jones, B.R., Zhao, T., and Vore, M. " " Hepatology. 2010 Jan ; 51 (1) : 277-285.
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Wooton-Kee, C.R., Cohen, D.E., and Vore, M.. " " Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2008 Feb 21; 294 : 1009-1016.
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Wood, M., Ananthanarayanan, M., Jones, B., Wooton-Kee, R., Hoffman, T., Suchy, F.J., and Vore, M. " " Molecular Pharmacology. 2005 Jul ; 68 (1) : 218-225.
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Wooton-Kee, C.R., Boyanovsky, B.B., Nasser, M.S., de Villiers, W.J.S., and Webb, N.R.. " Group V sPLA2 hydrolysis of low-density lipoprotein results in spontaneous particle aggregation and promotes macrophage foam cell formation. " Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Bi. 2004 ; 24 (4) : 762-767.
Tabb, A.L., Utsugi, T., Wooten-Kee, C.R., Sasaki, T., Edling, S.A., Gump, W., Kikuchi,Y., Ellis, S.R.. " Genes encoding ribosomal proteins Rps0A/B of Saccharomyces cerevisiae interact with TOM1 mutants defective in ribosome synthesis. " Genetics. 2001 ; 157 (3) : 1107-1116.
Wooton-Kee, C.R., Clark, B.J.. " Steroidogenic factor-1 influences protein-deoxyribonucleic acid interactions within the cyclic adenosine 3,5-monophosphate-responsive regions of the murine steroidogenic acute regulatory protein gene. " Endocrinology. 2000 ; 141 (4) : 1345-1355.
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Memberships

American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases

Texas Medical Digestive Disease Center

Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center

Funding

• Nuclear Receptor Dysfunction Reprograms Metabolism and Cellular Proliferation in Wilson's Disease #R01DK129579-01A1: (07/18/2022 - 05/31/2027); Grant funding from NIH/NIDDK

Unraveling the Complexities of Lactation: Exploring Gene-Variant Networks, Hypothalamic Regulation, and Metabolic Adaptations of the Liver-Gut Axis #3092-51000-062-03S: (10/01/2024 - 09/30/2027); Grant funding from USDA/CRIS

• Metabolic adaptations that occur during lactation #3092-51000-062-03S: (12/01/2021 - 12/31/2022); Grant funding from USDA/CRIS

Copper Disruption of Nuclear Receptors and Zinc Therapy #P30 DK056338: (02/28/2014 - 02/28/2015); Grant funding from Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center, NIH/NIDDK

Nuclear Receptors as Novel Therapeutic Targets for Wilson's Disease #1K01DK111716-01: (02/17/2017 - 01/31/2022); Grant funding from NIH/NIDDK; NIH K01 Career Development Award

Excessive Copper Levels Disrupt Hepatic Nuclear Receptor Function #F32 DK089689-01A1: (10/01/2010 - 10/31/2012); Grant funding from NIH/NIDDK; Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award for Individual Postdoctoral Fellow - F32 Award

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