Adjunct Assistant Professor
USDA-ARS-WHNRC Scientist (Research Physiologist)
Department of Nutrition
Office: 212 WHNRC
Phone: (530) 754-4417
e-mail: sean.h.adams@ars.usda.gov

Ph.D., Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
M.S., Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz
B.A., Biology, California State University, Fresno


Dr. Adams investigates the etiology of obesity and related metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Research efforts explore which molecular markers and endocrine factors correlate with indices of metabolic health in human nutritional studies and in animal models of obesity, with a primary focus on fat cell physiology. For example, the lab is characterizing the biology of unique genes thought to be involved with fatty acid metabolism, new fat growth (adipogenesis), and inflammatory profiles in adipose tissue. A breadth of approaches such as molecular biology, cell culture approaches, and whole-organism physiology are integrated to address problems, with the overriding goal to generate information useful for understanding human diseases associated with energy imbalance.

Adams, S.H. and D.P. Costa. Water conservation and protein metabolism in northern elephant seal pups during the postweaning fast. J. Comp. Physiol. B 1993;163:367-373.

Adams, S.H. and J. Odle. Plasma β-hydroxybutyrate after octanoate challenge: attenuated ketogenic capacity in neonatal swine. Am. J. Physiol. Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 1993;265:R761-R765.

Patterson-Buckendahl, P., S.H. Adams, R. Morales, W.S.S. Jee, C.E. Cann, and C.L. Ortiz. Skeletal development in newborn and weanling northern elephant seals. Am. J. Physiol. Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 1994;267: R726-R734.

Odle, J., T.A.T.G. van Kempen, J.K. Drackley, and S.H. Adams. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase modulation of hepatic fatty acid metabolism and radio-HPLC evidence for low ketogenesis in neonatal pigs. J. Nutr. 1995;125:2541-2549.

Tetrick, M.A., S.H. Adams, J. Odle, and N.J. Benevenga. Contribution of D-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate to the energy expenditure of neonatal pigs. J. Nutr. 1995;125:264-272.

Ortiz, R.M., S.H. Adams, D.P. Costa, and C.L. Ortiz. Plasma vasopressin levels and water conservation in fasting, postweaned northern elephant seal pups (Mirounga angustirostris). Marine Mammal Sci. 1996;12:99-106.

Lin, X., S.H. Adams, and J. Odle. Acetate represents a major product of heptanoate and octanoate β-oxidation in hepatocytes isolated from neonatal piglets. Biochem. J. 1996;318:235-240.

Adams, S.H., C. Sampaio Alho, G. Asins, F.G. Hegardt, and P.F. Marrero. Gene expression of mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase in a poorly ketogenic mammal: effect of starvation during the neonatal period of the piglet. Biochem. J. 1997;324:65-73.

Adams, S.H., X. Lin, X.X. Yu, J. Odle, and J.K. Drackley. Hepatic fatty acid metabolism in pigs and rats: major differences in endproducts, O2 uptake, and β-oxidation. Am. J. Physiol. Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 1997;272:R1641-R1646.

Adams, S.H., V. Esser, N.F. Brown, N.H. Ing, L . Johnson, D.W. Foster, and J.D. McGarry. Expression and possible role of muscle-type carnitine palmitoyltransferase I during sperm development in the rat. Biol. of Reprod. 1998;59:1399-1405.

Adams, S.H. and J. Odle. Acetogenesis does not replace ketogenesis in fasting piglets infused with hexanoate. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 1998;274:E963-E970.

Mao, W., X.X. Yu, A. Zhong, W. Li, J. Brush, S.W. Sherwood, S.H. Adams, and G. Pan. UCP4, a novel brain-specific mitochondrial protein that reduces membrane potential in mammalian cells. FEBS Letters 1999;443: 326-330.

Adams, S.H. Uncoupling protein homologs: emerging views of physiological function. Invited Review for Recent Advances in Nutritional Sciences, J. Nutr. 2000;130:711-714.

Yu, X.X., J.L. Barger, B.B. Boyer, M.D. Brand, G. Pan, and S.H. Adams. Impact of endotoxin on UCP homolog mRNA abundance, thermoregulation, & mitochondrial proton leak kinetics. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 2000;279:E433-E446.

2000 Yu, X.X., W. Mao, A. Zhong, P. Schow, J. Brush, S.W. Sherwood, S.H. Adams, and G. Pan. Characterization novel UCP5/BMCP1 isoforms and differential regulation of UCP4 and UCP5 expression through dietary or temperature manipulation. FASEB J. 2000;14:1611-1618.

Adams, S.H., C. Chui., S.L. Schilbach, X.X. Yu, A.D. Goddard, J.C. Grimaldi, J. Lee, P. Dowd, S. Colman, & D.A. Lewin. BFIT, a unique acyl-CoA thioesterase induced in thermogenic brown adipose tissue. Cloning, organization of the human gene, & assessment of a potential link to obesity. Biochem. J. 2001;360:135-142.

Adams, S.H., G. Pan, & X.X. Yu. Perspectives on the biology of UCP homologues. Invited contribution for Biochem. Soc. Transactions 2001;29(6): 798-802.

Yu, X.X., D.A. Lewin, A. Zhong, J. Brush, P.W. Schow, S.W. Sherwood, G. Pan, & S.H. Adams. Overexpression of the human 2-oxoglutarate carrier lowers mitochondrial membrane potential in HEK-293 cells: contrast with the unique cold-induced mitochondrial carrier CGI-69. Biochem. J. 2001;353: 369-375.

Yu, X.X., D.A. Lewin, W. Forrest, & S.H. Adams. Cold elicits the simultaneous induction of fatty acid synthesis & β-oxidation in rodent brown adipose tissue. Prediction from differential gene expression & confirmation in vivo. FASEB J. 2002;16:155-168.

Fu, L., L. John, S.H. Adams, X.X. Yu, E. Tomlinson, M. Renz, P.M. Williams, R. Soriano, R. Corpuz, M. Moffat, R. Vandlen, L. Simmons, J. Foster, J-P. Stephan, S.P. Tsai, and T.A. Stewart. Fibroblast growth factor 19 increases metabolic rate and reverses dietary and leptin deficient diabetes. Endocrinology, 2004;145:2594-2603.

S.H. Adams, Wesley B. Won, S.E. Schonhoff, A.B. Leiter, and J.R. Paterniti, Jr. Effects of PYY[3-36] on short-term food intake in mice are not affected by prevailing plasma ghrelin levels. Endocrinology, 2004;145:4967-4975.

G. Perdomo, S.R. Cummerford, S.H. Adams, R.M. O’Doherty, and N.F. Brown. Increased Beta-oxidation in muscle cells enhances insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism and protects against fatty acid induced insulin resistance despite intramyocellular lipid accumulation. J. Biol. Chem., 2004;279:27177-27186.

S. H. Adams, C. Lei, C.M. Jodka, S.E. Nikoulina, J.A. Hoyt, B. Gedulin, C.M. Mack, and E.S. Kendall. PYY[3-36] administration decreases the respiratory quotient and reduces adiposity in diet-induced obese mice. J. Nutrition, 136: 195-201, 2006.

Adams, S.H., D.P. Costa, & S.C. Winter. Plasma carnitine in fasting neonatal and adult northern elephant seals. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 1992;263:E570-E574.

Oort PJ, Warden CH, Baumann TK, Knotts TA, Adams SH. Characterization of Tusc5, an adipocyte gene co-expressed in peripheral neurons. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2007 Jul 1; [Epub ahead of print]