Werner G. Bergen

EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

SELECT HONORS AND AWARDS

RESEARCH

Regulation of lipid and protein metabolism in animals emphasizing nutrient-gene interactions and role of signal transduction mechanisms in lipid deposition and protein synthesis and turnover.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Genomic regulation of lipogenesis in porcine adipose tissue.
• Regulation of lipid and protein metabolism in beef cattle and pigs.
• Development of omic strategies to assess production efficiency of farm animals.
• Comparative/ differential expression of lipogenic and oxidative genes in pigs and cattle of divergent genetic backgrounds.
• Nutrient-gene interactions: Effects of specific nutrients on expression of target genes.

NOT TAKING ANY MORE STUDENTS

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

• Hausman GJ, WG Bergen, TD Etherton, SB Smith. 2018. The history of adipocyte and adipose tissue research in meat animals. Journal of animal science 96 (2), 473-486
• Bergen WG, TD Brandebourg. 2016. Regulation of lipid deposition in farm animals: Parallels between agriculture and human physiology Experimental Biology and Medicine 241 (12), 1272-1280
• Campos CF, MS Duarte, SEF Guimarães, LL Verardo, S Wei, M Du, Z Jiang, WG Bergen, GJ Hausman, M Fernyhough-Culver, E Albrecht, MV Dodson. 2016. Animal model and the current understanding of molecule dynamics of adipogenesis. animal 10 (6), 927-932
• Bergen WG. 2015. Small-intestinal or colonic microbiota as a potential amino acid source in animals. Amino Acids 47 (2), 251-258
• Bergen WG and G Wu. 2009. Intestinal nitrogen recycling and utilization in health and disease. J Nutrl139: 821-825.
• Hausman, G J, M. V. odson, K. Ajuwon, M. Azain, K.M. barnes, L. L. Guan, Z. Jiang, S.P. Poulus R.D. Sainz, S. Smith, M. Spurlock, J. Novakofski, M.E. Fernyhough, and W.G. Bergen. 2009.Board Invited Review: The biology and regulation of preadipocytes and adipocytes in meat animals J. Anim Sci. 87:1218-1246.
• Bergen, WG. 2008. Measuring in vivo intracellular protein degradation rates in animal systems. J. Anim. Sci. 2008. 86(E. Suppl.): E3 – E12
• Reiter, SS, CHC Halsey, BM Stronach, JL Bartosh, WF Owsley and WG Bergen. 2007. Lipid metabolism related gene-expression profiling in liver, skeletal muscle a adipose tissue in crossbred Duroc and Pietrain pigs. Comp. Biochem. Physiol, Part D, 2: 200-2007.
• Bergen, WG, and HJ Mersmann. 2005. Comparative Aspect of Lipid Metabolism: Impact on Contemporary Research and use of Animal Models, J Nutrition 135: 2499-2502.
• Bergen, W.G. 2001. The role of cylic AMP elevating agents and somatotropin in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of lipogenesis and lipolysis in bos taurus and sus scrofa. Recent Research Developments in Lipids 4: 47-59.
• Bergen, W.G. 1998. Anti-sense nucleic acids: potential impact in food producing animals. in: Blum, J.W., Elasasser T., Guilloteau, P. eds. Proc. Symp. on Growth in Ruminants. Bern, Switzerland. ISBN #3- 9521067-0-9, pp. 118-126.
• Mater, M.K., D. Pan, W.G. Bergen and D.B. Jump. 1998. Arachidonic acid inhibits lipogenic gene expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes through a prostanoid pathway. J. of Lipid Research 39:1327-1334.
• Bergen, W.G. and S.G. Velleman. 1995. Application of satellite cell research: models for post-differentiation regulation and development of applied molecular approaches to enhance muscle growth of meat animals. Basic and Applied Myology 5:81-85.
• Dickerson Weber, P.S., R.A. Merkel and W.G. Bergen. 1992. Adipogenic cell line TA1: A suitable model to study the effect of beta-adrenergic agonists on lipid metabolism. Proc. Soc. Expt. Biol. Med. 201:47-53.
• Bergen, W.G. and R.A. Merkel. 1991. Body composition in animals treated with partitioning agents: Implications for human health. FASEB J. 5:2951.
• Grant, A.L., W.G. Helferich, S.A. Kramer, R.A. Merkel and W.G. Bergen. 1991. Administration of growth hormone to pigs alters the relative abundance of IGF-1 mRNA in liver and skeletal muscle. J. Endocrinology 130:331.
• Anderson, P.T., W.G. Helferich, L.C. Parkhill, R.A. Merkel and W.G. Bergen. 1990. Ractopamine increases total and myofibrillar protein synthesis in cultured myotubes. J. Nutr. 120:1677.
• Bergen, W.G. and D.B. Bates. 1984. Ionophores: Their effect on production efficiency and mode of action. J. Anim. Sci. 58:1465. (Over 170 citations)
• Bergen, W.G. 1979. Free amino acids in the blood of ruminants-Physiological and nutritional regulation. J. Anim. Sci. 49:1577.
• Bergen, W.G. 1978. Postruminal digestion and absorption of nitrogenous components. Federation Proc. 37:1223. (Now FASEB J).