Dr.
Stephanie Dew
Education
B.A., Centre College, 1989. Majored in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
PhD., Vanderbilt University, 1994. Biochemistry.
Research
The primary focus of my research is on the metabolism of vitamin A (or retinol-you can see its structure in the background) by channel catfish. Currently we are investigating whether catfish have the same types of vitamin A metabolizing enzymes that mammals have. One of the most important enzymes for processing vitamin A is lecithin:retinol acyltransferase or LRAT. This enzyme takes retinol and lecithin and moves a fatty acid from the lecithin onto the retinol, forming a retinyl ester. We have found this (or a similar) enzyme in catfish liver and are currently involved in determining whether it is LRAT. LRAT is also involved in the mammalian visual cycle, so a new project will involve investigating LRAT in the piscine eye.
