Fatty liver represents a significant metabolic pathology of high producing ruminants, which develops due to insufficient dietary energy druing late gestation and early lactation. In humans, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a rising global epidemic that typically develops with chronic excess caloric intake.

We established a nutritional model for fatty liver in sheep, which is based on a high-calorie carbohydrate-rich diet. This model enables systematic investigation of metabolic factors involved with fatty liver development, and offers a sensitive and well-controlled platform for pre-clinical testing of therapies of potential benefit to both ruminants and humans.

Research in the lab is focused on:

• Fatty Liver, pathophysiology and therapy development.
• Ketosis and preganancy toxemia sheep.
• Diabetes ketoacidosis.
  

Selected Publications

*corresponding author

1.    Kalyesubula, M., Mopuri, R., Rosov, A., Alon, T., Edery, N., Moallem, U., Dvir, H*. Hyperglycemia-stimulating diet induces liver steatosis in sheep (2020). Scientific Reports. 10, 1-12.

2.    Gulab C., Srivastava, D.A., Pandaranayaka, E.P.J., Manasherova, E., Prutzky, Dov., Elad, Y., Frenkel, O., Dvir, H. and Harel, A. Characterization of the role of a non-GPCR membrane bound CFEM protein in pathogenicity and germination in Botrytis cinerea (2020). Microorganisms 8(7): 1043.

3.       Ross , M., Obolensky, A., Averbukh, E., Ezra-Elia, R., Yamin, E., Honig, H., Dvir, H., Rosov, AT.,  Hauswirth, W.W., Gootwine, E.,  Banin, E., Ofri, R*. Evaluation of photoreceptor transduction efficacy of capsid-modified AAV vectors following intravitreal and subretinal delivery in sheep (2020). Human Gene Therapy. 31 (13-14), 719-729.

4.       Alon, T., Rosov, AT., Livshits, L., Dvir, H., Gootwine, E., Moallem, U. The distinctive short-term response of late-pregnant prolific ewes to propylene glycol or glycerol drenching (2020). Journal of Dairy Science. 103 (11), 10245-57.

5.       Kalyesubula, M., Rosov, A., Alon, T., Moallem, U., Dvir, H*. Intravenous infusions of glycerol versus propylene glycol for the regulation of negative energy balance in sheep: A randomized trial (2019). Animals. 9(10):731.

6.       Dvir, H*. Kornitzer, D*. CFEM Protein Csa2 (2018).  Encyclopedia of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry Online, John Wiley & Sons.

7.       Nasser, L. Weissman, Z. Pinsky, M. Amartely, A. Dvir, H*. and Kornitzer, D.*.  Heme-iron acquisition by fungal pathogens (2016). Nature Microbiology 12;1(11):16156.         

8.       Dvir, H*. Shah, M. Girardi, E. Guo, L^s. Farquhar, M.G and Zajonc, D.M. Atomic structure of the autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia phosphotyrosine-binding domain in complex with the LDL-receptor tail (2012). PNAS 109 (18) 6916-21.

9.       Dvir, H. Wang, J. Ly, N. Dascher, C.C. and Zajonc, D.M. Structural basis for lipid antigen recognition in avian immunity (2010). Journal of Immunology, 184 (5) 2504-11. Editor’s Highlight.

10.    Dvir, H. Harel, M. Bon, S. Liu W.Q. Garbay, C. Sussman, J.L. Massoulié, J. and Silman, I. The Synaptic Acetylcholinesterase Tetramer Assembles Around a Polyproline-II Helix (2004). EMBO Journal 23 (22) 4394-405.

11.    Dvir, H. Harel, M. McCarthy, A.H. Toker, L. Silman, I. Furterman, A.H. and Sussman, J.L. X-ray structure of human acid ?-glucosidase, the defective enzyme in Gaucher disease (2003). EMBO Reports 4 (7) 1-6.

12.    Prafulla, A. Dvir, H. Choe, S. and Slesinger, P.A. Evidence for a discrete alcohol pocket involved in GIRK channel activation (2009). Nature Neuroscience, 12 (8) 988-985.

13.    Dvir, H. Silman, I. Harel, M. Rosenberry, T and Sussman, J.L. Acetylcholinesterase: From 3D Structure to Function (2010). Chemico-Biological Interactions, 187 (1-3) 10-22.

14.    Dvir, H. Valera, E. and Choe, S. Structure of the MthK RCK in complex with cadmium (2010). Journal of Structural Biology, 171 (2) 231-7.

15.    Dvir, H. Wong, D.M. Harel, M. Barril, X. S. Orozc, M. Luque, F.J. Munoz-Torrero, D. Camps, P. Rosenberry, T.L. Silman, I. and Sussman, J.L. 3D structure of Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase complexed with Huprine X at 2.1 Å resolution: kinetic and molecular dynamic correlates (2002). Biochemistry 41 (9) 2970-81.

16.    Dvir, H. Jiang, H.L. Wong, M.D. Harel, M. Chetrit, M. He, X.C. Jin, G.Y. Yu, G.L. Tang, X.C. Silman, I. Bai, D.L. and Sussman, J.L. X-ray structures of Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase complexed with (+)-Huperzine A and (-)-Huperzine B: Structural evidence for an active site rearrangement (2002). Biochemistry 41 (35) 10810-8.

OPEN POSITIONS

• Postdoctoral position Liver Metabolism & Sheep Physiology.

• Postdoctoral position in Diabetic Sheep & Therapy.

• M.Sc. and Ph.D. positions in Fatty Liver Pathophysiology.