Ashley Solmonson, Ph.D.

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My lab works on developmental metabolism and placental biology. We are interested in metabolic changes associated with pregnancy in adult/maternal systems and how the placenta supports the metabolic demands of fetal growth while meeting its own metabolic needs. We use metabolomics, in vivo stable isotope infusions and metabolic flux modeling to understand how adult, placental and fetal compartments use the nutrients that are available to them. We use primary cell culture of both mouse and human placental cells to understand how metabolism supports cell differentiation and function. We have a strong collaborative relationship with the UTSW OB/GYN department and division of Maternal Fetal Medicine to develop novel translational science approaches to improve the health and wellness of pregnant persons and their developing offspring.

My postdoctoral work in the lab of Ralph DeBerardinis at Children's Medical Center Research Institute focused on characterization of Lipoyltransferase I (LIPT1) deficiency. LIPT1 transfers lipoate, an essential co-factor, on to mitochondrial 2-ketoacid dehydrogenase enzymes like pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), alpha ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (αKGDH), branched chain ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKADH). These target enzymes of LIPT1 are critical to central carbon and energy metabolism and I have published a series of papers that have enlightened the impact of LIPT1 deficiency. We showed that LIPT1 deficiency alters the metabolic profile of patient plasma and fibroblasts and results in embryonic lethality in a mouse model. I developed methods to perform stable isotope tracing in pregnant mice to demonstrate LIPT1 dysfunction disrupts heart and brain development in the mouse consistent with what has been observed in patients. These techniques uncovered that the placenta and embryo use distinct strategies for energy production and biosynthesis, and fetal tissues display distinct metabolic phenotypes as early as day 11 indicating that metabolism may play a more mechanistic role in organogenesis.

I obtained my Ph.D. in 2016 from the University of Texas at Austin with a focus in Cell and Molecular Biology. Under the mentorship of Dr. Edward (Ted) Mills, my thesis was focused on understanding how mitochondrial uncoupling in skin cells could oppose both cancer and obesity in mice. I obtained my B.S. in 2007 from Sam Houston State University with a major in Biology and minor in Chemistry. 

Graduate School

(2024)

• Developmental Metabolism and Placental Biology

Featured Publications

Beyond energy and growth: the role of metabolism in developmental signaling, cell behavior and diapause.

Tippetts TS, Sieber MH, Solmonson A, Development 2023 Oct 150 20

In vivo isotope tracing reveals a requirement for the electron transport chain in glucose and glutamine metabolism by tumors.

Pachnis P, Wu Z, Faubert B, Tasdogan A, Gu W, Shelton S, Solmonson A, Rao AD, Kaushik AK, Rogers TJ, Ubellacker JM, LaVigne CA, Yang C, Ko B, Ramesh V, Sudderth J, Zacharias LG, Martin-Sandoval MS, Do D, Mathews TP, Zhao Z, Mishra P, Morrison SJ, DeBerardinis RJ, Sci Adv 2022 Sep 8 35 eabn9550

Compartmentalized metabolism supports midgestation mammalian development.

Solmonson A, Faubert B, Gu W, Rao A, Cowdin MA, Menendez-Montes I, Kelekar S, Rogers TJ, Pan C, Guevara G, Tarangelo A, Zacharias LG, Martin-Sandoval MS, Do D, Pachnis P, Dumesnil D, Mathews TP, Tasdogan A, Pham A, Cai L, Zhao Z, Ni M, Cleaver O, Sadek HA, Morrison SJ, DeBerardinis RJ, Nature 2022 04 604 7905 349-353

Mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis coordinates oxidative metabolism in mammalian mitochondria.

Nowinski SM, Solmonson A, Rusin SF, Maschek JA, Bensard CL, Fogarty S, Jeong MY, Lettlova S, Berg JA, Morgan JT, Ouyang Y, Naylor BC, Paulo JA, Funai K, Cox JE, Gygi SP, Winge DR, DeBerardinis RJ, Rutter J, Elife 2020 08 9

Metabolic reprogramming and cancer progression.

Faubert B, Solmonson A, DeBerardinis RJ, Science 2020 04 368 6487

Metabolic heterogeneity confers differences in melanoma metastatic potential.

Tasdogan A, Faubert B, Ramesh V, Ubellacker JM, Shen B, Solmonson A, Murphy MM, Gu Z, Gu W, Martin M, Kasitinon SY, Vandergriff T, Mathews TP, Zhao Z, Schadendorf D, DeBerardinis RJ, Morrison SJ, Nature 2020 01 577 7788 115-120

Functional Assessment of Lipoyltransferase-1 Deficiency in Cells, Mice, and Humans.

Ni M, Solmonson A, Pan C, Yang C, Li D, Notzon A, Cai L, Guevara G, Zacharias LG, Faubert B, Vu HS, Jiang L, Ko B, Morales NM, Pei J, Vale G, Rakheja D, Grishin NV, McDonald JG, Gotway GK, McNutt MC, Pascual JM, DeBerardinis RJ, Cell Rep 2019 04 27 5 1376-1386.e6

FDA approved drugs with antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2: From structure-based repurposing to host-specific mechanisms.

Ahmed MS, Farag AB, Boys IN, Wang P, Menendez-Montes I, Nguyen NUN, Eitson JL, Ohlson MB, Fan W, McDougal MB, Mar K, Thet S, Ortiz F, Kim SY, Solmonson A, Williams NS, Lemoff A, DeBerardinis RJ, Schoggins JW, Sadek HA, Biomed Pharmacother 2023 Jun 162 114614

Recessive pathogenic variants in MCAT cause combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency.

Webb BD, Nowinski SM, Solmonson A, Ganesh J, Rodenburg RJ, Leandro J, Evans A, Vu HS, Naidich TP, Gelb BD, DeBerardinis RJ, Rutter J, Houten SM, Elife 2023 Mar 12

Metabolic impact of pathogenic variants in the mitochondrial glutamyl-tRNA synthetase EARS2.

Ni M, Black LF, Pan C, Vu H, Pei J, Ko B, Cai L, Solmonson A, Yang C, Nugent KM, Grishin NV, Xing C, Roeder E, DeBerardinis RJ, J Inherit Metab Dis 2021 07 44 4 949-960

• Deans Discretionary Award
  https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/graduate-school/about-us/news-and-awards.html (2023-2023)