Molly McCue

Assistant Professor 

Contact Information:
Phone: 612-624-9320
Email: mccu0173@umn.edu

225 Veterinary Medical Center
1365 Gortner Avenue
St. Paul, MN  55108

Website:
http://www.cvm.umn.edu/equinegenetics/home.html

Degrees
B.S. Agriculture, Kansas State University (1998)
D.V.M., Kansas State University (2000)
Internship, Large Animal, University of Georgia (2000-2001)
Residency, Equine Internal Medicine, Kansas State University (2001-2004)
M.S., Kansas State University, (2004)
Ph.D., University of Minnesota (2007)
Post-Doctoral, University of Minnesota (2007-2008)

Board Certification
Diplomate American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Large Animal

Research Interests

Our research group uses is to use the latest molecular genetics and genomics tools to study complex genetic disease, physiological variation and genetic diversity in equine populations. Our goals are to improve equine health through the understanding of complex genetic disease, allowing veterinarians to better predict, diagnose, and treat genetic disease, and to improve human health through the use of the horse as a biomedical model. We are working on a variety of diseases in horses including Equine Metabolic Syndrome, Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy, Recurrent Exertional Rhabdodyolysis, and melanoma susceptibility. We are also studying equine genetic diversity and the impact of selective breeding practices on equine health and disease susceptibility. For more information about our current projects please see the Equine Genetics and Genomics Laboratory website at: http://www.cvm.umn.edu/equinegenetics/home.html

Clinical Interests

• Neurologic, respiratory disease and genetic diseases of horses
• Clinical research focuses on the treatment and management of genetic diseases

Instructional Areas

• Problem Solving in Equine Medicine 
• Lectures in Advanced Equine I, II and III
• Large Animal Medicine Rotation

Current Funding

• Regulation of glycogen metabolism: Insights from novel genetic models, National Institutes of Health NAIMS
• Integrated Research and Extension Program for Equine Metabolic Syndrome and Shivers, USDA, 43.0 Animal Genome (A) Translational Animal Genomics
• Genetic analysis of glycogen storage diseases in Quarter Horses, American Quarter Horse Foundation
• Genetic determinants of melanoma susceptibility in gray horses, University of Minnesota Equine Center and Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station
• Genotype and Environmental Interaction in Equine Metabolic Syndrome, University of Minnesota Equine Center and Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station
• The epidemiology and genetic basis of equine metabolic syndrome and laminitis susceptibility in horses and ponies, Pfizer Animal Health-Morris Animal Foundation
• Influence of multiple genetic risk factors in Equine Recurrent Uveitis, Morris Animal Foundation
• Statistical Support for Comparative Genetics and Genomics, UMN-CVM Comparative Medicine Signature Program

Honors and Awards

• NIH Post-Doctoral Fellowship Comparative Medicine and Pathology, 2004-2007
• Comparative and Molecular Biosciences Travel Award, 2005, 2006
• Agnes Hansen Travel Award, Xi Chapter of Graduate Women in Science, 2006
• USDA-NRSP8 Equine Genome Workshop Travel Award, 2007
• Best Graduate Student Research Award University of Minnesota, 2007 
• University of Minnesota Doctoral Dissertation Fellow, 2007-2008
• University of Minnesota Women’s Leadership Institute, 2007-2008
• Morris Animal Foundation Fellow, 2007-2009
• USDA-NRSP8 Equine Genome Workshop Chair, 2011

Current Students

Nichol Schultz, DVM - Ph.D. (expected 2013)
Annette McCoy, DVM - Ph.D. (expected 2014)
Raffa Teixeira, DVM - M.S. (expected 2012)

Publications

For a listing of publications, refer to PubMed, a service provided by the National Library of Medicine, and Google Scholar.

1. ME McCue (Thomsen), EG Davis, BR Rush. Severe laminitis caused by exposure to black walnut shavings. Veterinary and Human Toxicology 2000:42(l) 8 11.
2. BR Rush, ES Raub, ME McCue (Thomsen), JE Hakala, CJ Matson. Pulmonary function and adrenal gland suppression with incremental doses of aerosolized beclomethasone dipropionate in horses with recurrent airway obstruction. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2000 1;217(3):359-64
3. McCue ME, Davis EG, Rush BR, Cox JH, Wilkerson MJ. Dexamethasone for treatment of multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease in a horse. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2003 Nov 1;223(9):1320-3, 1281.
4. Davis EG, McCue ME, Rush BR. Equine recumbency: defining the problem and establishing the differential diagnoses. Compend. Contin. Educ. Pract Vet. 26(1):67-77; 2004.
5. McCue ME, Davis EG, Rush BR. Diagnostic evaluation, clinical management and transport of the recumbent horse. Compend. Contin. Educ. Pract. Vet. 2004:26 (2)138-148.
6. Davis EG, McCue ME, Rush BR.Treatment and Supportive Care of Recumbent Horses. Compend. Contin. Educ. Pract. Vet. 2004:26 (3) 216-228.
7. Rush BR, Davis EG, McCue ME. Equine recumbency: Complications and Slinging. Compend. Contin. Educ. Pract. Vet. 2004: 26(4) 256-259.
8. McCue ME, Ribiero WP, Valberg SJ Prevalence of polysaccharide storage myopathy in horses with neuromuscular disorders. Equine Vet J 2006: 36 (S) 340-344.
9. Dranchak, PK, Leiper FC, Valberg SJ, Piercy RP, Carling DC, McCue, ME Mickelson JR. Biochemical and genetic evaluation of the role of AMP activated protein kinase in polysaccharide storage myopathy in Quarter Horses. Am J Vet Res 2007;68(10):1079-1084.
10. McCue, ME, Ribeiro WP,Valberg SJ. The prevalence of polysaccharide storage myopathy in Quarter Horses. J. Am Vet Med Assoc: 2007;231:746-50.
11. Hunt, LM, Valberg, SJ, Steffenhagen, K, McCue, ME. An Epidemiologic Study of Myopathies in Warmblood Horses. Equine Veterinary Journal. Mar 40(2): 171-7, 2008.
12. McCue, ME, Valberg, SJ, Miller, M, Wade, C, Mickelson , JR. Glycogen synthase 1 mutation causes a novel myopathy in horses. Genomics 91 (5): 458-466, 2008.
13. McCue, ME, Valberg, SJ and Mickelson JR. Glycogen synthase (GYS1) mutation in diverse breeds with Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2008, 22(5): 1228-1233.
14. Tryon RC, Penedo MC, McCue ME, Valberg SJ, Mickelson JR, Famula TR, Wagner ML, Jackson M, Hamilton MJ, Nooteboom S, Bannasch DL. Evaluation of allele frequencies of inherited disease genes in subgroups of American Quarter Horses. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2009 Jan 1;234(1):120-5.
15. Herszberg B, McCue ME, Larcher T, Mata X, Vaiman A, Chaffaux S, Chérel Y, Valberg SJ, Mickelson JR, Guérin G. A GYS1 gene mutation is highly associated with polysaccharide storage myopathy in Cob Normand draught horses. Anim Genet. 2009 Feb;40(1):94-6.16.
16. McCue ME, Valberg SJ, Jackson M, Borgia L, Lucio M, Mickelson JR. Polysaccharide storage myopathy phenotype in quarter horse-related breeds is modified by the presence of an RYR1 mutation. Neuromuscul Disord. 2009 Jan;19(1):37-43.
17. McCue, ME, Valberg, SJ, Pagan, J and Roe, C. Effect of Triheptanoin on Muscle Metabolism during Submaximal Exercise in Horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research 2009 Aug;70(8):1043-52.
18. McCue, ME, Armién, AG, Valberg, SJ, Lucio, M, Mickelson, JR. Comparative skeletal muscle histopathologic and ultrastructural features in two forms of Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy in horses. Vet Pathol. 2009 Nov;46(6):1281-91.
19. Stanley RL, McCue ME, Valberg SJ, Mickelson JR, Mayhew IG, McGowan C, Hahn CN, Patterson-Kane JC, Piercy RJ. A glycogen synthase 1 mutation associated with equine polysaccharide storage myopathy and exertional rhabdomyolysis occurs in a variety of UK breeds. Equine Vet J. 2009 Jul;41(6):597-601.
20. Borgia L, Valberg S, McCue ME, Pagan J and Roe C. The effect of dietary odd and even carbon fat on metabolic response and muscle damage with exercise in Quarter Horse-related breeds with Type 1 Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 2010 Mar;71(3):326-36.
21. ME McCue, SM Anderson, SJ Valberg, RJ Piercy, S Barakzai, MM Binns, O Distl, MCT Penedo, ML Wagner, JR Mickelson. Estimated prevalence of the Type 1 Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy mutation in selected North American and European breeds. Animal Genetics,in press
22. J.D. Baird, S.J. Valberg, S. M. Anderson, M.E. McCue, J.R. Mickelson. Presence of the Glycogen Synthase 1 (GYS1) mutation causing Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy in Continental European Draught horse breeds. Veterinary Record in press.
23. S. Lykkjen, N.I. Dolvik, M.E. McCue, A.K. Rendahl, J.R. Mickelson, K.H. Roed. Genome-wide association analysis of osteochondrosis of the tibotarsal joint in Norwegian Standardbred trotters, Animal Genetics, in press