Lynn B. Bailey, Ph.D.
Education
1975 Ph.D. Nutrition, Purdue University
1972 M.S. Nutrition, Clemson University
1970 B.S. Biology, Winthrop University
Research Interests
Dr. Bailey’s research program focuses on folate, a nutrient essential for one carbon metabolism including DNA synthesis and methylation. Folate’s link to birth defect prevention and chronic disease prevention spans the lifespan from the developing embryo to the aged providing the impetus for many of Dr. Bailey’s research investigations. Human metabolic studies conducted by her group have generated data that have been instrumental in establishing new dietary folate intake recommendations for individuals throughout the lifecycle including pregnant women. Studies designed to determine the role of folate in preventing specific birth defects have been conducted in women who have had infants with neural tube defects. Dr. Bailey’s research emphasis has expanded to include vitamin B12 which is linked metabolically to folate and essential for normal fetal growth and neurological function.
Nutrient-gene interactions affecting folate and vitamin B12 -related genes is a current focus of Dr. Bailey’s research. Genetic polymorphisms which are common mutations affecting folate and vitamin B12 metabolism have been linked to risk factors for birth defects and chronic disease in her research studies. Reports that increases in folate and/or vitamin B12 intake may ameliorate metabolic abnormalities associated with specific polymorphisms have been substantiated by research findings from Dr. Bailey’s controlled metabolic and population assessment studies.
Collaborative research with investigators at CDC and in China involves the evaluation of DNA methylation and folate status changes associated with folic acid supplementation in large-scale population intervention studies. The observed influence of genotype on DNA methylation and folate status response to folic acid intake provides a rationale for future investigations by Dr. Bailey and collaborators.
Classes Taught
HUN 4221: Nutrition and Metabolism
HUN 6331: Vitamins in Human Nutrition
Selected Publications
Book editor
Bailey LB. (editor) Folate in Health and Disease, Marcel Dekker, 1995 & 2nd ed. Taylor and Francis, Inc. (in press).
Journal papers
Bailey LB. The rise and fall of folate blood concentrations in the US emphasizes need to identify all sources of folic acid intake. Am J Clin Nutr 86: 528-30, 2007.
von Castel-Roberts K, Morkbak A, Nexo E, Edgemon CA, Maneval D R, Shuster J, Valentine JF, Kauwell GPA, Bailey LB. Holo-transcobalamin is an indicator of vitamin B12 absorption in healthy adults with adequate vitamin B12 status. Am J Clin Nutr 85: 1057-1061, 2007.
Bailey, LB and Berry RJ. Folic acid supplementation and the occurrence of congenital heart defects, orofacial clefts, miscarriage, and multiple births. Am J Clin Nutr 81:1213S-7S, 2005.
Von Castel-Dunwoody K, Kauwell GPA, Shelnutt KP, Vaughn JD, Griffin ER, Maneval DR, Theriaque DW, Bailey LB. Transcobalamin II 776C®G polymorphism negatively affects vitamin B12 metabolism and vitamin B12 status modulates the homocysteine response to the MTHFR 677C®T variant. Am J Clin Nutr 81: 1436-41, 2005
Shelnutt KP, Kauwell GPA, Gregory JF, Maneval DR, Quinlivan EP, Theriaque DW. Henderson GN, Bailey,LB. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677C®T polymorphism affects DNA methylation in response to controlled folate intake in young women. J Nutr Biochem 15 (9): 554-60, 2004.
Bailey LB. Folate, methyl-related nutrients, alcohol, and the MTHFR 677C®T polymorphism affects cancer risk: intake recommendations. J Nutr 133:3748-3753S, 2003.
Bailey, LB., Rampersaud GC, Kauwell GPA. Folic acid supplements and fortification affect the risk for NTDs, vascular disease and cancer: evolving science. J Nutr 133: 1961S-1968S, 2003.
Shelnutt KP, Kauwell GPA, Chapman C.M, Gregory JF, Maneval DR, Browdy AA, Theriaque DW, Bailey, LB. Folate status response to controlled folate intake is affected by the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677C®T polymorphism in young women. J Nutr 33: 4107-4111, 2003.
Wolfe, JM, Bailey, LB, Herrlinger-Garcia, K, Theriaque DW, Gregory J F, Kauwell GPA. Folate catabolite excretion is responsive to changes in dietary folate intake in elderly women. Am J Clin Nutr 77:919-923, 2003.
Bailey LB, Duhaney RL, Maneval DR, Kauwell, GPA, Quinlivan EP, Davis SR, Cuadras A, Hutson AD, Gregory JF. Vitamin B-12 status is inversely associated with plasma homocysteine in young women with C677T and/or A1298C MTHFR polymorphisms. J Nutr 132:1872-1878, 2002.
Caudill, MA, Bailey, LB, Gregory, JF. Consumption of the folate breakdown product para-aminobenzoylglutamate contributes minimally to urinary folate catabolite excretion in humans: investigation using [13C5]para-aminobenzoylglutamate. J Nutr 132: 2613-2616, 2002.
Kauwell, GPA., Wilsky, CE, Cerda, J, Herrlinger-Garcia, K, Huston A, Boddie, A, Bailey LB. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutation (C677T) negatively influences plasma homocysteine response to marginal folate intake in elderly women. Metabolism 49:1-6, 2000.
Rampersaud G, Kauwell GPA, Huston A, Bailey LB. Genomic DNA methylation decreases in response to moderate folate depletion in elderly women. Am J Clin Nutr 72: 998-1003, 2000.
Bailey, LB. New dietary folate intake standard for pregnant women. Am J Clin Nutr 71:1304S-7S, 2000.
Gregory JF, Caudill MA, Opalko J, Bailey, LB.Kinetics of folate turnover in pregnant women and nonpregnant controls during folic acid supplementation: stable-isotope labeling of plasma folate, urinary folate and folate catabolites shows subtle effect of pregnancy on turnover of folate pools. J Nutr 131:1928-1937, 2001.
Kauwell, GPA, Lipper,t BL, Wilsky, CE, Herrlinger-Garcia, K, Hutson, A, Theriaque, DW , Rampersaud, GC, Cerda, J, Bailey, LB. Folate status response to controlled dietary folate intake in elderly women. J Nutr 130:1584-1590, 2000.
Boddie, A, Dedlow R, Nackashi J, Opalko J, Kauwell G, Gregory J, Bailey, L. Folate absorption in women with a history of neural tube defect affected pregnancy. Am J Clin Nutr 72:154-8, 2000.
Bonnette, R E, Caudill, MA, Boddie, AM, Hutson, AD, Kauwell, GPA, Bailey, LB. Plasma homocysteine concentrations in pregnant and nonpregnant women with controlled folate intake. Obstet Gyncol 92: 167-170, 1998.
Caudill, M A, Cruz, AC, Gregory, JF, Hutson, AD, Bailey, LB. Folate status response to controlled folate intake in pregnant women. J Nutr 127: 2363-2370, 1997.
Caudill M A, Gregory, JF, Hutson, AD, Bailey, LB. Folate catabolism in pregnant and nonpregnant women with controlled folate intakes. J Nutr 128: 204-208, 1998.
O’Keefe, K, Bailey, LB, Gregory, JF, Cerda, JJ, Hofler, SA, and Davis, SA. Folate status response to controlled dietary folate intake in nonpregnant women. J Nutr 125: 2717-2725, 1995.
Contact Information
359 Food Science and Human Nutrition Building
P.O. BOX 110370
Newell Drive
University of Florida
Gainesville, Fl 32611-0370
Email: folate@ufl.edu
