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Yan Zou, PhDAssociate Professor

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Email: zouyan@shanghaitech.edu.cn

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Principal investigator

Name:

Yan ZouAssociate Professor , PhD, Associate Professor

Position:

Affiliation:

School of Life Science and Technology

Honor:

Education Background:
  • 1996/09-2000/07, Nanchang University, B.S.
  • 2000/09-2003/07, Nanchang University, M.S.
  • 2003/07-2007/07, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ph.D.
Working Experience:
  • 2007/07-2007/12, National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, Postdoctoral Fellow
  • 2008/07-2014/04, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Research Associate
  • 2014/04-2023/11, ShanghaiTech University, Assistant Professor (TENURE-TRACK)
  • 2023/11-Now, ShanghaiTech University, Associate Professor (TENURED)

Group Introduction

Research Area:
Neurobiology
Research Interests:

We are interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying the complex pattern of neuronal wiring during development and regeneration after injury. Precise assembly of neuronal circuits is critical for proper functions of the nervous system, such as perception, memory and the control of movement. The complex patterns of neuronal wiring in the nervous system are regulated in the precise direction at the appropriate time. The mechanisms underlying precise regulations of neuronal assembly may provide therapeutic targets for developing strategies to treat brain disorders and spinal cord injuries.

Group Website:

Research Achievement

1. Neuronal patterning is the anatomical basis for the proper functioning of the nervous system. Through a forward genetic screen using the powerful model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, we identify CATP-8 as a a key regulator of biogenesis of transmembrane receptor or secreted morphogen for dendrite branching, neuronal migration and axon guidance (Cell Reports 2020, Star Protocol 2021). CATP-8 is a very conserved P type ATPase transporter, but little is known about its transport mechanisms and physiological functions. Our results suggest that CATP-8 controls the translocation of client proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum through their signal sequences (Cell Reports 2021, Star Protocol 2022). These findings reveal novel physiological roles of P5A ATPase in neural development by supporting an important general process of protein translocation in the ER (FEBS Journal 2021).

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2. Proper wiring of neural circuits is essential for the normal development and function of our brain. Neuronal wiring is regulated by multi-layers of molecular mechanisms and involves sequential events, from neuronal migration, neurite extension to the correct targets, to docking of the dendritic terminal at the appropriate synaptic sites. The transition of these events requires precise timing and positioning mechanisms, which are only partly understood. Our work identifies microRNAs, for example let-7 (Science 2013), lin-4 (Science Signaling 2012) and mir-27a (Communications Biology 2022), as precise regulators of proper neuronal connectivity in forming functional circuits. These microRNAs are highly similar between worms and humans. Thus, our findings will provide better understanding of human brain and therapeutic targets for treating neurological disorders.

Representative Publications (*First Author, # Corresponding Author)

Monograph

Xiajing Tong, Yan Zou. Cell adhesion molecules (Book Chapter), Advances in membrane proteins. Springer, 2019.

Patent

Funding

Awards

Research Achievement

Group Member and Photo



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