Education
B.S. 2010, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
M.S. 2013, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
Ph.D. 2019, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL
Professional Experience
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2020, Florida State University (Tim Megraw lab), Tallahassee, FL
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2020-2022, Baylor College of Medicine (Hugo Bellen lab), Houston, TX
Professor, 2022-Present, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Research Area
Our research is focused on genetic roots and mechanisms of neurological diseases, with a particular interest in cytoskeletal regulation in central nervous system. Autosomal recessive primary microcephaly and microcephalic primordial dwarfism are inherited brain disorders characterized by reduced cerebral cortex and small brain size due to deficiency of neural stem cell pool and mature neurons. Genetic loci map has so far revealed over 25 disease genes, notably, most of these genes encode proteins required for centrosome and spindle pole formation, indicating the critical roles of microtubule regulation in these neurological diseases. Our research will focus to understand the centrosomal and non-centrosomal microtubule organization in complex brain with heterogeneous cell types, where some mature cells have no or functionally inactive centrosomes.
Our laboratory is also interested in the cellular and molecular events occurring at the interface between nervous system and microvascular system. Brain is a highly vascularized organ with abundant capillary or microvessels. Microvasculature not only supplies brain with oxygen and nutrients, but also actively interacts with brain cell types and regulates their functions to maintain their health. For example, one key constituent of microvasculature, endothelial cells are the lining of microvessels and form tight junctions in blood-brain barrier to prevent the entry of harmful materials into brain parenchyma. Our research will focus to understand the normal crosstalk between neuronal/glia cells and microvascular cells, and further reveal how dysregulation of neural-vascular interface leads to neural injury and degeneration.
Selected Publications (*Corresponding author, #co-first author)
1. T. Zhou#, Y. Zheng#*, L. Sun, S.R. Badea, Y. Jin, Y. Liu, A. Rolfe, H. Sun, X. Wang, Z. Cheng, Z. Huang, N. Zhao, X. Sun, J. Li, J. Fan, C. Lee, T. L. Megraw, W. Wu, G. Wang*, Y. Ren*. Microvascular endothelial cells engulf myelin debris and promote macrophage recruitment and fibrosis after neural injury. Nature Neurosciences. 2019. 22(3):421-435. (#co-first authors, *co-corresponding authors)
2. Y. Zheng*, R.A. Buchwalter, C. Zheng, E. Wight, J.V, Chen, T. L. Megraw*. A perinuclear microtubule organizing centre controls nuclear positioning and basement membrane secretion. Nature Cell Biology. 2020. 22(3):297-309. (*co-corresponding authors)
3. Y. Zheng#, V. Mennella#, S. Marks, J. Wildonger, E. Elnagdi, D. Agard, T.L. Megraw. The Seckel syndrome and centrosomal protein Ninein localizes asymmetrically to stem cell centrosomes, but is not required for normal development, behavior, or DNA damage response in Drosophila. Mol Biol Cell. 2016. 27(11):1740-52. (#co-first authors)
4. Y. Zheng, J. Qiu, J. Hu, G. Wang. Concepts and hypothesis: Integrin cytoplasmic domain-associated protein-1 (icap-1) as a potential player in cerebral cavernous malformation. J Neurol. 2013, 260(1):10-9.
5. Mengqi Ma, Mythily Ganapathi, Yiming Zheng, Kai-Li Tan, Oguz Kanca , Kevin E. Bove, Norma Quintanilla, Sebnem O. Sag, Sehime G. Temel, Charles A. LeDuc, Amanda J. McPartland, Elaine M. Pereira, Yufeng Shen, Jacob Hagen, Christie P. Thomas, Nhu Thao Nguyen Galván, Xueyang Pan, Shenzhao Lu, Jill A. Rosenfeld, Daniel G. Calame…Hugo J. Bellen. Homozygous missense variants in YKT6 result in loss of function and are associated with developmental delay, with or without severe infantile liver disease and risk for hepatocellular carcinoma. Genetics in Medicine. 2024
6. Mengqi Ma, Xi Zhang, Yiming Zheng, Shenzhao Lu, Xueyang Pan, Xiao Mao, Hongling Pan, Hyung-Lok Chung, Hua Wang, Hong Guo, Hugo J Bellen. The fly homolog of SUPT16H, a gene associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, is required in a cell-autonomous fashion for cell survival. Hum Mol Genet. 2023;32(6):984-997
7. D. Sun#, Y. Zheng#, T. Yin, C. Tang, Q. Yu, G. Wang. Coronary drug-eluting stents: from design optimization to newer strategies. (review) J Biomed Mater Res A. 2014, 102(5):1625-40 (#co-first author).
