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Research Assistant Professor
of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Signal Transduction Pathways

URMC Labs
601 Elmwood Ave., Rm 1-2150
Rochester, NY 14642-8626
Tel: (585) 273-3904
Fax: (585) 756-4468

Yi_Zhang@urmc.rochester.edu

Dr. Zhang has studied the Wnt signaling pathway, first as a graduate student and then as a postdoctoral fellow at Yale. He is currently working with Dr. Archibald Perkins in a study of the mechanisms of EVI1 and its role in leukemogenesis.

Qualifications

Ph.D. Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore 2001
Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemical Genetics and Genomics, Yale University 2002-2004

Research Overview

Dr. Zhang's graduate work revealed a role for the Wnt regulator Axin in the regulation of Jun N-terminal kinase. As a postdoc, he discovered a connection between the anti-angiogenesis drug fumagillin and the Wnt signaling pathway, which both provided strong evidence for the role of the Wnt pathway in angiogenesis, as well as explained the role of the fumagillin target, MetAP2, in cellular growth control.

Publications

Zhang Y, Yeh JR, Mara A, Ju R, Hines JF, Cirone P, Griesbach HL, Schneider I, Slusarski DC, Holley SA, Crews CM. A chemical and genetic approach to the mode of action of fumagillin. Chem Biol. 2006 Sep;13(9):1001-9.

Yeh JR, Ju R, Brdlik CM, Zhang W, Zhang Y, Matyskiela ME, Shotwell JD, Crews CM. Targeted gene disruption of methionine aminopeptidase 2 results in an embryonic gastrulation defect and endothelial cell growth arrest. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jul 5;103(27):10379-84.

Cheung PY, Zhang Y, Long J, Lin S, Zhang M, Jiang Y, Wu Z. p51 (Glued), Dynein, and microtubules are specifically required for activation of MKK3/6 and p38 MAPKs. J Biol Chem. 2004 Oct 29;279(44):45308-11.

Zhang Y, Qiu WJ, Chan SC, Han J, He X, Lin SC. Casein kinase I and casein kinase II differentially regulate axin function in Wnt and JNK pathways. J Biol Chem. 2002 May 17;277(20):17706-12.

Rui HL, Fan E, Zhou H, Xu Z, Zhang Y, Lin SC. SUMO-1 modification of the carboxyl-terminal KVEKVD of Axin is required for JNK activation, but has no effect on Wnt signaling. J Biol Chem. 2002 Nov 8;277(45):42981-6.

Zhang Y, Qiu WJ, Liu DX, Neo SY, He X, Lin SC. Differential molecular assemblies underlie the dual function of Axin in modulating the WNT and JNK pathways. J Biol Chem. 2001 Aug 24;276(34):32152-9.

Zhang Y, Neo SY, Han J, Lin SC. Dimerization choices control the ability of axin and dishevelled to activate c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase. J Biol Chem. 2000 Aug 11;275(32):25008-14.

Neo SY, Zhang Y, Yaw LP, Li P, Lin SC. Axin-induced apoptosis depends on the extent of its JNK activation and its ability to down-regulate beta-catenin levels. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2000 May 27;272(1):144-50.

Fong CW, Zhang Y, Neo SY, Lin SC. Specific induction of RGS16 (regulator of G-protein signalling 16) mRNA by protein kinase C in CEM leukaemia cells is mediated via tumour necrosis factor alpha in a calcium-sensitive manner. Biochem J. 2000 Dec 15;352 Pt 3:747-53.

Zhang Y, Neo SY, Wang X, Han J, Lin SC. Axin forms a complex with MEKK1 and activates c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase through domains distinct from Wnt signaling. J Biol Chem. 1999 Dec 3;274(49):35247-54.

Zhang Y, Neo SY, Han J, Yaw LP, Lin SC. RGS16 attenuates galphaq-dependent p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation by platelet-activating factor. J Biol Chem. 1999 Jan 29;274(5):2851-7.

Zhang Y, Lin SC. Molecular characterization of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 promoter. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1997 Sep 12;1353(3):307-17.