Jian-Ying Wang
 

Jian-Ying Wang M.D., Ph.D.
Academic Title: Professor
Primary Appointment: Surgery
Secondary Appointments: Pathology
Administrative Title: Vice Chair
jwang@smail.umaryland.edu
Location: VAMC 5C-112
Phone: (410) 605-7000 ×5678

Personal History

Dr. Jian-Ying Wang, born Hua-Yin County, Shaanxi Province, PR China, finished his medical education at Sun Yat-Sen University School of Medicine in 1978, and earned his Ph.D degree at Peking (Beijing) University School of Medicine in 1986. Postdoctoral training followed at Kyoto Pharmaceutical University (Dr. Susumu Okabe’s lab), Japan, and University of Texas School of Medicine (Dr. Leonard R. Johnson’s lab), Houston, TX.

Dr. Wang was offered a position as an assistant professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, in 1994. He was promoted by 1998 to the position of associate professor with tenure and by 2002 to the position of professor. Since 2005, Dr. Wang has been appointed as an Associate Chair for Basic Research, Department of Surgery.

Dr. Wang is also an investigator of Medical Research Service, US Department of Veterans Affairs. He has been selected for an Honor Position as a Research Career Scientist, VA-Medical Research Service, since 2001.

Research Interests

My research focuses on understanding of the functions of cellular polyamines, especially their involvement in regulating gut mucosal repair, growth, and barrier function. The natural polyamines, including spermidine and spermine and their precursor putrescine, are organic cations found in all eukaryotic cells and the control of cellular polyamines is a central convergence point for multiple signaling pathways driving distinct cellular functions. Studies in my laboratory are to define the exact roles and mechanisms of polyamines and polyamine-regulated genes in gut epithelial cell renewal, apoptosis, migration, and cell-cell interaction.

Our research group has found that polyamines regulate expression of growth-promoting proteins (such as c-myc and c-jun) by activating their gene transcription but modulate growth-inhibiting genes (junD, ATF-2, NPM, and p53) through control of their mRNA stability and translation. We have recently focused on studies characterizing RNA-binding proteins (HuR, TIAR, and AUF1) and their interactions with the 3’-untranslated regions of target transcripts in the presence or absence of cellular polyamines.

Lab Techniques and Equipment

• Mucosal injury models in vivo as well as in vitro;
• Epithelial restitution in vitro;
• Measurements of paracellular permeability and barrier functions;
• Nuclear run-on transcription assays and gel shift assays;
• RNA-pull down assays;
• Polysome profile analysis;
• Transient (adenoviral system) and stable gene transfection;
• Promoter deletion, exchange, and point mutations and reporter gene assays;
• Fluorescence measurement of intracellular Ca2+ concentration

Lab Personnel:

• Dr. Jaladanki N. Rao - Assistant Professor
• Dr. Tongtong Zou - Instructor
• Dr. Lan Liu – Research Associate
• Ms. Elizabeth Zhang - Research Assistant
• Dr. Emily Bellavance - Surgical Resident
• Dr. Lan Xiao - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr. Tingxi Yu –Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Dr. Ying Xie - Postdoctoral research fellow
• Dr. Peng-Yuan Wang - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Ms. Xian Zhang –Visiting Student
• Ms. Xiao-Yu Zhu –Visiting Student

Publications

SELECTED RECENT PUBILCATIONS

Zhang HF, Rao JN, Guo X, Liu L, Zou T, Turner DJ, and Wang J-Y. Akt kinase activation blocks apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells by inhibiting caspase-3 after polyamine depletion. J Biol Chem 279:22539-22547, 2004.

Guo X, Rao JN, Liu L, Zou TT, Keledjian KM, Boneva D, Marasa BS, and Wang J-Y. Polyamines are necessary for synthesis and stability of occludin in intestinal epithelial cells. Am J Physiol 288: G1159-G1169, 2005.

Zou T, Mazan-Mamczarz K, Rao JN, Liu L, Marasa BS, Zhang AH, Xiao L, Gorospe M, and Wang J-Y. Polyamine depletion increases cytoplasmic levels of RNA-binding protein HuR leading to stabilization of nucleophosmin and p53 mRNAs. J Biol Chem 281:19387-19394, 2006.

Liu L, Guo X, Rao JN, Zou T, Marasa BS, Chen J, Greenspon J, Casero Jr RA, and Wang J-Y. Polyamine-modulated c-Myc expression in normal intestinal epithelial cells regulates p21Cip1 transcription through a proximal promoter region. Biochem J 398:257-267, 2006.

Rao JN, Liu L, Zou T, Marasa BS, Boneva D, Wang SR, Malone DL, Turner DJ, and Wang J-Y. Polyamines are required for phospholipase-Cγ1 expression promoting intestinal epithelial restitution after wounding. Am J Physiol 292:G335-G343, 2007.

Zhang AH, Rao JN, Zou T, Liu L, Marasa BS, Xiao L, Chen J, Turner DJ, and Wang J-Y. p53-Dependent NDRG1 expression induces inhibition of intestinal epithelial cell proliferation but not apoptosis following polyamine depletion. Am J Physiol 293:C379-C389, 2007.

Xiao L, Rao JN, Zou T, Liu L, Marasa BS, Chen J, Turner DJ, Zhou H, Gorospe M, and Wang J-Y. Polyamines regulate the stability of activating transcriotion factor-2 mRNA through RNA-binding protein HuR in intestinal epithelial cells. Mol Biol Cell 18:4579-4590, 2007.

Zou T, Liu L, Rao JN, Marasa BS, Chen J, Xiao L, Zhou H, Gorospe M, and Wang J-Y. Polyamines modulate the subcellular localization of RNA-binding protein HuR through AMP-activated protein kinase-regulated phosphorylation and acetylation of importin α1. Biochem J 409:389-398, 2008.


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