Tao Wang, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, TIMBR, Associate Investigator, NIBS, Beijing, China

Education

2006    Ph. D.,Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University,Baltimore, MD, USA

2000    M.S.,Biochemistry Department, Peking University, Beijing, P. R. China

1997    B.S.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. China

Experience

2018-    Associate Professor, TIMBR, Associate Investigator, NIBS, Beijing, China

2012-2018    Associate Professor, TIMBR, Associate Investigator, NIBS, Beijing, China

2007-2011    Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Basic Science Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA

2006-2007    Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA

Research

Cancer and Neurodegenerative diseases are two most clinically problematic classes of disease impacting the world's aging populations. Although there are apparently opposite phenotypes between cancer cells and degenerated neurons, common molecular mechanisms might be involved in dysregulated cancer cell growth and the progression of neurodegenerative disease. Our laboratory is usingDrosophilasystem to study the basic molecular mechanisms and crosstalk of cell growth and neurodegenerative cell death. The ultimate goal of research is to help cure both diseases. Specifically, research will focus on the following areas:

1. Organisms are able to respond appropriately to nutrient flux to increase their size and cell number so called ‘growth’. Problems in growth process lead to lots of severe diseases, for example, cancer can be considered overgrowth of cells. The Target of Rapamycin (TOR) has central roles in controlling growth of cells, tissues and organisms by generation of TOR complex 1 (TORC1) and TOR complex 2 (TORC2). We are using genetic system to learn the basic mechanisms of TORC1 in response of stress, upstream signals and downstream targets of TORC2 in the cell growth pathway, and the mechanisms of TOR’s effect on aging. The ultimate goal of our lab is to establish an entire network of TOR in response of nutrition, growth factors, hormones and stress.

2. In metazoans, the coupling of cell growth and cell death together controls the tissue homeostasis. Understanding neurodegenerative diseases not only benefits cell death related diseases, but also arises the treatment option for growth related diseases such as cancer. In our lab, we are usingDrosophilamodel to study the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases especially Parkinson's disease (PD). We are trying to identify the upstream signal of Pink1 and downstream targets of Parkin in mitophagy pathway; understand the genetic interaction between major PD associated genes, Pink1, Parkin, DJ-1 and LRRK; screen for suppressors of PD animals. In the end, the therapies or drug targets of PD might be presented.

Publications

1. Xie J., Han Y. andWang T.*2021. RACK1 modulates polyglutamine-induced neurodegeneration by promoting ERK degradation in Drosophila.PLoS Genet. 17(5):e1009558.

2. Han Y., Zhuang N. andWang T.*2021. Roles of PINK1 in regulation of systemic growth inhibition induced by mutations of PTEN in Drosophila.Cell Reports. 34(12):108875(cover article).

3. Xu J., Zhao H. andWang T.*2020. Suppression of retinal degeneration by two novel ERAD ubiquitin E3 ligases SORDD1/2 in Drosophila.PLoS Genet. 16(11):e1009172.

4. Zhao H. andWang T.*2020. PE homeostasis rebalanced through mitochondria-ER lipid exchange prevents retinal degeneration in Drosophila.PLoS Genet. 16(10):e1009070.

5. Xiong L., Zhang L., Yang Y., Li N., Lai W., Wang F., Zhu X. andWang T.*. 2020. ER complex proteins are required for rhodopsin biosynthesis and photoreceptor survival in Drosophila and mice. Cell Death Differ.27(2): 646-661.

6. Xu Y. andWang T.*2019. LOVIT Is a Putative Vesicular Histamine Transporter Required in Drosophila for Vision.Cell Rep. 27(5):1327-1333.

7. Zhao H., Wang J. andWang T.*2018. The V-ATPase V1 subunit A1 Is required for rhodopsin anterograde trafficking inDrosophila.Mol. Biol. Cell. 29(13):1640-1651.(cover article).

8. Ren S., Huang Z., Jiang Y. andWang T.*2018. dTBC1D7 regulates systemic growth independently of TSC through insulin signaling.J. Cell Biol.217(2):517-526.

9. Han Y., Xiong L., Xu Y., Tian T. andWang T.*2017. The β-alanine transporter BalaT is required for visual neurotransmission inDrosophila.Elife.6:e29146.

10. Zhuang N., Li L., Chen S. andWang T.*2016.PINK1-dependent phosphorylation of PINK1 and Parkin is essential for mitochondrial quality control.Cell Death Dis.7(12):e2501.

11. Huang Z., Ren S., Jiang Y. andWang T.*2016. PINK1 and Parkin cooperatively protect neurons against constitutively active TRP channel-induced retinal degeneration inDrosophila.Cell Death Dis.7:e2179

12. Xu Y. andWang T.*2016. CULD is required for rhodopsin and TRPL channel endocytic trafficking and survival of photoreceptor cells.J Cell Sci. 15;129(2):394-405.

13. Xu Y., An F., Borycz J.A., Borycz J., Meinertzhagen I.A. andWang T.*2015. Histamine Recycling Is Mediated by CarT, a Carcinine Transporter inDrosophilaPhotoreceptors.PLoS Genet. 11(12):e1005764.

14. Kuo Y., Hang H., Cai T. andWang T.*2015. Target of Rapamycin Complex 2 regulates cell growth via Myc inDrosophila.Sci. Rep.5:10339.

15. Huang Y., Xie J. andWang T.*2015. A Fluorescence-Based Genetic Screen to Study Retinal Degeneration inDrosophila.PLoS One. 10(12):e0144925.

16. Wu K., Liu J., Zhuang N. andWang T.*2014. UCP4A protects against mitochondrial dysfunction and degeneration in pink1/parkin models of Parkinson's disease.FASEB Journal.28(12):5111-21

17. Kuo Y., Ren S., Lao U., Edgar B.A., Wang T.* 2013. Suppression of polyglutamine protein toxicity by co-expression of a heat-shock protein 40 and a heat-shock protein 110.Cell Death Dis. 3;4:e833.

18.Wang T.*,Blumhagen R., Lao U. Kuo Y. and Edgar B.A. 2012. LST8 regulates cell growth via Target-of-Rapamycin Complex2.Mol. Cell. Biol. 32(12):2203-2213 (cover article).

19. Wang T., WangX., Ni J., Von Lintig J. and Montell C.* 2012. TheDrosophilavisual cycle andde novochromophore synthesis depends onrdhB.J Neurosci.32: 3485-3491.

20.Wang X.,Wang T., Jiao Y., Von Lintig J. and Montell C.* 2010. Requirement for an Enzymatic Visual Cycle inDrosophila.Curr. Biol. 20:93-102 (equal contribution of first two authors)

21. Wang T.* and Edgar B.A.* 2010. TOR signaling and cell death. The Enzymes.28: 217-244 (Book Chapter)

22. Wang T., Lao U. and Edgar B.A. 2009. TOR-mediated autophagy regulates cell death inDrosophilaneurodegenerative disease.J. Cell Biol.186: 703-711

23.Wang T., Wang X., Xie Q. and Montell C.* 2008. The SOCS box protein STOPS is required for phototransduction through its effects on phospholipase C.Neuron.57,56-68(Cover article).

24. Liu Z., Wang X., Yu Y., Li X., Wang T., Jiang H., Ren Q., Jiao Y., Sawa A., Moran T., Ross CA., Montell C. and Smith W.W.* 2008. ADrosophilamodel for LRRK2-linked parkinsonism.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 105, 2693-2698

25.Wang T.and Montell C.* 2007. Phototransduction and retinal degeneration inDrosophila.Pflugers Arch.454, 821-847. (review)

26.Liu C-H.Wang T.Postma M. Obukhov A.G. Montell C. and Hardie R.C.* 2007.In vivoidentification and manipulation of the Ca²⁺selectivity filter in theDrosophilaTRP channel.J Neurosci.27,604-615(equal contribution of first two authors).

27.Wang T., Jiao Y. and Montell C.* 2007. Dissection of the pathway required for generation of vitamin A and forDrosophilaphototransduction.J Cell Biol.177,305-316.

28.Wang T.and Montell C.* 2006. A PI Synthase Required for a Sustained Light Response.J Neurosci.26,12816-12825.

29.Wang T., Jiao Y. and Montell C.* 2005. Dissecting independent channel and scaffolding roles of theDrosophilaTRP channel.J. Cell Biol.171, 685-694.

30.Wang T.and Montell C.* 2005. Rhodopsin formation inDrosophilais dependent on the PINTA retinoid binding protein.J. Neurosci.25, 5187-5194 (Cover article).

31.Wang T., Xu H., Oberwinkler J., Gu Y., Hardie R.C. and Montell C.* 2005. Light-activation, adaptation and cell survival functions of the Na⁺/Ca²⁺exchanger, CalXNeuron45, 367-378.