Careers in Pathology

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Yuechueng Liu, PhD The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center 975 N.E. 10th Street BRC, Room 254A Oklahoma City, Oklahoma  73104 PHONE:  (405) 271-2336 E-MAIL:  Yuechueng Liu

TITLES

Associate Professor of Pathology

EDUCATION

Wuhan University
China
B.S. — Biochemistry (1982)

University of Miami
Miami, Florida
Ph.D. — Biochemistry/Molecular Biology (1988)

Research Interests/Sub-Specialty

• Neuronal signal transduction
• Axonal growth and regeneration
• Neurotransmitter release
• Neural degenerative diseases

Our laboratory is interested in the molecular basis of synaptic transmission in the nervous system. Many neurological disorders including depression and schizophrenia may involve changes in synaptic transmission. For instance, it has been suggested that excess dopaminergic transmission may contribute to the development of schizophrenia. The mechanism of how neurons release transmitters in response to stimuli is poorly understood. Several proteins in the synaptic terminals have been suggested to be important for the docking and fusion of the synaptic vesicles. It is hypothesized that these proteins form the core structure for synaptic vesicle fusion/docking. One of the synaptic proteins that we are currently studying is SNAP-25. We have prepared a number of mutant SNAP-25 and have introduced the mutant DNA clones into neuronal cells. The effect of the mutant SNAP-25 on neurotransmitter release will be studied in these cells. Another project in the laboratory is to identify novel proteins that may be complexed with SNAP-25. Several techniques such as immuno-affinity purification and chemical cross-linking are used to isolate the putative SNAP-25 associated proteins. We hope our work will provide new information regarding neurotransmitter release, and will eventually allow us to study the more complex synaptic transmission in the central nervous system.

PUBLICATIONS
Click links for abstracts

1. Xia Z, and Liu Y.  Reliable and global measurement of fluorescence resonance energy transfer using fluorescence microscopes.   Biophy. J.  2001; 81: 2395-2402.
2. Karvar S, Yao X, Duman JG, Hybiske K, Liu Y, and Forte JG.  Intracellular distribution and functional importance of vesicle-associated membrane protein-2 in gastric parietal cells.  Gastroenterol.  2002; 123: 281-290.
3. Xiao J, Zhou Q, and Liu Y.  A variant PC12 cell line that spontaneously differentiates and extends neuritic processes.  J. Neurosci. Res.  2002; 69: 104-109.
4. Karvar S, Yao X, Crothers JM, Liu Y, and Forte JG.  Localization and function of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein-25 and vesicle-associated membrane protein-2 in functioning gastric parietal cells.  J. Biol. Chem.  2002; 277: 50030-50035.
5. Xiao J, and Liu Y.  Differential roles of ERK and JNK in early and late stages of neuritogenesis, a study in a novel PC12 model system.  J. Neurochem. 2003 Sep;86(6):1516-23.
6. Xiao J, Xia Z, Pradhan A, Zhou Q, and Liu Y.  An immunochemical method that distinguishes free from complexed SNAP-25 in vivo.  J Neurosci Res. 2004 Jan 1;75(1):143-51.