Zhihua Zou, Ph.D.Education• Bachelor of Medicine, First Military Medical University, China, 1980-1985•
硕士 of Science, First Military Medical University, China, 1985-1986• Doctor of
哲学, Osaka University, Japan, 1992-1997• Post-Doctoral Training, Harvard Medical School, 1997-2001 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
内角, 2002-2005Research InterestsWe use molecular genetic approaches to study neuronal organizational patterns in the central nervous system. The human brain contains more than 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion neuronal connections. Mental activities emerge from the biological properties of the nerve cells and of their patterns of Interconnection. Neurons with similar basic properties can play quite different roles because of the way they are connected with each other. A major focus of our lab is to use genetic neuronal markers and transneuronal tracers to investigate connectivity between brain neurons. Molecular genetic switches are then used to temporarily control the activity of identified neural circuits in order to understand their physiological functions. By these studies, we aim to understand how brain neurons are assembled into functional circuits, the relationship between different patterns of interconnection to different types of behavior, and how neurons and their connections change with experience.Identification of
泛函 neural circuitsTo understand the neural bases of behaviors, we developed a bi-cistronic construct that expresses a transneuronal
示踪剂 (barley lectin, BL) and a neuronal
马克笔 (GFP-tetanus
毒素 fragment C fusion protein, GFP-TTC). When expressed in neurons, GFP-TTC fills the entire neuronal compartment, including dendrites and axons, and BL serves as a retro- as well as anterograde transneuronal
示踪剂, allowing us to visualize the projections as well as the SynapticTargets of specific groups of brain neurons. We use gene targeting and viral vectors to deliver these genetic molecular markers to subsets of neurons with distinct molecular identity. Moreover, we also generated a gene targeted mouse line whereby the expression of a short-lived GFP is dependent on neural activity, hence labeling behaviorally relevant neural circuits. Another construct expresses an ivermectin (IVM)-gated
氯代十六烷 channel from C. elegans (IVM-GluCl). systematically administrating IVM reversibly suppresses excitability of neurons expressing IVM-GluCl, thus allowing us to investigate physiological functions of a particular neural circuit.Odor and
信息素 sensingAnimals, including
家蝇, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and wild
鼠科, rely heavily on odors and Pheromones for individual survival and
物种 extension. Understanding the unique odor and
信息素 components that are relevant to specific biological activities will not only allow for analysis of the neural circuits underlying olfactory behaviors but also provide AVENUES to
监察 the
种群 开本 of pests. We are studying the sensory neurons and receptors that are activated by specific olfactory behaviors, which will aid in the identification of the odor and
信息素 components. Meanwhile, we are also investigating how odor information is organized and processed in the brain to bring about specific odor perceptions and odor-evoked behavioral responses.We have developed a gene-targeted mouse line to label odor- or behaviorally-activated olfactory sensory neurons and bulb glomeruli by GFP, which will allow us to identify the relevant odorant receptors. Identification of behaviorally-activated receptors is a necessary step for studies to screen different odor fractions and individual odor components to reveal the identity of biologically significant olfactory stimuli, to dissect the roles of different olfactory sub-systems in regulating specific olfactory behaviors, and to characterize how signals from these receptors are routed in the brain to regulate distinct behaviors.A
Fundamental principle of sensory information coding is that sensory stimuli are first deconstructed into unitary neural signals in the periphery; progressive convergence of afferent inputs then generates cells with increasingly complex response properties. Each cell at a higher level surveys the activity of a
基团 of cells at a lower level. The olfactory system resembles other sensory systems in that each odorant receptor recognizes a specific structural feature in individual odor molecules and thus each odorant or odor mix is encoded by multiple different odorant receptors. As olfactory sensory neurons expressing the same type of receptor project axons to the same glomeruli in the olfactory bulb, each bulb glomerulus represents a single type of receptor and each odor is encoded by activity in a specific
组合 of glomeruli, inputs of which may be integrated in cortical neurons to reconstruct an odor image in the brain. We are systematically investigating how the olfactory bulb is mapped onto the various regions of the olfactory cortex. Meanwhile, we are also interested in the
泛函 implications of neurogenesis in the adult olfactory bulb and how odor information affects behaviors - such as fear, aggression and appetite.Neural and Metabolic
监察 of Food Intake and MetabolismAppetite and
新陈代谢 is tightly controlled by molecularly distinct subsets of neurons in the hypothalamus, which integrate neural (sensory, hedonic and cognitive) as well as hormonal signals to coordinate food intake and
能量 expenditure. We use viral vectors to express genetic markers and drug-controllable neuronal channels in specific groups of these neurons. These studies aim to map the neural circuits that stimulate or inhibit food intake and
新陈代谢, and to reveal novel targets for treatment of
肥胖症 and eating disorders. In addition, peripheral tissues secret a variety of hormones that stimulate or suppress appetite. The levels of these hormones fluctuate according to
能量 availability. We are studying the molecular mechanisms by
which peripheral tissues sense energy levels to
监察 the secretion of these hormones.
Recent PublicationsZou, Z. and Buck, L. Combinatorial Effects of Odorant Mixes in Olfactory Cortex. Science 311, 1477-1481, 2006Boehm, U., Zou, Z., and Buck, L. Feedback loops link odor and
信息素 信令 with
复制 细胞 123(4): 683-695, Nov. 18, 2005Zou, Z., Li, F., Buck, L. Odor maps in the olfactory cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102 (21), 7724-7729, 2005