Bing Zhang

Bing Zhang

	Adjunct Assistant Professor Ph.D. Cornell University, 1995 bzhang@mail.utexas.edu Office PAT 227 (512) 232-7074 Neurobiology home page


The brain is like a super internet in which billions of neurons constantly ‘talk’ to each other in order to receive and process information. Most neuronal communications require a conversion of electric signals to chemical forms at a special contact point called synapse. This conversion, called chemical transmission, is generally thought to be important for all functions of the nervous system, including learning, memory and cognition. However, many aspects of the synapse are not yet fully understood. My students and I are interested in elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which synapse structure and function are regulated. We use the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as our experimental animal, since it has been serving as an excellent model genetic organism for studies of the nervous system in more complex animals and humans. Taking advantage of the rich genetic tools and resources available in the fruit fly, we study the function of molecules in the synapse by generating mutant flies through specifically deleting or mutating their genes. Following the identification of mutant flies, we characterize these mutants at the neuromuscular junction synapses by utilizing electrophysiology, cell biology, and molecular biology. The combination of these different experimental methods enables us to obtain a full picture about what had gone wrong in mutant flies and to derive the in vivo functions of the gene product. One area of our research is directed toward understanding synaptic vesicle recycling, which occurs following the release of transmitter at synaptic terminals. Currently, we focus on proteins such as two clathrin-assembly proteins, LAP, LQF, and Hip1 in regulation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in synaptic vesicle recycling and plasticity. Anther area of our research focuses on investigating the in vivo role of molecules involved in synaptogenesis and/or structural plasticity. Through a large scaled genetic screen (done collaboratively with Dr. Zipursky at HHMI/UCLA medical school), we have identified a number of mutant flies that are defective in phototaxis and synaptic transmission in the photoreceptor cells. These behavioral and electrophysiological defects indicate that synaptic connection and/or transmission are abnormal in these flies. Our goals are to examine how the mutation affects the growth and function of neuromuscular synapses and to identify the molecules required for normal functions. Fruit flies are cute little creatures that have made significant contributions towards understanding the basic as well clinical aspects of the nervous system in humans. Now, the Drosophila Genome Project has already revealed all of the genes in the fruit flies, there is no better time to ask what these gene products do in the synapse. We welcome you to embark on this exciting adventure in discovering the secret of the most complex and beautiful internet—the brain!

Selected Publications G. Marqués , T.E. Haerry , M. L. Crotty, M. Xue, B. Zhang, M. B. O'Connor (2003). Retrograde Gbb signaling through the BMP type 2 receptor Wishful Thinking regulates systemic FMRFa expression in Drosophila. Development 130: 5457-5470. M. Xue and B. Zhang (2002). Do SNARE proteins confer specificity for vesicle fusion? PNAS 99: 13359-13361. (invited commentary). B. Zhang and A. C. Zelhof (2002). Amphiphysins: Raising the BAR for synaptic vesicle recycling and membrane dynamics. Traffic 3:452-460. G. Marques, H. Bao, T. Haerry, P. Duchek, M. J. Shimell, B. Zhang, and M. B. O’Connor (2002). The Drosophila BMP type II receptor wishful thinking regulates neuromuscular synapse morphology and function. Neuron 33: 529-543. X. Chen, B. Zhang, J. A. Fischer (2002). A specific protein substrate for a deubiquitinating enzyme: liquid facets is the substrate of Fat facets. Genes and Development 16: 289-294. A. Zelhof, H. Bao, R. W. Hardy, A. Razzaq, B. Zhang, and C. Q. Doe (2001). Drosophila Amphiphysin is implicated in protein localization and membrane morphogenesis but not in endocytosis of synaptic vesicles. Development 128: 5005-5015. Y. Mao, J. Chen, J. A. Maynard, B. Zhang, and F. A. Quiocho (2001). A novel all helix fold of the AP180 amino-terminal domain for phosphoinositide binding and clathrin assembly in synaptic vesicle endocytosis. Cell 104: 433-440. B. Zhang and M. Ramaswami (1999). Synaptic vesicle endocytosis and recycling. In: Frontiers in Molecular Biology: Neurotransmitter Release, H. J. Bellen, ed. Oxford University Press, London. pp. 389-431. B. Zhang, B. Ganetzky, H. J. Bellen, and V. N. Murthy (1999). Tailoring uniform coats for synaptic vesicles endocytosis. Neuron 23: 419-422. B. Zhang, Y. H. Koh, R. B. Beckstead, V. Budnik, B. Ganetzky, and H. J. Bellen (1998). Synaptic vesicle size and number are regulated by a clathrin adaptor protein required for endocytosis. Neuron 21: 1465-1475.

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