Yi Rao, Ph.D. - Scientists&Research - 北京生命科学研究所

Yi Rao, Ph.D.

Investigator , NIBS, Beijing, China

Peking University Chair

Professor Dean, Peking University School of Life Sciences

Phone：010-80726672;80726688-8368

Fax： 010-80726673

E-mail：yrao@pku.edu.cn

Education

1978-1983	Jiangxi Medical College, China
1983-1985	MS Student, Shanghai Medical University
1985-1991	Ph. D. in Neuroscience, University of California at San Francisco, USA
1991-1994	Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,Harvard University

Professional Experience

2008-Present	Investigator, National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
2007-Present	Dean, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Peking University Chair Professor
2004-2008	Investigator and Deputy Director for Academic Affairs, National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
2004-2007	Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and Associate Director of Northwestern University Institute for Neuroscience, USA
1994-2004	Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Neurobiology in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, USA
1991-1994	Postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Douglas Melton in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harvard University, USA

Research Description

We are interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of social behaviors.

Social behaviors are those initiated by one animal directed towards another animal of the same species, ranging from social interactions in animals to social relationships, politics and war in humans.

We use multidisciplinary approaches, integrating molecular biology, genetics, neurobiology, chemistry, modern imaging and electrophysiology, to study important and basic social behaviors.

Our models are Drosophila, mice and humans。

In flies and mice, we currently focus on aggression, courtship and maternal behaviors. We use quantifiable models and assays to analyze behaviors and their changes. Through molecular biology and genetics, we manipulate the activities of genes at specific time and locations, or the activity of neurons at specific time and locations, to determine the roles of molecules，neurons and brain regions, hoping to understand the molecules and circuitry required for specific behaviors.

In animals, we can also use genetic screens to discover molecules involved in behaviors. In humans, genomic analysis is used to find molecules and gene-environment interactions which are relevant to social cognition and behaviors.

Representative Publications

1. Liu W, Liang X, Gong J, Yang Z, Zhang YH, Zhang JX and Rao Y. Social regulation of aggression by pheromonal activation of Or65a olfactory neurons in Drosophila. Nature Neuroscience, doi:10.1038/nn.2836, 2011 Jun. 19

2. Liu Y, Jiang Y, Si Y, Kim J-Y, Chen Z-F, and Rao Y (2011). Molecular regulation of sexual preference revealed by genetic studies of 5-HT in the brain of male mice. Nature 472:95-99

3. Zhou C, Rao Yong, and Rao Y (2008). A subset of octopaminergic neurons are important for Drosophila aggression. Nature Neurosci11:1059-1061.

4. Li X, Gao X, Liu G, Xiong W, Wu J, Rao Y (2008). Netrin signal transduction and the guanine nucleotide exchange factor DOCK180 in attractive signaling. Nature Neurosci 11:28-35

5. Guo W, Jiang H, Gray V, Dedhar S, and Rao Y (2007). Role of the integrin-linked kinase (ILK) in determining neuronal polarity. Dev Biol306:457-468.

6. Jiang H., Guo W., Liang X.H., and Rao Y.. Both the establishment and the maintenance of neuronal polarity require active mechanisms: critical roles of GSK-3b and its upstream regulators.Cell. 2005; 120: 123-135.

7. Liu G., Beggs H., Jürgensen C., Park H.T., Tang H., Gorski J., Jones K.R., Reichardt L.F., Wu J.Y., and Rao Y.. Netrin requires the focal adhesion kinase and the Src family kinases to induce axon outgrowth and to attract axons. Nature Neurosci. 2004; 7: 1222.

8. Ward M.E., Wu J.Y. and Rao Y.. Visualization of spatially and temporally regulated N-WASP activity during cytoskeletal reorganization in living cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2004; 101:970-974.

9. Zhu Y., Yu T., Zhang X-C, Nagasawa T., Wu J.Y., and Rao Y.. Role of the chemokine SDF-1 as the meningeal attractant for embryonic cerebellar neurons. Nat Neurosci. 2002; 5: 719-720.

10. Wong K., Ren X-R, Huang Y-Z, Xie Y., Liu G., Saito H., Tang H., Wen L., Brady-Kalnay S.M., Mei L., Wu J.Y., Xiong W-C, and Rao Y.. Signal Transduction in Neuronal Migration: Roles of GTPase Activating Proteins and the Small GTPase Cdc42 in the Slit-Robo Pathway. Cell. 2001; 107: 209-221.

11. Wu J.Y., Feng L., Park H-T, Havlioglu N., Wen L., Tang H., Bacon K.B., Jiang Z., Zhang X-C, and Rao Y.. Slit, a molecule known to guide axon projection and neuronal migration, inhibits leukocyte chemotaxis induced by chemotactic factors. Nature. 2001; 410: 948-952.

12. Wu W., Wong K., Chen J.H., Jiang Z.H., Dupuis S., Wu J.Y., and Rao Y..Directional guidance of neuronal migration in the olfactory system by the protein Slit. Nature. 1999; 400: 331-336.

13. Li H.S., Chen J.H., Wu W., Fagaly T., Yuan W.L., Zhou L., Dupuis S., Jiang Z., Nash W., Gick C., Ornitz D., Wu J.Y., and Rao Y.. Vertebrate Slit, a secreted ligand for the transmembrane protein Roundabout, is a repellent for olfactory bulb axons. Cell. 1999; 96: 807-818.

14. Li H.S., Tierney C., Wen L., Wu J.Y. and Rao Y.. A single morphogenetic field gives rise to two retina primordia under the influence of the prechordal mesoderm. Development. 1997; 124: 603-615.

15. Rao Y., Jan L.Y., and Jan Y.N.. Similarity of the product of the Drosophila neurogenic gene big brain to transmembrane channel proteins. Nature. 1990; 345: 163-167.

Minireview

Jiang H, and Rao Y. (2005). Axon formation: fate versus growth. Nat Neurosci 8:544-6.

Reviews

Wu JY and Rao Y (1999). Fringe: defining borders by regulating the Notch pathway. Curr Opin Neurobiol 9:537-543.

Rao Y and Wu JY (2001). A neuronal migratory pathway and the evolution of a bigger brain. Nature Neurosci. 4:860-862.

Wong K, Wu JY, and Rao Y (2002). Neuronal migration. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, Nature Publishing Group.

Park HT, Wu JY and Rao Y (2002). Molecular control of neuronal migration.BioEssays 24:821-827.

Wong K, Park HT, Wu JY and Rao Y (2002). Slit proteins: guidance cues for cells ranging from neurons and leukocytes. Curr Opin Genet Dev 12:583-591.

Rao Y, Wong K, Ward M, Jurgensen C, and Wu JY (2002). Neuronal migration and molecular conservation with leukocyte chemotaxis. Genes Dev 16:2973-2984.

Guan KL and Rao Y (2003). Signal transduction mechanisms mediating neuronal responses to guidance cues. Nature Rev Neurosci 4:941-956.

Ward ME and Rao Y (2004). Investigations of neuronal migration in the central nervous system. In Guan, J.-L. (ed) Cell Migration: Developmental Methods and Protocols. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ.

Liu G and Rao Y (2004). Neuronal migration in the central nervous system.The Cognitive Neurosciences, 3rd edition, Gazzaniga MS, editor in chief, MIT press.

Jiang H, and Rao Y (2005). Axon formation: fate versus growth. Nature Neurosci 8:544 – 546.