Miao Jing

In living organisms, the functions of multiple systems are orchestrated to regulate physiological behaviors, which greatly rely on precise communication between these systems. Chemicals, including neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and hormones are critical signaling molecules that mediate these communications. Our group is interested in developing novel techniques that can potentially enable the identification of novel signaling molecules, real-time monitoring of these molecules, as well as dissecting their function in regulating physiological homeostasis. Specifically, we are interested in the molecules involved in cross-talk between the nervous system and the immune system, and how dysregulation in their signal transmission may lead to diseases.

1: Jing, M. *, Zhang, P. *, Wang, G., Feng, J., Mesik, L., Zeng, J., Jiang, H., Wang, S., Looby, J. C., Guagliardo, N. A., Langma, L. W., Lu, J., Zuo, Y., Talmage, D. A., Role, L. W., Barrett, P. Q., Zhang, L. I., Luo, M., Song, Y., Zhu, JJ* & Li, Y*CA. (2018). A genetically-encoded fluorescent acetylcholine indicator for in vitro and in vivo studies. Nature Biotechnology, 36(8), 726-737

2: Sun, F. *, Zeng, J. *, Jing, M. *, Zhou, J., Feng, J., Owen, S., Luo, Y., Li, F., Wang, H., Yamaguchi, T., Yong, Z., Gao, Y., Peng, W., Wang, L., Zhang, S., Du, J., Lin, D., Xu, M., Kreitzer, A. C., Cui, G. & Li, Y.CA (2018). A genetically-encoded fluorescent sensor enables rapid and specific detection of dopamine in flies, fish, and mice. Cell, 174(2), 481-496

3: Wang, H., Jing, M., & Li, Y.CA (2018). Lighting up the brain: genetically encoded fluorescent sensors for imaging neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 50, 171-178

4: Feng, J., Zhang, C., Lischinsky, J. E., Jing, M., Zhou, J., Wang, H., Zhang, Y., Dong, A., Wu, Z., Wu, H., Chen, W., Zhang, P., Zou, J., Hires, S. A., Zhu, J. J., Cui, G., Lin, D., Du, J. & Li, Y.CA (2019). A Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Sensor for Rapid and Specific In Vivo Detection of Norepinephrine. Neuron, 102(4), 745-761

5: Wu, Z.*, Feng, J.*, Jing, M., & Li, Y.CA (2019). G protein-assisted optimization of GPCR-activation based (GRAB) sensors. Neural Imaging and Sensing, vol. 10865, p. 108650N. International Society for Optics and Photonics

6. Jing, M., Zhang, Y., Wang, H. & Li, Y.CA (2019). GPCR‐based sensors for imaging neurochemicals with high sensitivity and specificity. Journal of Neurochemistry, 50: 171-178

7. Jing, M.CA, Li, YX., Zeng, J., Huang, P., Skirzewski, M., Kljakic, O., Peng, W., Qian, T., Tan, K., Zou, J., Trinh, S., Wu, R., Zhang, S., Pan, S., Hires, S.A., Xu, M., Li, H., Saksida, L., Prado, V., Bussey, T., Prado, M.A., Chen, L., Cheng, H.& Li, Y.CA (2020). An optimized acetylcholine sensor for monitoring in vivo cholinergic activity. Nature Methods, 17, 1139-1146

8. Zhu, P.K., Zheng, WS., Zhang, P., Jing, M., Borden, P.M., Ali, F., Guo, K., Feng, J., Marvin, J., Wang, Y., Wan, J., Gan, L., Kwan, A., Lin, L., Loren, L., Li, Y., Zhang, Y.CA (2020). Nanoscopic Visualization of Restricted Nonvolume Cholinergic and Monoaminergic Transmission with Genetically Encoded Sensors. Nano Letters 20,6,4073-4083

9. Crouse, R., Kim, K., Batchelor, H.M., Girardi, E., Kamaletdinova, R., Chan, J., Rajebhosale, P., Pittenger, S., Role, L.W., Talmage, D.A., Jing, M., Li, Y., Gao, X., Mineur, Y., Picciotto, M.R.CA (2020). Acetylcholine is released in the basolateral amydala in response to predictors of reward and enhances the learning of cue-reward contingency. eLife, 9:e57335

10. Zhu, R., Zhang, G., Jing, M., Han, Y., Li, J., Zhao, J., Li, Y., & Chen, P. R.CA (2021). Genetically encoded formaldehyde sensors inspired by a protein intra-helical crosslinking reaction. Nature Communications, 12(1), 581

11. Sethuramanujam, S., Matsumoto, A., deRosenroll, G., Murphy-Baum, B., McIntosh, J. M., Jing, M., Li, Y., Berson, D., Yonehara, K.CA, & Awatramani, G. B.CA (2021). Rapid multi-directed cholinergic transmission in the central nervous system. Nature Communications, 12,1374