CSB Faculty

Yidong Bai, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Columbia University, 1996

MED 221D
(210) 567-0561
BAIY@UTHSCSA.EDU
Dr.Bai obtained his PhD degree from Columbia University with Dr. Larry Chasin, and he received his postdoctoral training at Caltech with Dr. Giuseppe Attardi. Dr. Bai joined the UTHSASA in Nov. of 2001, and he was the recipient of United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation New Investigator Award, Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar in Aging Award and American Heart Association National Center Scientist Development Grant.

We are interested in a comprehensive understanding of mitochondrial function at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and animal levels.

Mitochondria play a central role in cellular energy metabolism through the generation of ATP from oxidative phosphorylation. Mitochondria contain their own genomes and have a distinct molecular mechanism governing their gene expression and function. Recent developments have also shown functional mitochondria are important in the regulation of apoptosis, signal transduction and cell growth. Mitochondrial defects have been reported in a wide range of conditions, such as diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and aging.

The central theme in the laboratory is to investigate the regulatory mechanisms working in mitochondria and the role of mitochondria in regulating various cellular pathways. In particular, we are interested in pathogenic mtDNA mutations associated with human diseases including cancer and aging process. Different approaches are utilized in restoring the mitochondrial function in cells with mitochondrial deficiency.

Research Techniques:
Cell culture
Viral transduction
Tumorigenesis assays
Real time PCR
Respiration measurement
Blue native gel assay
Immunohistochemistry
RNA interference
Western blotting
Mitochondrial gene expression

PUBLICATIONS:
Sharma LK, Fang H, Liu J, Vartak R, Deng J, Bai Y. (2011) Mitochondrial respiratory complex I dysfunction promotes tumorigenesis through ROS alteration and AKT activation. Hum Mol Genet. 2011 Sep 16.

Acin-Perez R, Gatti DL, Bai Y, Manfredi G. (2011) Protein phosphorylation and prevention of cytochrome oxidase inhibition by ATP: coupled mechanisms of energy metabolism regulation. Cell Metab. 2011 Jun 8;13(6):712-9.

Li Y, Li HZ, Hu P, Deng J, Banoei MM, Sharma LK, Bai Y. (2010) Generation and bioenergetic analysis of cybrids containing mitochondrial DNA from mouse skeletal muscle during aging. Nucleic Acids Res. 2010 Apr;38(6):1913-21.

Yang Y, Cimen H, Han MJ, Shi T, Deng JH, Koc H, Palacios OM, Montier L, Bai Y, Tong Q, Koc EC. (2010) NAD+-dependent deacetylase SIRT3 regulates mitochondrial protein synthesis by deacetylation of the ribosomal protein MRPL10. J Biol Chem. 2010 Mar 5;285(10):7417-29.

Park JS, Sharma LK, Li HZ, Xiang R, Holstein D, Wu J, Lechleiter J, Naylor SL, Deng J, Lu J, Bai Y. (2009)
A heteroplasmic, not homoplasmic, mitochondrial DNA mutation promotes tumorigenesis via alteration in reactive oxygen species generation and apoptosis. Hum Mol Genet. 2009 May 1;18(9):1578-89.

MORE ON YIDONG BAI'S RESEARCH:
Ellison Medical Foundation Award
Project Funded by the UMDF