Cellular and Structural Biology | Faculty
Department of Cellular & Structural Biology

CSB Faculty

 

Photo of Dr. Bai Yidong Bai, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

 

Columbia University, 1996

 

(210) 567-0561
BAIY@UTHSCSA.EDU

 

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.

Restoration of complex I assembly in absence of ND6 subunit
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.

 

PUBLICATIONS:
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 Feb 10.

 

Fang H, Lu J, Wei J, Shen LJ, Ding Z, Li H, Bai Y. (2009) Mitochondrial DNA mutations in the D-loop region may not be frequent in cervical cancer: a discussion on pitfalls in mitochondrial DNA studies. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2009 Jan 14.

 

Montier, L., Deng, J., and Bai, Y. (2009) "Number matters: control of mammalian mitochondrial DNA copy number". Journal of Genetics and Genomics. In press.

 

Sharma, L., Lu, J. and Bai, Y. (2009) "Mitochondrial respiratory complex I: structure, function and implication in human diseases". Current Medical Chemistry. In press.

 

Lu J, Peng Y, Zheng ZJ, Pan JH, Zhang Y, Bai Y. (2008) EGF-IL-18 fusion protein as a potential anti-tumor reagent by induction of immune response and apoptosis in cancer cells. Cancer Lett. 2008 Feb 18;260(1-2):187-97. Epub 2007 Dec 21.

 

Li, Y., D'Aurelio, M., Deng, J. H., Park, J. S., Manfredi, G., Hu, P., Lu, J., and Bai, Y. (2007).
An assembled complex IV maintains the stability and activity of complex I in mammalian mitochondria.
J Biol Chem. Jun 15;282(24):17557-62. Epub 2007 Apr 23.

 

Park, J. S., Li, Y. F., and Bai, Y. (2007). Yeast NDI1 improves oxidative phosphorylation capacity and increases protection against oxidative stress and cell death in cells carrying a Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy mutation. Biochim Biophys Acta. May;1772(5):533-42. Epub 2007 Jan 26.

 

Deng JH, Li Y, Park JS, Wu J, Hu P, Lechleiter J, Bai Y. (2006) Nuclear Suppression of Mitochondrial Defects in Cells without the ND6 Subunit.Mol Cell Biol. Feb;26(3):1077-86.

 

Bai Y, Park JS, Deng JH, Li Y, Hu P. (2005) Restoration of mitochondrial function in cells with complex I deficiency. Ann N Y Acad Sci. May;1042:25-35.

 

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