Yukun Yuan, Assistant
Professor1978-83 B.M. (M.D. equivalent), Medicine/Public Health, Henan Medical University, China
1983-1985 Assistant lecturer, Occupational Diseases, Toxicology, Henan Medical University, China
1985-88 M.M. (M.S. equivalent), Toxicology, Beijing Medical University, China
1993-97 PhD., Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University
1988-90 Lecturer, Toxicology, Beijing Medical University, China
1991-93 Visiting Scientist, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University
1997-00 Postdoctoral Fellow, Ophthalmology, University of Michigan
2000-present Assistant Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University
Research Synopsis
My primary research interest is neurotoxicology. Current studies focus primarily on effects of chemicals such as the environmental contaminants on synaptic function (particularly visual synaptic transmission from the retina to the visual cortex) in the mammalian central nervous system. Specific questions include why some chemicals selectively or preferentially target at certain populations or types of neurons or regions of the brain, and what is the cellular and molecular bases responsible for these preferential effects. My second research direction is the channelopathy-related neurological disorders resulting from mutation or dysfunction of a specific type of ion channels in the early developing brains or during ageing.
Current Project(s)
Neurotoxicity of methylmercury in the visual cortex.
Selected Publications Since 2001
Shimura M, Yuan Y, Chang JT, Zhang S, Campochiaro PA, Zack DJ, Hughes BA: Expression and permeation properties of the K+ channel Kir7.1 in the retinal pigment epithelium. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 531(Pt 2): 329-346, 2001.
Buraczynska M, Mears AJ, Zareparsi S, Farjo R, Filippova E, Yuan Y, MacNee SP, Hughes B, Swaroop A: Gene expression profile of native human retinal pigment epithelium. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 43(3): 603-607, 2002.
Yuan Y, Shimura M, Hughes BA: Regulation of inwardly rectifying K+ channels in retinal pigment epithelial cells by intracellular pH. J. Physiol. 549(2): 429-438, 2003.
Yuan Y, Atchison WD: Methylmercury differentially affects GABAA receptor-mediated spontaneous IPSCs in purkinje and granule cells of rat cerebellar slices. J. Physiol. 550: 191-204, 2003.
Yuan, Y. And Atchison, W.D.: Electrophysiological Studies of Neurotoxicants on central synaptic transmission in acutely isolated brain slices. In Current Protocols in Toxicology, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Unit 11.11, pp 11.11.1-11.11.38, 2003.
Yuan, Y. and Atchison, W.D.: Methylmercury induces a spontaneous, transient slow inward chloride current in Purkinje cells of rat cerebellar slices. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 313:751-764, 2005.
Yuan, Y., Otero-Montanez, J.K.L., Yao, A., Herden, C.F., Sirois, J.E. and Atchison W.D.: Inwardly rectifying and voltage-gated outward potassium channels exhibit low sensitivity to methylmercury. Neurotoxicology, 26:439-454, 2005.
Yuan, Y. and Atchison, W.D.: Methylmercury-induced Increase of intracellular Ca2+ concentration in presynaptic fibers causes increased frequency of spontaneous synaptic responses in cerebellar slice of rat. Mol Pharmacology 71:1109-1121, 2007.
Herden, C.J., Pardo, N.E., Hajela, R., Yuan Y. and Atchison, W.D.: Differential effects of methylmercury on GABAA receptor currents in rat cerebellar granule cells and cerebral cortical neurons in culture. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 324:517-528, 2008.