Ruifeng Cao

B.M. in Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University
M.M.S. in Neurosurgery, The Fourth Military Medical University

Thesis Advisor:  Karl Obrietan

E-Mail:  cao.67@osu.edu

Research:

Circadian rhythmicity is a prevalent and fundamental feature for all organisms. In mammals, the master circadian clock is localized in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). The clock can be continuously entrained by multiple environment cues such as light. SCN receives photic input from retina through the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT). It is not well known; however, what is the signal transduction cascade that couples external light signal to the core clock mechanism in the SCN neurons. MAPK pathway has recently been found to play a central role in coupling light to clock resetting and maintaining the robust circadian oscillations. The long-term goal of our lab is to identify a variety of MAPK downstream targets in the SCN and investigate their functions in circadian timing. It is known that ERK MAPK can affect the clock by regulating gene transcription. However, it is not known whether the signaling can also regulate mRNA translation. My work is currently focused on the role of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, which regulates mRNA translation during cell growth and metabolism, in circadian rhythmicity. Our work has found that light can also regulate mTOR signaling by activating MAPK pathway. More work is being done to reveal the physiological role of mTOR in the SCN.

Publications:

Lee B, Cao R, Choi YS, Cho HY, Rhee AD, Hah CK, Hoyt KR, Obrietan K. (2009) The CREB/CRE transcriptional pathway: protection against oxidative stress-mediated neuronal cell death. J Neurochem,108(5):1251-1265.

Cao R, Lee B, Cho HY, Saklayen S, Obrietan K (2008) Photic regulation of the mTOR signaling pathway in the suprachiasmatic circadian clock. Mol Cell Neurosci. 38(3):312-24.

Xu M, Cao R, Xiao R, Zhu MX, Gu C. (2007) The axon-dendrite targeting of Kv3 (Shaw) channels is determined by a targeting motif that associates with the T1 domain and ankyrin G. J Neurosci. 27(51):14158-70.

Cao R, Hasuo H, Ooba S, Akasu T, Zhang X.  (2006) Facilitation of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in hippocampal CA1 area of rats with traumatic brain injury.  Neurosci Lett. 19;401(1-2):136-41.

Presentations at National Meetings:

Cao R, Lee B, Cho H, Saklayen S, Obrietan K. Photic regulation of the mTOR signaling pathway in the suprachiasmatic circadian clock. Washington,D.C.: SfN, 2008.