Professor, Pharmacology
School of Medicine

prokineticins, G protein-coupled receptor, neuropharmacology, neuropeptides, neurogenesis, circadian rhythm, mouse, genetics

Pharmacology Home Page

Dr. Zhou's Lab

See below for selected publications or click here for additional publication listings available via PUB MED

UC Irvine Distinguished Assistant Professor Award (Research), 2003-2004
Keith Killam Memorial Award Western Pharmacology Society, 2003
Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in Neuroscience, 1998-2000
Faculty career development award, University of California, Irvine, 1998-1999
Tartar fellowship, Oregon Health Sciences University, 1990
Rong-Lin fellowship, Shanghai Medical University, 1986

The main research focus of this laboratory is to understand the physiological and pharmacological functions of prokineticins, a unique pair of newly identified regulatory peptides. Recent findings from this and other laboratories have indicated that prokineticins regulate diverse biological processes including gastrointestinal motility, pain perception, angiogenesis and circadian rhythm. We are keen to understand whether prokineticins and/or prokineticin receptors may serve as suitable drug targets for important human diseases. Major current efforts are being directed to elucidate the transcriptional regulation of ligands in different biological processes controlled by prokineticin systems. Understanding the signaling events downstream the two G protein-coupled prokineticin receptors is another current laboratory focus. Multiple approaches, including molecular biology, genetics, electrophysiology, and behavioral pharmacology, are being utilized.

Selected Publications:

Li, M., Bullock C., Kanuer, D. J., Ehlert, F., & Qun-Yong Zhou. Identification of two prokineticin cDNAs: recombinant proteins potently contract gastrointestinal smooth muscle. Molecular Pharmacology 59, 692-698, 2001.

Daniel Chi-Hong Lin, Bullock, C. B., Frederick J. Ehlert, Jin-Long Chen, Hui Tian, and Qun-Yong Zhou. Identification and molecular characterization of two closely related G protein coupled receptors activated by prokineticins/EG-VEGF. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 19276-19280, 2002.

Michelle Y. Cheng, Clayton M. Bullock, Chuanyu Li, Alex G. Lee, Jason C. Bermak, James Belluzzi, David R. Weaver, Frances M. Leslie, Qun-Yong Zhou. Prokineticin 2 transmits the behavioral circadian rhythm of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Nature 417, 405-410, 2002 (research article).

Clayton M. Bullock, Jia-da Li, & Qun-Yong Zhou. Structural determinants required for the bioactivities of prokineticins and identification of prokineticin receptor antagonists. Mol Pharmacol. 65, 582-8, 2004.

G. Trevor Cottrell, Qun-Yong Zhou and Alastair V. Ferguson. Prokineticin 2 modulates the excitability of subfornical organ neurons. J Neurosci. 24, 2375-9, 2004.

Michelle Y. Cheng, Eric L. Bittman, Samer Hattar, Qun-Yong Zhou. Regulation of prokineticin 2 expression by light and the circadian clock. BMC Neuroscience 6, 6-17, 2005.

Kwan L. Ng, Jia-Da Li, Michelle Y. Cheng, Frances M. Leslie, Alex G. Lee and Qun-Yong Zhou Dependence of Olfactory Bulb Neurogenesis on Prokineticin 2 Signaling. Science 308, 1923-1927, 2005.

Tatiana Kisliouk, Helena Podlovni, Katharina Spanel-Borowski, Oded Ovadia, Qun-Yong Zhou, and Rina Meidan. Prokineticins (Endocrine Gland-Derived Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and BV8) in the Bovine Ovary: Expression and Role as Mitogens and Survival Factors for Corpus Luteum-Derived Endothelial Cells. Endocrinology 146, 3950-3958, 2005.

Qun-Yong Zhou and Michelle Y. Cheng Prokineticin 2 and Circadian Clock Output. FEBS Journal. (Invited review.) 272, 5703-9, 2005

Michelle Y. Cheng, Frances M. Leslie, Qun-Yong Zhou. Expression of Prokineticins and their Receptors in the Adult Mouse Brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 498, 796-809, 2006.

Jia-Da Li, Wang-Ping Hu, Lisa Boehmer, Michelle Y. Cheng, Alex G. Lee, Alexander Jilek, Jerome M. Siegel & Qun-Yong Zhou. Attenuated Circadian Rhythms in Mice Lacking the Prokineticin 2 Gene. J. Neurosci. 26, 11615-11623, 2006.

Qun-Yong Zhou. The Prokineticins: A Novel Pair of Regulatory Peptides. Molecular Intervention. (Invited review.) 6, 311-319, 2006.

Helena Podlovni, Oded Ovadia, Tatiana Kisliouk, Eyal Klipper, Qun-Yong Zhou, Aharon Friedman, Nadia Alfaidy and Rina Meidan. Differential Expression of Prokineticin Receptors by Endothelial Cells Derived frrom Different Vascular Beds: a Physiological Basis for Distinct Endothelial Function. Cell Physiol. Biochem., 18: 1-12, 2006.

Wang-Ping Hu, Chengkang Zhang, Jia-Da Li, , Z. David Luo, Silvia Amadesi, Nigel Bunnett & Qun- Yong Zhou. Impaired pain sensation in mice lacking prokineticin 2. Mol. Pain 2, 35-43, 2006.

Wang-Ping Hu, Jia-Da Li, Chengkang Zhang, Lisa Boehmer, Jerome M. Siegel & Qun- Yong Zhou. Altered circadian and homeostatic sleep regulation in prokineticin 2-deficient mice. Sleep, 30, 247-256, 2007.

Erik A. Yuill , Catharine C. Ferri, Qun-Yong Zhou and Alastair V. Ferguson. Prokineticin 2 Depolarizes Paraventricular Nucleus Neurons: Cellular Correlates for Circadian Regulation of Neuroendocrine and Autonomic Function. Eur. J. Neurosci. 25, 425-434, 2007.

Chengkang Zhang, Kwan L. Ng, Jia-Da Li, Fei He, David J. Anderson, Yi E. Sun, Qun-Yong Zhou. Prokineticin 2 is a target gene of proneural bHLH factors for olfactory bulb neurogenesis. J. Biol. Chem., 282, 6917-6921, 2007.

Zhou Q-Y, Meidan R. Biological function of prokineticins. Results Probl Cell Differ. 46, 181-199, 2008.

Cole L.W., Sidis Y., Zhang C., Quinton R., Plummer L., Pignatelli D., Hughes V.A., Dwyer A.A., Raivio T., Hayes F.J., Seminara S.B., Huot C., Alos N., Speiser P., Takeshita A., Van Vliet G., Pearce S., Crowley W.F. Jr, Zhou Q-Y, Pitteloud N. Mutations in Prokineticin 2 and Prokineticin receptor 2genes in Human Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Deficiency: Molecular Genetics and Clinical Spectrum. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 93, 3551-3559, 2008.

Jia-Da Li, Wang-Ping Hu, Qun-Yong Zhou. Disruption of the circadian output molecule prokineticin 2 results in anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects in mice. Neuropsychopharmacol. 34, 367-373, 2009.

Li J.D., Burton K.J., Zhang C., Hu S.B., Zhou Q-Y. Vasopressin receptor V1a regulates circadian rhythms of locomotor activity and expression of clock-controlled genes in the suprachiasmatic nuclei. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 296, R824-830,2009

53. Shapiro L.A., Ng K., Zhou Q-Y, Ribak C.E.. Subventricular zone-derived, newly generated neurons populate several olfactory and limbic forebrain regions. Epilepsy Behav. 14, 74-80, 2009.

National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) R21 DK091916, 08/05/11-07/31/13, $309,650 direct costs, Regulation of glucose homeostasis by prokineticin 2 signaling (Role: P.I.).

Massachusetts General Hospital (Harvard Medical School), Federal Flow Through from NICHD R01 HD015788, Dr. W. Crowley, Prime P.I., 208409, 09/01/08-07/31/13, $296,020 direct costs, The neuroendocrine control of human reproduction (Role: P.I. of sub-award).

Duke University, Federal Flow Through from NICI R21 CA161726, Dr. Xiao-Fan Wang, Prime P.I., 203-1359, 07/01/11-06/30/13, $52,124 direct costs, Preclinical evaluation of PK2 antagonists for pancreatic cancer (Role: P.I. of sub-award).

Associate Member (elected), American College of Neuropsychop

Member, Society for Neuroscience

Member, American Gastroenterological Association

Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program

Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology

Pharmacological Sciences

Link to this profile
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=3289

Last updated
09/04/2012