陈功

陈功，现担任宾州州立大学教授。祖籍中国江苏的陈功1993年获得中国科学院博士学位，先后在耶鲁大学和斯坦福大学从事博士后研究，2002年起担任宾州州立大学助理教授，2008年升为副教授。

Gong Chen

Professor

个人主页：http://bio.psu.edu/directory/guc2

陈功教授的研究领域涵盖神经发育与神经退行性疾病。其实验室采用多学科方法，包括分子生物学、荧光成像、电生理学、免疫细胞化学、生物化学和电子显微镜，研究大脑发育和神经退行性疾病的分子机制。目前正在开发干细胞疗法用于治疗神经系统疾病。

神经发育

大脑回路如何建立和调节以执行复杂功能是神经科学研究中最引人入胜的问题。许多神经系统疾病是由于神经回路形成不当所致。陈功实验室研究突触形成和突触可塑性的分子和细胞机制，特别关注发育大脑中的GABAergic突触。GABA信号在胚胎大脑发育早期出现。GABA功能从未成熟神经元的兴奋性转变为成熟神经元的抑制性。研究团队此前研究了GABAergic功能在癫痫发生过程中的作用，并建立了一种新型化学诱导的癫痫模型。最近，他们正在研究精神疾病（包括自闭症和精神分裂症）中的GABAergic缺陷，并开始使用干细胞（包括诱导多能干细胞iPSCs）来模拟神经系统疾病，并研究GABA对干细胞发育的调控。

神经退行性疾病

神经退行性疾病影响着全球数百万人，已成为巨大的社会经济负担。研究团队的目标是开发有效的疗法来减轻或缓解症状，帮助患者独立生活。研究策略以突触为中心，因为突触丢失是神经退行性变的第一步。他们正在研究神经退行性变过程中突触丢失的分子机制，重点是由细胞骨架蛋白聚集引起的突触缺陷，并开发神经干细胞疗法，包括使用iPSCs治疗神经退行性疾病。

陈功教授在Nature、Cell、Nature Neuroscience等国际顶级期刊发表了多篇重要论文。以下为部分代表性论文：

• Brennand, K., A. Simone, J. Jou, C. Gelboin-Burkhart, N. Tran, S. Sangar, Y. Li, Y. Mu, G. Chen, D. Yu, S. McCarthy, J. Sebat, and F. Gage. (2011) Modeling schizophrenia using human induced pluripotent stem cells. Nature 473: 221-225.
• Marchetto, M. C. N., C. Carromeu, A. Acab, D. Yu, G. Yeo, Y. Mu, G. Chen, F. H. Gage, and A. R. Muotri. (2010) A model for neural development and treatment of Rett Syndrome using human induced pluripotent stem cells. Cell 143: 527-539.
• Gu, J., C. W. Lee, Y. Fan, D. Komlos, X. Tang, C. Sun, K. Yu, H. C. Hartzell, G. Chen, J. R. Bamburg, and J. Q. Zheng. (2010) ADF/cofilin-mediated actin dynamics regulate AMPA receptor trafficking during synaptic plasticity. Nature Neuroscience 13: 1208-1215.
• Wu X, Wu Z, Ning G, Guo Y, Ali R, Macdonald RL, De Blas AL, Luscher B, Chen G. (2012) gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Type A (GABAA) Receptor Alpha Subunits Play a Direct Role in Synaptic versus Extrasynaptic Targeting. J Biol Chem. 287(33): 27417-27430. (Paper of the Week)
• Joseph Cichon, Chi-Cheng Sun, Ben Chen, Min Jiang, Xiangyun Amy Chen, Yajie Sun, Yun Wang, and Gong Chen. (2012) Cofilin Aggregation Blocks Intracellular Trafficking and Induces Synaptic Loss. J Biol Chem. 287(6): 3919–3929.
• Sun, C., M.-C. Cheng, R. Qin, D.L. Liao, T.-T. Chen, F.-J. Koong, G. Chen, and C.-H. Chen. (2011) Identification and functional characterization of rare mutations of the neuroligin-2 gene (NLGN2) associated with schizophrenia. Human Molecular Genetics, 20(15): 3042–3051.
• Fan, Y., X. Tang, E. Vitriol, G. Chen, and J. Q. Zheng. (2011) Actin capping protein is required for dendritic spine development and synapse formation. Journal of Neuroscience 31(28): 10228-10233.
• Yazhou Sun, Yaqiong Wang, Yi Hu, Gong Chen, Hong Ma. (2011) Comparative analysis of neural transcriptomes and functional implication of unannotated intronic expression. BMC Genomics, 2011 Oct 10;12:494.
• Kong S, Qian B, Liu J, Fan M, Chen G, Wang Y. (2010) Cyclothiazide induces seizure behavior in freely moving rats. Brain Res. 1355:207-213.
• Han, X. W., X. Wu, W. Y. Chung, T. Li, A. Nekrutenko, N. S. Altman, G. Chen, and H. Ma. (2009) Transcriptome of embryonic and neonatal mouse cortex by high-throughput RNA sequencing. Proc.Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 106: 12741-12746.
• Jiang, M. and G. Chen. (2009) Ca2+ regulation of dynamin-independent endocytosis in cortical astrocytes. Journal of Neuroscience 29: 8063-8074.
• Wang, Y., J. S. Qi, S. Kong, Y. Sun, J. Fan, M. Jiang, and G. Chen. (2009) BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway mediates the induction of epileptiform activity induced by a convulsant drug cyclothiazide. Neuropharmacology 57: 49-59.
• Yuan, X., J. Yao, D. Norris, D. D. Tran, R. J. Bram, G. Chen, and B. Luscher. (2008) Calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand regulates membrane trafficking of postsynaptic GABA(A) receptors. Mol. Cell Neurosci. 38(2): 277-289.
• Deng, L., J. Yao, C. Fang, N. Dong, B. Luscher, and G. Chen. (2007) Sequential postsynaptic maturation governs the temporal order of GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptogenesis in rat embryonic cultures. Journal of Neuroscience 27(40): 10860-10869.
• Dong, N., Qi, J., Chen, G. (2007) Molecular reconstitution of functional GABAergic synapses with expression of neuroligin-2 and GABAA receptors. Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 35: 14 - 23.
• Wendou Yu, Min Jiang, Celia P. Miralles, Gong Chen and Angel L. de Blas. (2007) Gephyrin clustering is required for the stability of GABAergic synapses. Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 36(4):484-500.
• Fang, C., Deng, L., Keller, C., Fukata, M., Fukata, Y., Chen, G., and Lüscher, B. (2006). GODZ-mediated palmitoylation of GABAA receptors is required for normal assembly and function of GABAergic inhibitory synapses. Journal of Neuroscience 26(49): 12758-12768.
• Qi, J. S., Yao, J., Fang, C., Lüscher, B., and Chen, G. (2006). Downregulation of tonic GABA currents following epileptogenic stimulation of rat hippocampal cultures. Journal of Physiology 577(2): 579-590.
• Yao, J., Qi, J. S., and Chen, G. (2006). Actin-dependent activation of presynaptic silent synapses contributes to long-term synaptic plasticity in developing hippocampal neurons. Journal of Neuroscience, 26 (31): 8137 – 8147.
• Jiang, M. and Chen, G. (2006). High Ca2+-phosphate transfection efficiency in low-density neuronal cultures. Nature Protocols. Vol. 1. (No. 2) 695 – 700. (Invited article)
• Qi, J.S., Wang, Y., Jiang M., Warren, W., and Chen, G. (2006). Cyclothiazide induces robust epileptiform activity in rat hippocampal neurons both in vitro and in vivo. Journal of Physiology 571(3): 605-618.
• Zhou, J., Pfaff, D. W., and Chen, G. (2005). Sex differences in estrogenic regulation of neuronal activity in neonatal cultures of ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. PNAS 102: 14907-14912.
• Alldred, M.J., Mulder-Rosi, J., Lingenfelter, S. E., Chen, G., and Lüscher, B. (2005) Distinct g2 Subunit Domains Mediate Clustering and Synaptic Function of Postsynaptic GABAA Receptors and Gephyrin. Journal of Neuroscience 25(3): 594-603.
• Jiang, M., Deng, L.B., and Chen, G. (2004). High Ca2+-phosphate transfection efficiency enables single neuron gene analysis. Gene Therapy 11:1303-1311.
• Cao, Y-Q., Piedras-Renteria, E., Smith, G. B., Chen, G., Harata, N. C., Tsien, R. W. (2004). Presynaptic Ca2+ channels compete for channel type-preferring slots in altered neurotransmission arising from Ca2+ channelopathy. Neuron 43: 387-400.
• Chen, G., Harata, N. and Tsien, R. W. (2004). Paired-pulse depression of unitary quantal amplitude at single hippocampal synapses. PNAS 101: 1063-1068.
• Deng, L. B., and Chen, G. (2003). Cyclothiazide potently inhibits gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors in addition to enhancing glutamate responses. PNAS 100 (22): 13025-13029.
• Chen, Y., Deng, L. B., Maeno-Hikichi, Y., Lai, M. Z., Chang, S. H., Chen, G., and Zhang, J. F. (2003). Formation of an endophilin-Ca2+ channel complex is critical for clathrin-mediated synaptic vesicle endocytosis. Cell 115: 37-48.

• Brennand, K., et al. (2011). Modeling schizophrenia using human induced pluripotent stem cells. Nature, 473, 221-225.
• Marchetto, M. C. N., et al. (2010). A model for neural development and treatment of Rett Syndrome using human induced pluripotent stem cells. Cell, 143, 527-539.
• 陈功. (2012). gamma-氨基丁酸A型受体α亚基在突触和突触外定位中的直接作用. 生物化学与生物物理进展, 39(8), 729-736.
• 邓林, 陈功. (2003). 环噻嗪除了增强谷氨酸反应外还能有效抑制γ-氨基丁酸A型受体. 中国科学C辑, 33(6), 513-520.