Ming Zhou, Ph.D.

Professor

(713) 798-8444

Email

mzhou@bcm.edu

Positions

Professor: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States

Ruth McLean Bowman Bowers Professorship in Biochemistry: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States

Member: Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States

Addresses

Baylor College of Medicine (Office): BCM-Smith Medical Research Bldg
Room: BCMS-313
Houston, TX, 77030
United States

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship at The Rockefeller University: 08/2004 - NY, New York, United States; Mechanisms of the N-type inactivation gating and of ion permeation in potassium ion channels by X-ray crystallography and electrophysiology

PhD from State University Of New York At Buffalo: 07/1999 - Buffalo, New York, United States; Mechanism of ligand recognition and channel gating in acetylcholine receptor channels by single-channel recordings and kinetic analyses

Honors & Awards

Pew Scholar in Biomedical Science: (01/2006)

Alfred P. Sloan Fellow: (01/2006)

Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Award: (01/2006)

Irma Hirschl Award: (01/2008)

Professional Interests

Membrane Transport Proteins and Membrane Embedded Enzymes
Neuroscience
Metabolism
Enzymology
Structural Biology
Biomembranes
Cancer Biology
Chemical Biology
Drug Discovery and Medicinal Chemistry

Professional Statement

Membrane transport proteins are transporters and channels that mediate the transmembrane flow of nutrients such as amino acids, sugars, nucleotides and ions. Membrane transport proteins are essential for maintaining cellular functions, and mutations in these proteins cause genetic diseases in humans. Dr. Zhou’s lab applies structural, functional and computational methods to understand basic chemical and physical principles in membrane transport proteins: How substrates are recognized; what structural changes are required for substrate translocation; and how the electrochemical gradient of one substrate drives the concentrative uptake of another substrate.

Websites

VIICTR Profile

Lab Page

Structure and Mechanism of Membrane Transport Proteins and Membrane Embedded Enzymes

Selected Publications

Wang L, Qian H, Nian Y, Han Y, Ren Z, Zhang H, Hu L, Prasad BVV, Laganowsky A, Yan N, & Zhou M. " Structure and mechanism of human diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 " Nature. 2020 May 13; 581 (7808) : 329-332.
Pubmed PMID: 32433610.
Zhang H, Pan Y, Hu L, Hudson MA, Hofstetter KS, Xu Z, Rong M, Wang Z, Prasad BVV, Lockless SW, Chiu W, Zhou M. " TrkA undergoes a tetramer-to-dimer conversion to open TrkH which enables changes in membrane potential " Nature Communications. 2020 Jan 28; 11 (1) : 547.
Pubmed PMID: 31992706.
Ren Z, Lee J, Moosa MM, Nian Y, Hu L, Xu Z, McCoy JG, Ferreon ACM, Im W, Zhou M. " Structure of an EIIC sugar transporter trapped in an inward-facing conformation " Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.. 2018 May 21; 115 (23) : 5962-5967.
Pubmed PMID: 29784777.
Bai Y, McCoy JG, Levin EJ, Sobrado P, Rajashankar KR, Fox BG, Zhou M. " X-ray structure of a mammalian stearoyl-CoA desaturase. " Nature. 2015 Aug 13; 524 : 252-256.
Pubmed PMID: 26098370.
Huang H, Levin EJ, Liu S, Bai Y, Lockless SW, Zhou M. " Structure of a membrane-embedded prenyltransferase homologous to UBIAD1 " PloS Biol. 2014 Jul 22; 12 (7) : e1001911.
Pubmed PMID: 25051182.
Zhou X, Levin EJ, Pan Y, McCoy JG, Sharma R, Kloss B, Bruni R, Quick M, Zhou M,. " Structural basis of the alternating-access mechanism in a bile acid transporter " Nature. 2014 Jan 23; 505 (7484) : 569-73.
Pubmed PMID: 24317697.
Cao Y, Pan Y, Huang H, Jin X, Levin EJ, Kloss B, Zhou M.. " Gating of the TrkH ion channel by its associated RCK protein TrkA " Nature. 2013 Apr 18; 496 (7445) : 317-22.
Pubmed PMID: 23598339.
Pan Y, Levin EJ, Quick M, Zhou M.. " Potentiation of the Kv1 family K(+) channel by cortisone analogues. " ACS Chem. Biol.. 2012 Oct 19; 7 (10) : 1641-6.
Pubmed PMID: 22803826.
Levin EJ, Cao Y, Enkavi G, Quick M, Pan Y, Tajkhorshid E, Zhou M.. " Structure and permeation mechanism of a mammalian urea transporter. " Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2012 Jul 10; 109 (28) : 11194-11199.
Pubmed PMID: 22733730.
Cao Y, Jin X, Levin EJ, Huang H, Zong Y, Quick M, Weng J, Pan Y, Love J, Punta M, Rost B, Hendrickson WA, Javitch JA, Rajashankar KR, Zhou M.. " Crystal structure of a phosphorylation-coupled saccharide transporter. " Nature. 2011 May 5; 473 (7345) : 50-4.
Pubmed PMID: 21471968.
Pan Y, Weng J, Levin EJ, Zhou M.. " Oxidation of NADPH on Kvβ1 inhibits the ball-and-chain type inactivation by restraining the chain. " Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2011 Apr 5; 108 (14) : 5885-90.
Pubmed PMID: 21436029.
Cao Y, Jin X, Huang H, Derebe MG, Levin EJ, Kabaleeswaran V, Pan Y, Punta M, Love J, Weng J, Quick M, Ye S, Kloss B, Bruni R, Martinez-Hackert E, Hendrickson WA, Rost B, Javitch JA, Rajashankar KR, Jiang Y, Zhou M.. " Crystal structure of a potassium ion transporter,TrkH " Nature. 2011 Mar 17; 471 (7338) : 336-40.
Pubmed PMID: 21317882.
Levin EJ, Quick M, Zhou M.. " Crystal structure of a bacterial homologue of the kidney urea transporter. " Nature. 2009 Dec 10; 462 (7274) : 757-61.
Pubmed PMID: 19865084.
Pan Y, Weng J, Cao Y, Bhosle RC, Zhou M.. " Functional coupling between the Kv1.1 channel and an aldo-ketoreductase Kvbeta1 " J. Biol. Chem.. 2008 Mar 28; 283 (13) : 8634-42.
Pubmed PMID: 18222921.
Pan Y, Weng J, Kabaleeswaran V, Li H, Cao Y, Bhosle RC, Zhou M.. " Cortisone dissociates Shaker family K+ channels from their β subunits " Nat Chem Biol.. 2008 Nov ; 4 (11) : 708-14.
Pubmed PMID: 18806782.

Memberships

Biophysical Society: member

Protein Society: member