Research

Neural circuits are the neural basis for emotions. Chronic stress has been recently defined as disruption in neural circuits to induce anxiety disorders. Chronic stress also leads to many other psychosomatic diseases, including cancers. Our previous study has identified a GABAergic neuronal circuit from the BNST to NAc, which controls anxiety-like behavior under chronic stress (Molecular Psychiatry, 2020). Currently, we coordinate Cre-transgenic mice, neuronal manipulation tools, neural circuit tracing techniques with in vivo optical imaging to manipulate neurons and glia cells to study the neuronal substrates that control anxiety-like behaviors under pathological conditions. Further, we are also employed cutting-edge techniques to study the neural mechanisms underlying chronic stress-induced peripheral psychosomatic diseases.

Biography

Since 2016, Principal investigator and professor at SIAT CAS 
2009-2015, Associate Investigator and associate professor at SIAT CAS 
2009, The University of Hong Kong, PhD in Physiology
2004, Zhejiang University, Master of Philosophy in Physiology
2001, Zhejiang University, BSc in Biochemistry and Biotechnology

Selected publications

（^#co-first authors，*corresponding author） 

1. Zhang ZG, Yang XF, Song YQ*, Tu J*. Autophagy in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis: Therapeutic potential and future perspectives. Aging Research Reviews 2021; Dec; 72: 101464. (IF=10.8)
2. Zhou XY^#, Wu BF^#, Liu WH^#, Xiao Q, He W, Zhou Y, Wei PF, Zhang X, Liu Y, Wang J, He JF, Zhang ZG, Li WD, Wang LP, Tu J*. Reduced firing of accumbal parvalbumin interneurons causes impairment of risk avoidance in DISC1 transgenic mice. Neuroscience Bulletin 2021; Sep;37(9):1325-1338. (IF=5.203)
3. Xu XR, Xiao Q, Hong YC, Liu YH, Liu Y, Tu J*. Activation of dopaminergic VTA inputs to the mPFC ameliorate chronic stress-induced breast tumor progression. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics 2021; 27(2):206-219. (IF=5.243)
4. Xiao Q^#, Zhou X^#, Wei P^#, Xie L, Han Y, Wang J, Cai A, Xu F, Tu J*, Wang L*. A new GABAergic somatostatin projection from the BNST onto accumbal parvalbumin neurons controls anxiety. Molecular Psychiatry 2020; Sep;26(9):4719-4741. (IF=15.992)
5. Zhou X^#, Xiao Q^#, Xie L, Yang F, Wang L, Tu J*. Astrocyte, a promising target for mood disorder interventions. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience 2019; 12: 136-148. (IF=5.639)
6. Wang J, Tu J, Cao B, Mu L, Yang XW, Cong M, Ramkrishnan AS, Chan HM, Wang LP*, Li Y*. Astrocytic L-Lactate Signaling Facilitates Amygdala-Anterior Cingulate Cortex Synchrony and Decision Making in Rats. Cell Reports 2017; 21(9): 2407-2418. (IF=9.423)
7. Yang F^#, Liu Y^#, Tu J^#, Wan J, Zhang J, Wu B, Chen S, Zhou J, Mu Y, Wang L. Activated astrocytes enhance the dopaminergic differentiation of stem cells and promote brain repair through bFGF. Nature Communications 2014; Dec 17;5: 5627. (IF=14.919）
8. Tu J, Yang F, Wan J, Liu Y, Zhang J, Wu B, Liu Y, Zeng S, Wang L. Light-controlled astrocytes promote human mesenchymal stem cells toward neuronal differentiation and improve the neurological deficit in stroke rats. Glia 2014; 62(1):106-21. (IF=7.452)
9. Yang F^#, Tu J^#, Pan JQ^#, Luo HL, Liu YH, Wan J, Zhang J, Wei PF, Jiang T, Chen YH, Wang LP. Light-controlled inhibition of malignant glioma by opsin gene transfer. Cell Death and Disease 2013; Oct 31;4: e893 (IF=8.469)
10. Tu J, Le G, Ballard HJ*. Involvement of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator in the lactic-acid-induced increase in interstitial ATP in rat EDL muscle. The Journal of Physiology 2010; 588 (Pt 22): 4563-78. (IF=5.2)
11. Tu J*, Wang LP. Therapeutic potential of extracellular ATP and P2 receptors in nervous system diseases. Neuroscience Bulletin 2009; 25(1): 27-32. (IF=5.203)