Faculty Profile

Fields of Study

Molecular and Developmental Endocrinology

Areas of Focus

Cell Biology
Development
Neurobiology & Animal Physiology

Research Interest

Research is aimed at understanding how peptide growth factors and hormones act to control development, growth, and aging

About Cunming Duan

Research in the Duan lab is directed towards understanding how peptide growth factors act to control vertebrate development, growth, and aging. Our current research focuses on the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling system, including the IGF ligands, IGF binding proteins, IGF receptors, and the downstream signal transduction mechanisms. The Duan lab uses mammals, zebrafish and other fish as experimental models. A combination of molecular, cell biological, biochemical, genetic, and genomic approaches are used to address physiological and developmental questions. Specific areas of current research activity include: (1) roles of growth factors in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis during early development; (2) signal transduction mechanisms of growth factor actions; (3) transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression; and (4) roles of growth factors and hormones in regulating development, growth, and aging in response to hypoxia and nutrient restriction.

Dr. Duan received his B.S. degree from the Ocean University of China and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Tokyo. He was a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Washington and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Publications

Onuma, T.A. and Duan, C.. (2012). "Duplicated Kiss1 receptor genes in zebrafish: distinct gene expression patterns, different ligand selectivity, and a novel nuclear isoform with transactivating activity." FASEB J, In press.

Allard, J. B. and Duan, C.. (2011). " Comparative Endocrinology of Aging and Longevity Regulation." Front. Endocrin. 2:75. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2011.00075.

Onuma, T.A., Ding, Y., Abraham, E., Zohar, Y., Ando, H., Duan, C.. (2011). "Regulation of temporal and spatial organization of newborn GnRH neurons by IGF signaling in zebrafish." Journal of Neuroscience 31:11814-24.

Zhong, Y., Lu, L., Zhou, J., Li,Y., Liu, Y. Clemmons, D.R. and Duan, C.. (2011). "IGF binding protein 3 exerts its ligand-independent action by antagonizing BMP  action in  zebrafish embryos." Journal of Cell Science 124: 1925-1935.

Kamei, H., Ding, Y., Kajimura, S., Wells, M., Chiang, P. and Duan, C. (2011). "Role of IGF signaling in catch-up growth and accelerated temporal development in zebrafish embryos in response to oxygen availability." Development 138: 777-786.

Ren, H., Accili, D., and Duan, C.. (2010). "Hypoxia converts the myogenic action of IGFs into mitogenic action by differentially regulating multiple signaling pathways." Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 107:5857-62.

Dai W, Kamei H, Zhao Y, Ding J, Du Z, Duan, C.. (2010). "Duplicated zebrafish insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 genes with split functional domains: evidence for evolutionarily conserved IGF binding, nuclear localization, and transactivation activity." FASEB J. 24:2020-2029.

Ren, H. *, Yin, P. *, and Duan, C.. (2008). "IGFBP-5 regulates muscle cell differentiation by binding to and switching on the IGF-II auto-regulatory loop." J. Cell Biol 182: 979-991 (*Co-first authors).

Schlueter, P., Peng, G., Westerfield, M., and Duan, C. (2007). "Insulin-like growth factor signaling regulates zebrafish embryo growth and development by promoting cell survival and cell cycle progression." Cell Death Differ. 14: 1095-1105 .