Research Areas:

TH/noncoding RNA circuitry in metabolic regulation.
Recent efforts in our lab have focused on noncolding RNAs as modulators in TH regulatory networks by using mice in different thyroid states as a model system. We are interested in whether and how noncoding RNAs meditate the TH action in metabolic regulation. We have made significant advances in understanding the roles of TH-regulated miR-133a, miR-182, and miR-378 in muscle biology and metabolic homeostasis, and miR-378 in hepatic insulin signalling, cholesterol metabolism, and energy metabolism, respectively.

Nongenomic effect of TH on metabolism.
The function of nongenomic effect of TH has mainly been considered to relate to homeostasis. We are interested in understanding the role of TH-responsive p38 MAPK signalling in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis and try to identify novel therapeutic targets for metabolic diseases, including T2DM, NAFLD, and obesity.

Thyroid cancer.
Our laboratory has a long-standing interest in thyroid cancer. We try to use mouse models developed recently in our lab to study the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer and identify diagnostic markers and potential drug targets.

Brief Biography:  

Hao Ying was born in Shanghai, China. He received a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China, in 1996. He received a Ph.D. degree in Molecular and Cell Biology in 2001 from Shanghai Institute of Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. He received postdoc training in Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, United States from 2001 to 2006, and was promoted as a staff scientist afterwards. In 2008, he was recruited as a principal investigator in Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. Since 2017, the institution where Dr. Ying works has been reformed and renamed as Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (SINH), CAS He is interested in how TH achieves its diverse biological activities in metabolic regulation. His lab aims to delineate the TH-regulated network in metabolism and identify novel therapeutic targets for metabolic disorders. A major focus of his lab is currently on TH-regulated miRNA and nongenomic action in metabolic regulation. 

Selected Publications: (*Corresponding Author)

1. Yuan F, Yin H, Deng Y, Jiao F, Jiang H, Niu Y, Chen S, Ying H, Zhai Q, Chen Y, Guo F. Overexpression of Smad7 in hypothalamic POMC neurons disrupts glucose balance by attenuating central insulin signaling. Mol Metab 2020 Dec;42:101084.
2. Wei Y, Tian C, Zhao Y, Liu X, Liu F, Li S, Chen Y, Qiu Y, Feng Z, Chen L, Zhou T, Ren X, Feng C, Liu Y, Yu W, Ying H, Ding Q. MRG15 orchestrates rhythmic epigenomic remodelling and controls hepatic lipid metabolism. Nat Metab 2020 May;2(5):447-460.
3. Cheng Y, Liu J, Luan Y, Liu Z, Lai H, Zhong W, Yang Y, Yu H, Feng N, Wang H, Huang R, He Z, Yan M, Zhang F, Sun YG, Ying H, Guo F, Zhai Q. Sarm1 Gene Deficiency Attenuates Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in Mice. Diabetes 2019 Nov;68(11):2120-2130.
4. Li Y, Pan H, Zhang X, Wang H, Liu S, Zhang H, Qian H, Wang L, Ying H*. Geniposide Improves Glucose Homeostasis via Regulating FoxO1/PDK4 in Skeletal Muscle. J Agric Food Chem 2019 Apr 24;67(16):4483-4492.
5. Zhao Y, Feng Z, Zhang Y, Sun Y, Chen Y, Liu X, Li S, Zhou T, Chen L, Wei Y, Ma D, Lui KO, Ying H, Chen Y, Ding Q. Gain-of-Function Mutations of SLC16A11 Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes. Cell Rep 2019 Jan 22;26(4):884-892.e4.
6. Li Y, Jiang J, Liu W, Wang H, Zhao L, Liu S, Li P, Zhang S, Sun C, Wu Y, Yu S, Li X, Zhang H, Qian H, Zhang D, Guo F, Zhai Q, Ding Q, Wang L, Ying H*. microRNA-378 promotes autophagy and inhibits apoptosis in skeletal muscle. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Nov 13;115(46):E10849-E10858.
7. Li Y, Fan Y, Pan H, Qian H, Qi X, Wu G, Zhang H, Xu M, Rao Z, Wang L, Ying H*. Effects of functional β-glucan on proliferation, differentiation, metabolism and its anti-fibrosis properties in muscle cells. Int J Biol Macromol 2018 Oct 1;117:287-293.
8. Sun Y, Wang H, Li Y, Liu S, Chen J, Ying H*. miR-24 and miR-122 Negatively Regulate the Transforming Growth Factor-β/Smad Signaling Pathway in Skeletal Muscle Fibrosis. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2018 Jun 1;11:528-537.
9. Zhang S, Cao H, Li Y, Jing Y, Liu S, Ye C, Wang H, Yu S, Peng C, Hui L, Wang YC, Zhang H, Guo F, Zhai Q, Wang H, Huang R, Zhang L, Jiang J, Liu W, Ying H*. Metabolic benefits of inhibition of p38α in white adipose tissue in obesity. PLoS Biol 2018 May 11;16(5):e2004225.
10. Liu J, Zhang S, Cao H, Wang H, Sun C, Liu S, Yu S, Li Y, Liu W, Wang H, Jiang J, Ying H*. Deficiency of p38α in macrophage ameliorates d-galactosamine/TNF-α-induced acute liver injury in mice. FEBS J 2017 Dec;284(24):4200-4215
11. Cao H, Zhang S, Shan S, Sun C, Li Y, Wang H, Yu S, Liu Y, Guo F, Zhai Q, Wang YC, Jiang J, Wang H, Yan J, Liu W*, Ying H*. Ligand-dependent corepressor (LCoR) represses the transcription factor C/EBPβ during early adipocyte differentiation. J Biol Chem 2017 Nov 17;292(46):18973-18987.
12. Zhang D, Li Y, Liu S, Wang YC, Guo F, Zhai Q, Jiang J, Ying H*. microRNA and thyroid hormone signaling in cardiac and skeletal muscle. Cell Biosci 2017 Mar 21;7:14.
13. Zhang D, Li Y, Yao X, Wang H, Zhao L, Jiang H, Yao X, Zhang S, Ye C, Liu W, Cao H, Yu S, Wang YC, Li Q, Jiang J, Liu Y, Zhang L, Liu Y, Iwai N, Wang H, Li J, Li J, Li X, Jin ZB*, Ying H*. miR-182 Regulates Metabolic Homeostasis by Modulating Glucose Utilization in Muscle. Cell Rep 2016 Jul 19;16(3):757-768.
14. Li Y, Zhang D, Wang X, Yao X, Ye C, Zhang S, Wang H, Chang C, Xia H, Wang YC, Fang J, Yan J, Ying H*. Hypoxia-inducible miR-182 enhances HIF1α signaling via targeting PHD2 and FIH1 in prostate cancer. Sci Rep 2015 Jul 24;5:12495.
15. Liu W, Cao H, Yan J, Huang R, Ying H*. 'Micro-managers' of hepatic lipid metabolism and NAFLD. Wiley Interdiscip Rev RNA 2015 Sep-Oct;6(5):581-593.
16. Yao X, Sa R, Ye C, Zhang D, Zhang S, Xia H, Wang YC, Jiang J, Yin H*, Ying H*. Effects of thyroid hormone status on metabolic pathways of arachidonic acid in mice and humans: A targeted metabolomic approach. Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat 2015 Apr-Jun;118-119:11-18
17. Jing Y, Liu W, Cao H, Zhang D, Yao X, Zhang S, Xia H, Li D, Wang YC, Yan J, Hui L, Ying H*. Hepatic p38α regulates gluconeogenesis by suppressing AMPK. J Hepatol 2015 Jun;62(6):1319-1327.
18. Zhang D, Wang X, Li Y, Zhao L, Lu M, Yao X, Xia H, Wang YC, Liu MF, Jiang J, Li X, Ying H*. Thyroid hormone regulates muscle fiber type conversion via miR-133a1. J Cell Biol 2014 Dec 22;207(6):753-766.
19. Liu W, Cao H, Ye C, Chang C, Lu M, Jing Y, Zhang D, Yao X, Duan Z, Xia H, Wang YC, Jiang J, Liu MF, Yan J, Ying H*. Hepatic miR-378 targets p110α and controls glucose and lipid homeostasis by modulating hepatic insulin signalling. Nat Commun 2014 Dec 4;5:5684.
20. Yao X, Hou S, Zhang D, Xia H, Wang YC, Jiang J, Yin H, Ying H*. Regulation of fatty acid composition and lipid storage by thyroid hormone in mouse liver. Cell Biosci 2014 Jul 30;4:38.
21. Li X*, Li Y, Zhao L, Zhang D, Yao X, Zhang H, Wang YC, Wang XY, Xia H, Yan J, Ying H*. Circulating Muscle-specific miRNAs in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patients. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2014 Jul 22;3(7):e177.
22. Chen Z, Liu J, Fu Z, Ye C, Zhang R, Song Y, Zhang Y, Li H, Ying H*, Liu H*. 24(S)-Saringosterol from edible marine seaweed Sargassum fusiforme is a novel selective LXRβ agonist. J Agric Food Chem 2014 Jul 2;62(26):6130-6137.
23. Yao X, Xia H, Wang YC, Ying H*. Thyroid Hormone Receptor Coregulators in Metabolic Regulation. J Endocrinol Diabetes Obes 2014 Jul 19;2(3):1051.
24. Wang YC, Li Y*, Wang XY, Zhang D, Zhang H, Wu Q, He YQ, Wang JY, Zhang L, Xia H, Yan J, Li X, Ying H*. Circulating miR-130b mediates metabolic crosstalk between fat and muscle in overweight/obesity. Diabetologia 2013 Oct;56(10):2275-2285.
25. Zhang D, Li X, Chen C, Li Y, Zhao L, Jing Y, Liu W, Wang X, Zhang Y, Xia H, Chang Y, Gao X, Yan J, Ying H*. Attenuation of p38-mediated miR-1/133 expression facilitates myoblast proliferation during the early stage of muscle regeneration. PLoS One 2012 Jul 24;7(7):e41478.
26. Song Y, Shan S, Zhang Y, Liu W, Ding W, Ren W, Xia H, Li X, Zhang Q, Zhao L, Li X, Yan J, Ying H*. Ligand-dependent corepressor acts as a novel corepressor of thyroid hormone receptor and represses hepatic lipogenesis in mice. J Hepatol 2012 Jan;56(1):248-254.
27. Yao X, Shan S, Zhang Y, Ying H*. Recent progress in the study of brown adipose tissue. Cell Biosci 2011 Oct 28;1:35.
28. Song Y, Yao X, Ying H*. Thyroid hormone action in metabolic regulation. Protein Cell 2011 May;2(5):358-368.