Dr. Min Jiang
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Contact Information
Department of Physiology and Biophysics Virginia Commonwealth University Physiology and Biophysics- Box 980551 Richmond, Virginia 23298-0551 Tel: 804-827-1243 Fax: 804-828-7382 email: mjiang@vcu.edu |
Min Jiang received her Bachelor degree in Pharmacology in 1983 from Shanghai Medical University in China, her Master degree in Science in 1986 and her PhD in Medical Science in 1997 from Peking Union Medical College. I received postdoctoral training in the Laboratory of Dr Gea-Ny Tseng at Columbia University and joined VCU with Dr Gea-Ny Tseng in 1999.
Research
All of my research activities are connected with those of Dr. Tseng’s. One is the structure-function relationship of cardiac Kv channels and mechanisms of action of clinical or experimental Kv channel modulators. I conduct and supervise molecular biology and biochemistry experiments in our lab. I have produced multi- and single-site mutations to remove all the native cysteine residues in KCNQ1 (substituted with alanine). This cysteine-less KCNQ1 channel is used as background to introduce new cysteine residues into specific positions of interest and to examine whether and where the introduced cysteine could form a disulfide bond with a cysteine introduced into a beta subunit that associates with the channel, for example: KCNE1 or KCNE2. Mutants are transfected into mammalian COS-7 cells. Westblots are used to detect disulfide bonded complexes. Different antibodies serve as positive or negative controls to ensure that high-molecular weight bands in the western blots are indeed KCNQ1-KCNE1/E2 complexes.
Another project in the lab is the elucidation of the molecular mechanism for anti- & pro-arrhythmic effects of fish oil supplement. We fed rabbits with fish oil, and then studied the effects of fish oil supplement on the ion channel function and protein expression in the heart. We used immunoblot and immunochemistry to study possible changes in channel protein expression and subcellular distribution.
I also train, assist and supervise students and postdoctoral fellows in our lab. We provide a very nurturing environment for students and postdocs and the multidisciplinary training they receive prepares them well for their scientific careers of their choice.
Selected Publications
Jiang M, Cabo C, Yao JA, Boyden PA, and Tseng GN: Delayed rectifier K currents have reduced amplitudes and altered kinetics in myocytes from infracted canine ventricle. Cardiovascular Research 2000;48:34-43
Jiang M, Zhang M, Tang DG, Clemo HF, Liu J, Holwitt D, Kasirajan V, Pond AL, Wettwer E, and Tseng G-N: KCNE2 protein is expressed in ventricles of different species and changes in its expression contribute to electrical remodeling in diseased hearts. Circulation 2004;109:1783-1788
Jiang M, Zhang M, Maslennikov IV, Liu J, Wu D-M, Korolkova YV, Arseneiv AS, Grishin EV, Tseng G-N: Dynamic conformational changes of extracellular S5-P linkers in the hERG channel. J Physiol 2005:569:75-89.
Wu D-M, Jiang M, Zhang M, Liu X-S, Korolkova YV, Tseng G-N: KCNE2 is colocalized with KCNQ1 and KCNE1 in cardiac myocytes and may function as a negative modulator of IKs current amplitude in the heart. Heart Rhythm 2006;3:1469-1480
Liu X-S, Jiang M, Zhang M, Tang D, Higgins RSD, Clemo SHF, Tseng G-N. Electrical remodeling in a canine model of ischemic cardiomyopathy. Am J Physiol 2007;292:H560-H571.