MAJOR RESEARCH INTERESTS  

• Multidisciplinary study of protein folding and protein misfolding-related diseases;
• Structure determination of functionally-important protein targets and characterization of protein-protein interactions by NMR spectroscopy;  
• NMR-based mimetics/drug design and discovery in the post-genomic era.

CURRENT PROJECTS

• Study of the dynamic mechanism underlying the gradual disruption of the tight side chain packing and protein misfolding-related diseases.
• Structural study and mimetic design for protein-protein interactions critical for neuronal development and regeneration.
• Inhibitor design targeting viral entry and replication.
• Catalytic and regulatory mechanism of disease-related proteases.

 

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

• REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

(*, corresponding author)

1. Song J* (2009) Insight into "Insoluble Proteins" with Pure Water. FEBS Lett. (Invited Review) In press

2. Qin H, Pu. H. X., Li M., Ahmend, S. and Song J* (2008) Identification and Structural Mechanism for a Novel Interaction between a Ubiquitin Ligase WWP1 and Nogo-A, a Key Inhibitor for the CNS Regeneration. Biochemistry, 47, 13647-58.

3. Qin H., Shi J. Noberini R. Pasquale E. B. Song J* (2008) Crystal structure and nmr binding reveal that two small molecule antagonists target the high-affinity ephrin-binding channel of the EphA4 receptor J Biol Chem. In press. PMID: 18708347

4. Liu J and Song J* (2008) NMR Evidence for Forming Highly-Populated Helical Conformations in the Partially-Folded hNck2 SH3 Domain Biophys. J. In press. PMID: 18599634.

5. Li M, Li Y, Liao X, Liu J, Qin H, Xiao Z and Song J* (2008) Rational Design, Solution Conformation and Identification of Functional Residues of the Soluble and Structured Nogo-54, which Mimics Nogo-66 in Inhibiting the CNS Neurite Outgrowth Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 373, 498-503.

6. Ran X, Qin H, Liu J, Fan JS, Shi J and Song J* (2008) NMR structure and dynamics of human ephrin-B2 ectodomain: The functionally critical C-D and G-H loops are highly dynamic in solution. Proteins. 72, 1019-1029.

7. Shi J., Lua S., Du N., Liu X. and Song J* (2008) Identification, recombinant production and structural characterization of four silk proteins from the Asiatic honeybee Apis cerana Biomaterials. 29, 2820-2828

8. Shi J., Sivaraman J. and Song J*. (2008) Mechanism for Controlling Dimer-monomer Switch and Coupling Dimerization to Catalysis of the SARS-CoV 3C-Like Protease. J. Virol. 82, 4620-4629.

9. Liu J and Song J* (2008) A novel nucleolar transcriptional activator ApLLP for long-term memory formation is intrinsically unstructured but functionally active. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 366, 585-91.

10. Li M and Song J* (2007) Nogo-B Receptor Possesses an Intrinsically-unstructured Ectodomain and a Partially-folded Cytoplasmic Domain. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 360, 128-34

11. Li M and Song J* (2007) The N- and C-termini of the Human Nogo Molecules are Intrinsically Unstructured: Bioinformatics, CD, NMR Characterization and its Functional Implications. Proteins. 68, 100-8.

12. Ran X, Fan JS, Song J* (2007) NMR Assignment of the Human EphrinB2 Ectodomain. J Biomol NMR. 38, 171.

13. Li M, Liu J, Ran X, Fang M, Shi J, Qin H, Goh J-M, and Song J* (2006) Resurrecting Abandoned Proteins with Pure Water: CD and NMR Studies of Protein Fragments Solubilized in Salt-Free Water. Biophys. J. 91:4201-4209

14. Liu Y, Wu J, Song J, Sivaraman J. and Hew C L (2006) Identification of a novel nonstructural protein, VP9, from white spot syndrome virus: its structure reveals a ferredoxin fold with specific metal binding sites J. Virol. 80, 10419-27.

15. Li M, Liu J and Song J* (2006) Nogo goes in the pure water: solution structure of Nogo-60 and design of the structured and buffer-soluble Nogo-54 for enhancing CNS regeneration Protein Sci. 15, 1835-41. (Accelerated Communication)

16. Liu J, Li M, Ran X, Fan J and Song J* (2006) Structural Insight into the Binding Diversity between the Human Nck2 SH3 Domains and Proline-Rich Proteins Biochemistry 45, 7171-84

17. Shi J and Song J* (2006) The Catalysis of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) 3C-Like Protease is under Extensive Regulation by its Extra Domain FEBS J. 273, 1035-1045

18. Ran X and Song J* (2005) Structural Insight into the Binding Diversity between the Tyr-Phosphorylated Human EphrinBs and Nck2 SH2 Domain J. Biol. Chem. 280, 19205-12.

19. Wei Z and Song J* (2005) Molecular mechanism underlying the thermal stability and pH-Induced unfolding of CHABII  J. Mol. Biol. 348, 205-218

20. Li M, Shi J, Wei Z, Teng F, Tang B and Song J* (2004) Structural characterization of the human Nogo-A functional domains. Solution structure of Nogo-40, a Nogo-66 receptor antagonist enhancing injured spinal cord regeneration Eur J Biochem 271, 3512-22

21. Shi J, Wei Z and Song J* (2004) Dissection study on the SARS 3C-like protease reveals the critical role of the extra domain in dimerization of the enzyme: Defining the extra domain as a new target for design of highly-specific protease inhibitors. J Biol Chem. 279, 24765-73 

22. Song J* (2003) Tyrosine phosphorylation of the well packed ephrinB cytoplasmic beta-hairpin for reverse signaling. structural consequences and binding properties. J Biol Chem. 278, 24714-20

23. Song J*, Jamin N, Gilquin B, Vita C, Menez A* (1999) A gradual disruption of tight side-chain packing  Nature Struct. Biol. 6, 129-34 

24. Song J*, Vranken W, Xu P, Gingras R, Noyce RS, Yu Z, Shen SH, Ni F. (2002) Solution structure and backbone dynamics of the functional cytoplasmic subdomain of human ephrin B2, a cell-surface ligand with bidirectional signaling properties Biochemistry 41, 10942-49

25. Song J, Xu P, Koutychenko A, Ni F. (2002) Stability of protein-bound conformations of bioactive peptides: The folded conformation of an epidermal growth factor-like thrombomodulin fragment is similar to that recognized by thrombin Biopolymers 65, 373-86

26. Song J, Chen Z, Xu P, Gingras R, Ng A, Leberer E, Thomas DY, Ni F. (2001) Molecular interactions of the Gbeta binding domain of the Ste20p/PAK family of protein kinases  J. Biol. Chem. 276, 41205-12

27. Bai P, Song J, Luo L, Peng ZY. (2001) A model of dynamic side-chain-side-chain interactions in the alpha-lactalbumin molten globule  Protein Sci. 10, 55-62 (Co-first author)

28. Song J, Xu P, Xiang H, Su Z, Storer A. & Ni F. (2000) The active-site residue Cys29 is responsible for the neutral -pH inactivation and the refolding barrier of human cathepsin B  FEBS Lett. 475, 157-162

29. Song J & Ni F (1998) NMR for the design of functional mimetics of protein-protein interactions: one key is in the building of bridges Biochem. Cell Biol. 76, 177-88. (Review)

30. Song J, Bai P, Luo L, Peng ZY (1998) Contribution of individual residues to formation of the native-like tertiary topology in the alpha-lactalbumin molten globule  J. Mol. Biol. 280, 167-174

31. Song J, Gilquin B, Jamin N, Drakopoulou E, Guenneugues M, Dauplais M, Vita C, Menez A. (1997) NMR solution structure of a two-disulfide derivative of charybdotoxin  Biochemistry 36, 3760-6

32. Dauplais M, Lecoq A. Song J. Cotton J, Jamin N, Gilquin B, Roumestand C, Vita C, de Medeiros CL, Rowan EG, Harvey AL, Menez A. (1997) On the convergent Evolution of Animal Toxins: conservation of of a diad of  functional residues in potassium channel-blocking toxins  J. Biol. Chem. 272, 4302-4309