陈宇航研究组主要从事结构生物学领域的工作，综合运用蛋白质晶体学，单颗粒冷冻电镜和电生理学等多种手段来研究离子通道蛋白的结构与功能调控的分子机理。离子通道是一些能形成膜孔的跨膜蛋白分子，能被特异的生理性刺激所激活，选择性通透离子进或出细胞膜，进而在多种生命活动中发挥重要的作用。我们的目标就是要在原子水平上来研究这些离子通道的三维结构，以及调控的分子机理,为理解基本生命活动规律和揭示疾病致病机理提供重要信息，为疾病诊治等提供新的理论依据和思路。
SLAC1是直接启动叶子表面气孔关闭的关键分子，是最近在植物中发现的新型离子通道。气孔开关的研究对于植物光合作用效率和生长发育对于淡水资源消耗具有重要意义。深入理解SLAC家族通道蛋白具有非常重要科学价值和潜在的应用前景，然而也是一个颇具挑战性的研究课题。我们在前期研究中解析了同源蛋白TehA高分辨率的三维结构，揭示了一类新颖的离子通道和调控机制。在此基础上，拟进一步进一步研究植物SLAC1通道的三维结构和磷酸化激活的分子机理。
钙离子信号转导在生物系统中扮演着非常重要的角色，包括肌肉收缩，神经节律，分泌，基因转录和细胞代谢。细胞内的肌浆网/内质网是重要的钙离子储库，膜上存在重要的钙离子释放通道，如RyR和IP3R等。还存在其它一系列相关的膜离子通道/转运蛋白，如钙离子泵等。这些重要分子协同来完成钙离子信号转导和内稳。我们拟解析一系列钙离子信号转导相关的膜蛋白及复合物的三维结构，并阐明相关分子机制，为相关疾病的诊治提供新思路。
近期代表性论文：
(*corresponding or co-corresponding author)
Xiang-yun Zhang,Ling-hui Tang, Jia-wei Nie, Chun-rui Zhang,Xiaonan Han, Qi-yu Li, Li Qin, Mei-hua Wang, Xiahe Huang, Feifei Yu,Min Su, Yingchun Wang, Rui-ming Xu, Yan Guo, Qi Xie，
Yu-hang Chen (2023).
Structure and activation mechanism of the rice Salt Overly Sensitive 1(SOS1) Na
+/H
+ antiporter.
Nat. Plants https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-023-01551-5
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Alexander Forderer, Ertong Li, Aaron W. Lawson, Ya-nan Deng, Yue Sun,Elke Logemann, Xiaoxiao Zhang, Jie Wen, Zhifu Han, Junbiao Chang, Yuhang Chen*,Paul Schulze-Lefert* & Jijie Chai*.(2022）“A wheat resistosome defines common principles of immune receptor channels”，Nature 610,532-539
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Dong Q, Liu XL, Wang XH, Zhao Y, Chen YH, Li F. (2021) "Ccp1-Ndc80 switch at the N terminus of CENP-T regulates kinetochore assembly", PNAS 118(48):e2104459118.
Ban H, Sun W, Chen YH, Chen Y, Li F. (2021) "Dri1 mediates heterochromatin assembly via RNAi and histone deacetylation", Genetics 218(1):iyab032.
Bi GZ, Su M, Li N, Liang Y, Dang S, Xu JC, Hu MJ, Wang JZ, Zou MX, Deng YN, Li QY, Huang SJ, Li JJ, Chai JJ*, He KM*, Chen YH*, Zhou JM*. (2021) “The ZAR1 resistosome is a calcium-permeable channel triggering plant immune signaling”, Cell 184 (13): 3528-3541.e12
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Zhang Y, Huang X, Wang J, Wang X, Liu X, Chen YH, Xu W, Wang Y. (2019) "Nitration-induced ubiquitination and degradation control quality of ERK1", Biochemistry Journal 476(13):1911-1926.
Wang XH, Su M, Gao F, Xie WJ, Zeng Y, Li DL, Liu XL, Zhao H, Qin L, Li F, Liu Q, Clarke OB, Lam SM., Shui GH, Hendrickson WA.* & Chen YH* (2019) “Structural basis for activity of TRIC counter-ion channels in calcium release”, PNAS 116 (10):201817271.
Yang J, Sun S, Zhang S, Gonzalez M, Dong Q, Chi Z, Chen YH & Li F*.(2018) “Heterochromatin and RNAi regulate centromeres by protecting CENP-A from ubiquitin-mediated degradation”, PLoS Genetics 14(8): e1007572.
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