Yi Wang

Contact Information

Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group
Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
405 N. Mathews Ave.,
Urbana, IL 61801
email: yiwang@ks.uiuc.edu
Home Department: Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology

Education

B.S.(2003); Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China;
Major: Biotechnology
Minor: Computer Science

Research Interests

Aquaporins

Aquaporins

Aquaporins are a family of membrane integral proteins specialized in water transportation across membranes. These highly efficient water channels can explain how we secrete tears and sweat.

One of our recent studies on aquaporins is the gating mechanism of the spinach aquaporin SoPIP2;1. Although many AQPs operate as permanently open water channels, gating of water pores has been reported for a large number of them, particularly for plant AQPs. Plants respond to drought or flood conditions by shutting down almost all of their AQPs. Common gating signals include changes in environmental pH and phosphorylation. In collaboration with the group of R. Neutze, our recent molecular dynamics simulations revealed how SoPIP2;1 switches from the closed to the open state after phosphorylation. Take a look at our Aquaporin Research page.

Poster Presentations

Publications

Publications Database

Molecular mechanisms of conduction and selectivity in aquaporin water channels. Yi Wang and Emad Tajkhorshid. Journal of Nutrition, 137:1509S-1515S, 2007.

Exploring gas permeability of cellular membranes and membrane channels with molecular dynamics. Yi Wang, Jordi Cohen, Walter F. Boron, Klaus Schulten, and Emad Tajkhorshid. Journal of Structural Biology, 157:534-544, 2007.

Structural mechanism of plant aquaporin gating. S. Törnroth-Horsefield, Y. Wang, K. Hedfalk, U. Johanson, M. Karlsson, E. Tajkhorshid, R. Neutze, and P. Kjellbom. Nature, 439:688-694, 2006.

Molecular dynamics simulations of proteins in lipid bilayers. James Gumbart, Yi Wang, Alekseij Aksimentiev, Emad Tajkhorshid, and Klaus Schulten. Current Opinion in Structural Biology, 15:423-431, 2005.

What makes an aquaporin a glycerol channel: A comparative study of AqpZ and GlpF. Yi Wang, Klaus Schulten, and Emad Tajkhorshid. Structure, 13:1107-1118, 2005.

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