Education

B.S. in Chemistry (1992)

M.S. in Inorganic Chemistry (1995) from Central China Normal University

Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry (1998) from Nanjing University.

Research

Dr. Feng is an expert in biochemistry and biophysics of metalloproteins. He has authored > 90 scientific manuscripts. He is an active NIH reviewer, and also serves as referee for NSF, AHA, French National Research Agency, and Italian Ministry of Health.

Feng lab is interested in how metal ions play critical structural and functional roles in biological molecules. His primary research focus is on regulation mechanism of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), a flavo-hemoprotein responsible for biosynthesis of nitric oxide (NO), a ubiquitous signaling and effector molecule in mammalian cell biology. A particular strength is the utilization of multidisciplinary approaches, using techniques ranging from biochemical and kinetics to biophysical, to answer specific mechanistic questions. Recent studies of NOS proteins by Dr. Feng suggest that domain motions and interdomain docking play an important role in NOS isoform function by modulating key electron transfer processes. Molecular mechanisms of NOS regulation, once fully understood, are potentially key targets for development of selective new pharmaceuticals for treating a wide range of diseases that currently lack effective treatments.

Honors & Awards

• 2007 - Young Investigator Award, Gordon Research Conference on Nitric Oxide
• 2000 -Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellowship (declined; accepted analternative offer from the University of Arizona)
• 1999–2000 - China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
• 1999 -Asia-Pacific EPR Society Distinguished Service Award

Selected Publications

1. Li, Jinghui; Zheng, Huayu; Wang, Wei; Miao, Yubin; Sheng, Yinghong; Feng, Changjian*. (2018) Role of an isoform-specific residue at the calmodulin-heme(NO synthase) interface in the FMN - heme electron transfer. FEBS Lett.
2. Astashkin, Andrei V.; Li, Jinghui; Zheng, Huayu; Miao, Yubin; Feng, Changjian*. (2018) A docked state conformational dynamics model to explain the ionic strength dependence of FMN-heme electron transfer in nitric oxide synthase. J. Inorg. Biochem. 184, 146-155.
3. Li, Jinghui; Zheng, Huayu; Feng, Changjian*. (2018) Deciphering mechanism of conformationally controlled electron transfer in nitric oxide synthases. Front. Biosci. 23, 1803-1821.
4. Chen, Li; Zheng, Huayu; Li, Wenbing; Li, Wei; Miao, Yubin; Feng, Changjian*. (2016) Role of a conserved tyrosine residue in the FMN–heme interdomain electron transfer in inducible nitric oxide synthase, J. Phys. Chem. A 120, 7610-7616.
5. Sheng, Yinghong; Zhong, Linghao; Guo, Dahai; Lau, Gavin; Feng, Changjian*. (2015) Insight into structural rearrangements and interdomain interactions related to electron transfer between flavin mononucleotide and heme in nitric oxide synthase: A molecular dynamics study, J. Inorg. Biochem.153, 186-196.
6. Astashkin, Andrei; Feng, Changjian*. (2015) Solving kinetic equations for the laser flash photolysis experiment on nitric oxide synthases: Effect of conformational dynamics on the interdomain electron transfer. J. Phys. Chem. A 119, 11066-11075.
7. Astashkin, Andrei; Chen, Li; Elmore, Bradley; Kunwar, Deepak; Miao, Yubin; Li, Huiying; Poulos, Thomas; Roman, Linda; Feng, Changjian*. (2015) Probing the hydrogen bonding of the ferrous−NO heme center of nNOS by pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance, J. Phys. Chem. A 119, 6641-6649.
8. Astashkin, Andrei; Chen, Li; Zhou, Xixi; Li, Huiying; Poulos, Thomas; Liu, Ke Jian; Guillemette, Joseph; Feng, Changjian*. (2014) Pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance study of domain docking in neuronal nitric oxide synthase: The calmodulin and output state perspective, J. Phys. Chem. A 118, 6864-6872.
9. Feng, Changjian*; Chen, Li; Li, Wenbing; Elmore, Bradley O.; Fan, Weihong; Sun, Xi. (2014) Dissecting regulation mechanism of the FMN to heme interdomain electron transfer in nitric oxide synthases, J. Inorg. Biochem. 130, 130-140. Featured Article.
10. Panda, Satya P.; Li, Wenbing; Venkatakrishnan, Priya; Chen, Li; Astashkin, Andrei. V.; Masters, Bettie Sue; Feng, Changjian; Roman, Linda J. (2013) Differential calmodulin-modulatory and electron transfer properties of neuronal nitric oxide synthase mu compared to the alpha variant, FEBS Lett. 587, 3973-3978.
11. Li, Wenbing; Chen, Li; Lu, Changyuan; Elmore, Bradley O.; Astashkin, Andrei V.; Rousseau, Denis L.; Yeh, Syun-Ru; Feng, Changjian*. (2013) Regulatory role of Glu546 in flavin mononucleotide - heme electron transfer in human inducible nitric oxide synthase, Inorg. Chem.52, 4795-4801.
12. Feng, Changjian*. (2012) Mechanism of nitric oxide synthase regulation: Electron transfer and interdomain interactions, Coord. Chem. Rev. 256, 393-411.
13. Sempombe, Joseph; Galinato, Mary Grace I.; Elmore, Bradley O.; Fan, Weihong; Guillemette, J. Guy; Lehnert, Nicolai; Kirk, Martin L.; Feng, Changjian*. (2011) Mutation in the flavin mononucleotide domain modulates magnetic circular dichroism spectra of the iNOS ferric cyano complex in a substrate-specific manner, Inorg. Chem.50, 6859-6861.
14. Astashkin, Andrei V.; Elmore, Bradley O.; Fan, Weihong; Guillemette, J. Guy.; Feng, Changjian*. (2010) Pulsed EPR determination of the distance between heme iron and FMN centers in a human inducible nitric oxide synthase, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132, 12059-12067.
15. Sempombe, Joseph; Elmore, Bradley; Sun, Xi; Dupont, Andrea; Ghosh, Dipak; Guillemette, Joseph; Kirk, Martin; Feng, Changjian*. (2009) Mutations in the FMN domain modulate MCD spectra of the heme site in the oxygenase domain of inducible nitric oxide synthase, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131, 6940-6941.
16. Hu, Xiaohui; Feng, Changjian; Hazzard, James T.; Tollin, Gordon; Montfort, William R. (2008) Binding of YC-1 or BAY 41-2272 to soluble guanylyl cyclase induces a geminate phase in CO photolysis, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 15748-15749.
17. Feng, Changjian*; Tollin, Gordon; Hazzard, James T.; Nahm, Nickolas J.; Guillemette J. Guy; Salerno, John C.; Ghosh, Dipak K. (2007) Direct measurement by laser flash photolysis of intraprotein electron transfer in a rat neuronal nitric oxide synthase, J. Am. Chem. Soc.129, 5621-5629.
18. Feng, Changjian*; Tollin, Gordon; Enemark, John H. (2007) Sulfite oxidizing enzymes, Biochim. Biophys. Acta1774, 527-539. Invited Review
19. Feng, Changjian*; Tollin, Gordon; Holliday, Michael A.; Thomas, Clayton; Salerno, John C.; Enemark, John H.; Ghosh, Dipak K. (2006) Intraprotein electron transfer in a two-domain construct of neuronal nitric oxide synthase: The output state in nitric oxide formation, Biochemistry45, 6354-6362.
20. Feng, Changjian; Thomas, Clayton; Holliday, Michael A.; Tollin, Gordon; Salerno, John C.; Ghosh, Dipak K.; Enemark John H. (2006) Direct measurement by laser flash photolysis of intramolecular electron transfer in a two-domain construct of murine inducible nitric oxide synthase, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 3808-3811.