许执恒，男，1966年4月出生，研究员，博士生导师
1989年获上海第二军医大学医学学士系学位，1999年获美国新泽西Rutgers大学博士学位。1999-2005在美国哥伦比亚大学神经生物学和精神病中心做博士后及高级研究助理。先后获得美国NIH的 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (2002-03)及Rutgers大学Bush Fellowship (1997-1999)和Waksman Fellowship (1993-1997)，2005年中国科学院“百人计划”入选者，2007年国家杰出青年科学基金获得者。
主要研究方向: 利用本课题组在生化与细胞生物学方面的优势，结合不同的模式动物，进行神经和肿瘤生物学研究，争取在阐明细胞凋亡信号转导通路和相关重要疾病发生的分子机制方面有所突破。由于细胞凋亡与肿瘤、神经发育及神经退行性疾病密切相关，这一研究将有助于我们为疾病的预防和治疗提供理论依据，同时为个体正常发育的分子机理提供新见解。
主要研究内容包括:
1) 用分子、生化和细胞生物学为手段研究PJAC蛋白激酶复合体新成员在细胞凋亡信号传导通路中的作用与调节机制，进一步揭示JNK信号传导通路在神经发育和肿瘤及神经退行性疾病病理过程中的意义。
2) 通过免疫共沉淀、酵母双杂交和生物信息学手段来研究一组与人类神经退行性疾病相关的基因和蛋白质，如LRRK2。
3) 建立和利用模式动物（果蝇和小鼠）研究肿瘤和帕金森氏病的发病机制。
主要论著目录(* 通讯作者)：
1.Liu S, Yu M, He Y, Xiao L,…, and Xu Z* (2008) Melittin prevents liver cancer cell metastasis through inhibition of the Rac1-dependent
pathway. Hepatology 47(6) 1964-73
2.Qiao HX, Hao CJ, Li Y, He X, Chen RS, Cui J, Xu Z*, Li W*.（2008）JNK activation mediates the apoptosis of xCT-deficient cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 370(4):584-8.
3.Liu S， Sun YM et al., (2008) Down-regulated NM23-H1 expression is associated with intracranial invasion of nasopharyngeal
carcinoma. Bri J Cancer 98(2):363-9
4.Sun Y, Yang T, Xu Z* (2007) The JNK Pathway and Neuronal Migration. J Genetics and Genomics 34(11): 957-965
5.Wilhelm M, Kukekov NV, Xu Z, Greene LA (2007) Identification of POSH2, a novel homologue of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase scaffold
protein POSH. Dev Neurosci. 29(4-5):355-62.
6.Wang L, Zhang Y, Li H, Xu Z, Santella RM, Weinstein IB. (2007) Hint1 Inhibits Growth and Activator Protein-1 Activity in Human Colon
Cancer Cells. Cancer Res. 67(10):4700-4708.
7.Cui J, Zhang M, Zhang YQ, Xu Z* (2007) JNK pathway: diseases and therapeutic potential. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 28(5):601-8.
8.Welhelm M, Xu Z., and Greene L （2007）Proapoptotic Nix activates the JNK pathway by interacting with POSH and mediates death in a
Parkinson disease model. J Biol Chem. 282(2):1288-95.
9.Xu Z.*, Sproul A., Wang WY, and Greene L. (2006) SIAH1 Interacts with the Scaffold Protein POSH to Promote JNK Activation and
Apoptosis. J Biol Chem. 281(1):303-12. (* Corresponding author)
10.Kukekov, N*., Xu Z.*, and Greene(2006) Direct interaction of the molecular scaffolds POSH and JIP is required for apoptotic activation of
JNKs. J Biol Chem. 281(22):15517-24. (* Equal contribution)
11.Tang G, Xu Z, Goldman JE. (2006) Synergistic effects of the SAPK/JNK & the proteasome pathways on GFAP accumulation in
Alexander disease. J Biol Chem. 281(50):38634-43
12.Xu Z.*, Kukekov, N., and Greene L (2005) A stability-based self-amplifying feed forward loop mechanism for regulation of the apoptotic
JNK pathway. Mol Cell Biol. 25(22):9949-59. (* Corresponding author)
13.Xu Z.* and Greene L. (2006) Regulation of the apoptotic JNK pathway. Methods Enzymol 406:479-89. (* Corresponding author)
14.Zheng S.*, Xu Z.*¨, and Longey J. (2005) Cbl-b/Cbl regulates c-Kit receptor stability through the proteasomal pathway in mast cells.
Blood 105(1):226-32. (* Equal contribution, ¨ Corresponding author).
15.Hanlon SE, Xu Z, Norris DN, Vershon AK. (2004) Analysis of the meiotic role of the mitochondrial ribosomal proteins Mrps17 and
Mrpl37 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast. 21(15):1241-52.
16.Kim K., Kim B., Xu Z, and Kim S. (2004). Mixed lineage kinase (MLK) 3-activated p38 MAP kinase mediates TGF-Beta-induced
apoptosis in hepatoma cells. J Biol Chem. 279(28):29478-84.
17.Xu Z., Kukekov N., and Greene LA (2003). POSH (plenty of SH3’s) Acts as a Scaffold for a Multiprotein Complex that Mediates JNK
Activation in Apoptotic Death. EMBO J 15; 22(2): 252-61
18.Xu Z, Maroney AC, Dobrzanski P, Greene LA (2001). The MLK family mediates c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation in neuronal apoptosis.
Mol Cell Biol. 21(14): 4713-24.
19.Maroney AC, Finn JP, Connors TJ, Durkin JT, Angeles T, Gessner G, Xu Z, Meyer SL, Savage MJ, Greene LA, Scott RW, Vaught JL (2001). Cep-1347 (KT7515), a semisynthetic inhibitor of the mixed lineage kinase family. J Biol Chem. 276(27): 25302-8.
20.Troy CM, Rabacchi SA, Xu Z, Shelanski ML, Greene LA (2001). beta-Amyloid-induced neuronal apoptosis requires c-Jun N-terminal
kinase activation. J Neurochem. 77(1):157-64.
21.Xu Z., and Norris D. (1999). The SFP1 gene product of S. cerevisiae regulates G2/M transitions in the mitotic cell cycle and in response
to DNA damage. Genetics 150(4): 1419-28.
