Shengtao Yang, PhD
Associate Research Scientist in NeuroscienceCards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Kynurenic acid signaling expands in human and nonhuman primates and impairs dorsolateral prefrontal cortical cognition that is key to mental illness
Yang S, Datta D, Krienen F, Woo E, May A, Anderson G, Galvin V, Gonzalez-Burgos G, Lewis D, Ling E, McCarroll S, Arnsten A, Wang M. Kynurenic acid signaling expands in human and nonhuman primates and impairs dorsolateral prefrontal cortical cognition that is key to mental illness. Molecular Psychiatry 2025, 1-11. PMID: 41413200, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-025-03425-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHigher cognitive deficitsCognitive deficitsPrimate dlPFCKAT IIKynurenic acidNeuronal firingDorsolateral prefrontal cortexAged macaquesPlasma kynurenine/tryptophan ratioSystemic administration of agentsSystemic administrationHuman dlPFCPrefrontal cortexWorking memoryDlPFC neuronsAged monkeysKynurenic acid productionCognitive performanceDLPFCCognitive functionMental illnessKynurenine/tryptophan ratioNonhuman primatesDeficitsApplication of kynurenic acidDysregulated calcium signaling in the aged primate association cortices: vulnerability to Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology
Arnsten A, Perone I, Wang M, Yang S, Uchendu S, Bolat D, Datta D. Dysregulated calcium signaling in the aged primate association cortices: vulnerability to Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology. Frontiers In Aging Neuroscience 2025, 17: 1610350. PMID: 40735190, PMCID: PMC12303958, DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2025.1610350.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTau pathologyEtiology of sporadic ADCalcium signalingAlzheimer's diseaseCalpain-2Calcium dysregulationDisease neuropathologyRegulation of calcium signalingAutophagic degenerationAPOE-e4 carriersOnset formAlzheimer's disease neuropathologyTau hyperphosphorylationActivation of calpain-2Sporadic ADAD pathologySynapse lossAmyloid pathologyCalpain-2 inhibitorDysregulated calciumTauAssociation cortexHigh-resolution nanoscale imagingTherapeutic targetAged macaques472. Role of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels in Vulnerable Pyramidal Neurons in Primate Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex: Elucidating the Role of Cav3.1 and Cav1.2 in Higher-Order Cognition
Datta D, Yang S, Gonzalez-Burgos G, Enwright J, Arion D, Lewis D, Wang M, Arnsten A. 472. Role of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels in Vulnerable Pyramidal Neurons in Primate Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex: Elucidating the Role of Cav3.1 and Cav1.2 in Higher-Order Cognition. Biological Psychiatry 2025, 97: s291-s292. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.02.710.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSUSCEPTIBLE PYRAMIDAL NEURONS IN PRIMATE DORSOLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX EXPRESS AN ENRICHED CALCIUM INTERACTOME: CRITICAL ROLE OF CALBINDIN AND CAV1.2 IN HIGHER-ORDER COGNITION
Datta *, Yang S, Joyce M, Woo E, McCarroll S, Gonzalez-Burgos G, Perone I, Uchendu S, Ling E, Goldman R, Berretta S, Murray J, Morozov Y, Arellano J, Duque A, Rakic P, O'dell R, van Dyck C, Lewis D, Wang M, Krienen F, Arnsten A. SUSCEPTIBLE PYRAMIDAL NEURONS IN PRIMATE DORSOLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX EXPRESS AN ENRICHED CALCIUM INTERACTOME: CRITICAL ROLE OF CALBINDIN AND CAV1.2 IN HIGHER-ORDER COGNITION. The International Journal Of Neuropsychopharmacology 2025, 28: i57-i58. PMCID: PMC11814899, DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyae059.100.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDorsolateral prefrontal cortexMacaque dlPFCPrefrontal cortexWorking memoryLayer 3 pyramidal cellsAlzheimer s diseasePrefrontal cortex dysfunctionExpression of Grin2bPyramidal cellsHigher-order cognitionIncreased risk of mental disordersRisk of neuropsychiatric disordersDendritic spine pathologyRisk of mental disordersIncreased risk of neuropsychiatric disordersL-type calcium channel Cav1.2Primate dlPFCDLPFC functionCognitive deficitsLayer III pyramidal cellsMemory impairmentPsychiatric disordersBrain circuitryNeuropsychiatric disordersMental representations
2024
Key Roles of CACNA1C/Cav1.2 and CALB1/Calbindin in Prefrontal Neurons Altered in Cognitive Disorders
Datta D, Yang S, Joyce M, Woo E, McCarroll S, Gonzalez-Burgos G, Perone I, Uchendu S, Ling E, Goldman M, Berretta S, Murray J, Morozov Y, Arellano J, Duque A, Rakic P, O’Dell R, van Dyck C, Lewis D, Wang M, Krienen F, Arnsten A. Key Roles of CACNA1C/Cav1.2 and CALB1/Calbindin in Prefrontal Neurons Altered in Cognitive Disorders. JAMA Psychiatry 2024, 81: 870-881. PMID: 38776078, PMCID: PMC11112502, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.1112.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDorsolateral prefrontal cortexPrefrontal cortexLayer III pyramidal cellsWorking memoryCognitive disordersNeuronal firingPrimate dorsolateral prefrontal cortexPyramidal cellsSpatial working memoryWorking memory performanceRisk of mental disordersCalcium-related proteinsReduced neuronal firingL-type calcium channel Cav1.2GluN2B-NMDA receptorsL-type calcium channel activityPrefrontal neuronsL-type calcium channel blockerMemory performanceL-type calcium channelsMental disordersRisk of cognitive disordersCognitive behaviorProtein expressionAssociated with increased riskβ1-adrenoceptor expression on GABAergic interneurons in primate dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: potential role in stress-induced cognitive dysfunction
Joyce M, Yang S, Morin K, Duque A, Arellano J, Datta D, Wang M, Arnsten A. β1-adrenoceptor expression on GABAergic interneurons in primate dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: potential role in stress-induced cognitive dysfunction. Neurobiology Of Stress 2024, 30: 100628. PMID: 38550854, PMCID: PMC10973161, DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100628.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDorsolateral prefrontal cortexPrefrontal cortexStress-induced cognitive dysfunctionTreat stress-related disordersPrimate dorsolateral prefrontal cortexImpaired working memoryWorking Memory DeficitsWorking Memory TaskCalcium-binding proteins calbindinStress-related disordersClasses of inhibitory neuronsLevels of norepinephrineFast-spikingMemory taskDopamine releaseWorking memoryMemory deficitsInhibitory neuronsCognitive dysfunctionPV interneuronsGABAergic interneuronsDLPFCBehavior analysisCortexPyramidal cells
2022
Inhibition of glutamate-carboxypeptidase-II in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: potential therapeutic target for neuroinflammatory cognitive disorders
Yang S, Datta D, Elizabeth Woo, Duque A, Morozov YM, Arellano J, Slusher BS, Wang M, Arnsten AFT. Inhibition of glutamate-carboxypeptidase-II in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: potential therapeutic target for neuroinflammatory cognitive disorders. Molecular Psychiatry 2022, 27: 4252-4263. PMID: 35732693, PMCID: PMC9718677, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01656-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDorsolateral prefrontal cortexDendritic spinesNeuronal firingGCPII inhibitionCognitive disordersPrefrontal cortexApparent side effectsPotential therapeutic targetBrain-penetrant inhibitorMacaque dorsolateral prefrontal cortexReceptor type 3GCPII expressionPrimate dlPFCInflammatory disordersSystemic administrationCOVID19 infectionSide effectsTherapeutic targetNeuronal physiologyImpaired cognitionOld monkeysAged monkeysBeneficial effectsPotassium channelsExtensive expressionUnusual Molecular Regulation of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Layer III Synapses Increases Vulnerability to Genetic and Environmental Insults in Schizophrenia
Arnsten AFT, Woo E, Yang S, Wang M, Datta D. Unusual Molecular Regulation of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Layer III Synapses Increases Vulnerability to Genetic and Environmental Insults in Schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry 2022, 92: 480-490. PMID: 35305820, PMCID: PMC9372235, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEnvironmental insultsMore superficial layersDorsolateral prefrontal cortexPrimate dlPFCInflammatory mechanismsInflammatory insultKynurenic acidNMDA receptorsReceptor neurotransmissionDendritic spinesLayer IIICAMP/PKAGlutamatergic synapsePrefrontal cortexInsultPotassium channelsNeurotransmissionCalcium signalingSynapsesGenetic insultsSuperficial layersSchizophreniaSpineCortexNeuromodulation
2021
M1 receptors interacting with NMDAR enhance delay-related neuronal firing and improve working memory performance
Galvin VC, Yang S, Lowet AS, Datta D, Duque A, Arnsten AF, Wang M. M1 receptors interacting with NMDAR enhance delay-related neuronal firing and improve working memory performance. Current Research In Neurobiology 2021, 2: 100016. PMID: 35098156, PMCID: PMC8794314, DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2021.100016.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNicotinic α7 receptorsMemory performanceMemory taskNMDA receptorsSingle neuron activityMemory circuitryDLPFCPrimate dlPFCΑ7 receptorsM1 receptorsCognitive disordersDLPFC circuitryPermissive actionPersistent activityGlutamatergic NMDA receptorsNMDAR dysfunctionMemoryNMDAR blockadeMuscarinic M1 receptorsTreatment of schizophreniaRecurrent excitatory circuitsPositive allosteric modulatorsNMDA applicationExcitatory circuitsNeuronal activityNMDAR Neurotransmission Needed for Persistent Neuronal Firing: Potential Roles in Mental Disorders
Yang S, Seo H, Wang M, Arnsten AFT. NMDAR Neurotransmission Needed for Persistent Neuronal Firing: Potential Roles in Mental Disorders. Frontiers In Psychiatry 2021, 12: 654322. PMID: 33897503, PMCID: PMC8064413, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.654322.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMental representationsCingulate cortexCognitive deficitsMood statesNMDAR neurotransmissionAversive mood statesRegulation of emotionDorsolateral prefrontal cortexNMDAR transmissionSubgenual cingulate cortexMemory reliesSensory eventsKynurenic acidAversive experiencesVisual stimuliNeuronal firingMedial PFCPrefrontal cortexAbstract thoughtPFC areasDLPFCPersistent neuronal firingBlockade of NMDARsPrimate cingulate cortexVisceral responses