中枢神经系统是脊椎动物调控最复杂、最严谨的重要器官之一，神经细胞相互之间形成的神经突触以及其介导的信息传递是大脑一个基本而又独特的性质，也是神经网络发挥功能的基础。在演化过程中，人类大脑无论从结构还是功能上都发生急剧变化，而突触进化则被认为是神经系统进化的基础。人类在获得高级认知功能的同时，也增加了罹患人类所特有的神经精神疾病风险。本学科组围绕神经突触的进化发育和突触传递的生理与病理机制，结合利用神经电生理与发育生物学、分子生物学、细胞生物学和神经药理学等技术手段。

主要开展如下三个方面的研究：

（1）神经突触正常生理活性和病理过程的调控机制；

（2）灵长类神经突触进化发育和突触传递特异性的遗传分子基础；

（3）人类神经环路功能进化与神经精神疾病的内在联系及分子机制。 

 Sheng N*, Bemben MA, Díaz-Alonso J, Tao W, Shi YS, Nicoll RA*. 2018. LTP requires postsynaptic PDZ-domain interactions with glutamate receptor/auxiliary protein complexes.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(15), 3948-3953. 

Tao W, Díaz-Alonso J,Sheng N, Roger A. Nicoll. 2018. Postsynaptic δ1 glutamate receptor assembles and maintains hippocampal synapses via Cbln2 and neurexin.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(23), E5373-E5381. 

Sheng N, Shi YS, Nicoll RA. 2017. Amino-terminal domains of kainate receptors determine the differential dependence on Neto auxiliary subunits for trafficking.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(5), 1159-1164.

Sheng N, Yang J, Silm K, Edwards RH, Nicoll RA. 2017. A slow excitatory postsynaptic current mediated by a novel metabotropic glutamate receptor in CA1 pyramidal neurons.Neuropharmacology, 115, 4-9. 

Lomash RM, Sheng N, Li Y, Nicoll RA, Roche KW. 2017. Phosphorylation of the kainate receptor (KAR) auxiliary subunit Neto2 at Serine 409 regulates synaptic targeting of the KAR subunit GluK1.Journal of Biological Chemistry, 292(37), 15369-15377. 

Sheng N, Shi YS, Lomash RM, Roche KW, Nicoll RA. 2015. Neto auxiliary proteins control both the trafficking and biophysical properties of the kainate receptor GluK1.Elife, 3, e11682. 

Yue W, Li Y, Zhang T, Jiang M, Qian Y, Zhang M,Sheng N, Feng S, Tang K, Yu X, Shu Y, Yue C, Jing N. 2015. ESC-Derived Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Neurons Ameliorate the Cognitive Symptoms Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease in Mouse Models.Stem Cell Reports, 5(5), 776-90. 

Zhu Q, Song L, Peng G, Sun N, Chen J, Zhang T, Sheng N, Tang W, Qian C, Qiao Y, Tang K, Han JD, Li J, Jing N. 2014. The transcription factor Pou3f1 promotes neural fate commitment via activation of neural lineage genes and inhibition of external signaling pathways.Elife, 3, e02224. 

Fu Y, Tucciarone JM, Espinosa JS,Sheng N, Darcy DP, Nicoll RA, Huang ZJ, Stryker MP. 2014. A cortical circuit for gain control by behavioral state.Cell, 156(6), 1139-1152. 

Qiao Y, Zhu Y,Sheng N, Chen J, Tao R, Zhu Q, Zhang T, Qian C, Jing N. 2012. AP2γ regulates neural and epidermal development downstream of the BMP pathway at early stages of ectodermal patterning.Cell Research, 22(11), 1546–1561. 

Sheng N, Xie Z, Wang C, Bai G, Zhang K, Zhu Q, Song J, Guillemot F, Chen YG, Lin A, Jing N. 2010. Retinoic acid regulates bone morphogenic protein signal duration by promoting the degradation of phosphorylated Smad1.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(44), 18886-18891. 

Hu Z, Wang C, Xiao Y,Sheng N, Chen Y, Xu Y, Zhang L, Mo W, Jing N, Hu G. 2009. NDST1-dependent heparan sulfate regulates BMP signaling and internalization in lung development.Journal of Cell Science, 122(Pt 8), 1145-1154. 

Bai G,Sheng N, Xie Z, Bian W, Yokota Y, Benezra R, Kageyama R, Guillemot F, Jing N. 2007. Id sustains Hes1 expression to inhibit precocious neurogenesis by releasing negative autoregulation of Hes1.Developmental Cell, 13(2), 283-297.