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生命科学论坛
6月28日 清华大学生物论坛
发布时间:2013-06-20关键字:

Ji-long Liu

Programme Leader, MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics,  University of Oxford

 

EDUCATION

1997-2000           PhD, Physiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

1992-1995           MSc, Animal Physiology & Biochemistry (neurophysiology), China Agricultural University

1988-1992           BSc, Forest Conservation, Beijing Forestry University

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2012-present  Programme Leader (tenured), MRC Functional Genomics Unit, University of Oxford

 

2007-2011     Programme Leader-track, MRC Functional Genomics Unit, University of Oxford

 

2003-2007    Postdoctoral fellow, Carnegie Institution Department of Embryology, Advisor: Professor Joseph G. Gall

 

2000–2002  Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Animal Science/Center for Regenerative Biology, University of Connecticut, Advisor: Professor Xiangzhong (Jerry) Yang

 

Title: Cytoophidia, CTP synthase and Cancer

 

Intracellular compartments such as organelles are essential for a cell’s function. RNA occurs in every compartment in a cell. Research in the Liu group focuses on three fundamental questions relating to RNA, for which we seek an in vivo understanding. We choose the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster as our prime model system because of its genetic tractability and the depth of genomic data. Studies in Drosophila have provided a key to vertebrate development and human biology.

First, we will study the mechanisms by which the synthesis of CTP, one of the critical precursors of RNA and DNA, is compartmentalized  within  a  cell.  We  have  recently discovered  that  CTP  synthase  is  compartmentalized  in  a novel  evolutionarily  conserved  organelle,  the cytoophidium.  Compartmentation  is  essential  for  the localization of biological processes within a eukaryotic cell. CTP synthase has been an attractive target for developing agents  against  cancer,  virus  and  parasites.  We  will investigate  how  CTP  synthase  is  assembled  into  the cytoophidium  and  how  the  cytoophidium  is  linked  to cancer biology.

Second,  we  are  interested  in  the  biological  roles  of  long noncoding RNAs in Drosophila. While much knowledge has been gained on the functionality of protein-coding genes, we know very little about the mechanisms by which noncoding RNAs function in a fly. We will analyse the spatial and temporal expression of long noncoding  RNAs  during  Drosophila  development  and  will  investigate  the  underlying  mechanisms  of how they function in vivo.

Finally, we will investigate how an RNP assembly and RNA splicing factor SMN and the abundance of U bodies are regulated during development. SMN, a major constituent of U bodies which contain snRNPs, is the determining factor for SMA. The study of SMN and the U body thus holds the key to identifying the  cellular  mechanism  of  SMA.  We  are  particularly  excited  to  investigate  the  role  of  SMN  in  the maintenance of stem cells and their pluripotency.

 

Venue: Room B323, Medical Science Building (医学科学楼), THU

Time: June 28 (Friday), 2013; 15:00-17:00

Host: Prof. Jianquan Ni

 




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