Zhihua Liu
Mail：zhihualiu@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
Tel：+86-10-64888004
Primary Research Areas and Focus:
Our laboratory is dedicated to unraveling the complex intercellular communication networks within and beyond living organisms. What are the roles of the hundreds of billions of gut microbiota in our system? How do macrophages perceive the metabolic activities of parenchymal cells to regulate the tissue microenvironment? Our research revolves around these two seemingly unrelated yet intrinsically connected questions. We focus on microbiota-derived signals and metabolic signals from parenchymal cells to investigate the mechanisms maintaining intestinal homeostasis, analyze the synergistic interactions between macrophages and parenchymal cells in tissues, and explore how different life entities (microbiota vs. host cells, macrophages vs. parenchymal cells) "communicate" via chemical signals to sustain overall homeostasis and health. Collectively, we aim to reveal the foundational logic of life as a complex system.
Selected publications:
1.Yinghui Li, Xingchen Liu, Xue Sun, Hui Li, Shige Wang, Wotu Tian, Chen Xiang, Xuyuan Zhang, Jiajia Zheng, Haifang Wang, Liguo Zhang, Li Cao*, Catherine CL Wong* and Zhihua Liu*(2024). Gut dysbiosis impairs intestinal renewal and lipid absorption in Scarb2 deficiency-associated neurodegeneration. Protein & Cell, 15(11):818-839.
2.Chengye Zhang, Chen Xiang, Kaichen Zhou, Xingchen Liu, Guofeng Qiao, Yabo Zhao, Kemeng Dong, Ke Sun, and Zhihua Liu*(2024). Intestinal Lysozyme1 Deficiency Alters Microbiota Composition and Impacts Host Metabolism Through the Emergence of NAD+-Secreting ASTB Qing110 Bacteria. mSystems, 9(3):e0121423.
3.Haiyuan Shen, Liangliang Zhou, Hao Zhang, Yuanru Yang, Ling Jiang, Dongqing Wu, Hang Shu, Hejiao Zhang, Linxi Xie, Kaichen Zhou, Chen Cheng, Lei Yang, Jiali Jiang, Siya Wang, Yiran Han, Jiayi Zhu, Long Xu, Zhihua Liu*, Hua Wang*, and Shi Yin*（2024）. Dietary fiber alleviates alcoholic liver injury via Bacteroides acidifaciens and subsequent ammonia detoxification. Cell Host & Microbe, 32(8):1331-1346.e6.
4.Dongju Wang, Haifang Wang, Wei Wan, Zihui Zhu, Takami Sho, Yi Zheng, Xing Zhang, Longyu Dou, Qiang Ding, Li Yu* & Zhihua Liu*(2024). Engineered Migrasomes: A Robust, Thermally Stable Vaccination Platform. eLife accepted.
5.Lingjuan Jiang, Mengmeng Shang, Shengnan Yu, Yudong Liu, Hui Zhang, Yangzhong Zhou, Min Wang, Tingting Wang, Hui Li, Zhihua Liu*and Xuan Zhang*(2023). A high-fiber diet synergizes with Prevotella copri and exacerbates rheumatoid arthritis. Cell Mol Immunol, 19(12):1414-1424.
6.Dong Wu, Kaichen Zhou, Meng Xiao, Zhihua Liu*, Shuyang Zhang*(2022). Differences in intestinal microbiome are associated with the mortality of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units. Science China Life sciences, 65(5):1040-1042.
7.Chen Xiang, Peihua Chen, Qin Zhang, Yinghui Li, Ying Pan, Wenchun Xie, Jianyuan Sun, Zhihua Liu*(2021). Intestinal microbiota modulates adrenomedullary response through Nod1 sensing in chromaffin cells. iScience, 24(8):102849.
8.Haifang Wang, Xueying Shen, Xiaojiao Zheng, Ying Pan, Qin Zhang, Zhihua Liu*(2021). Intestinal lysozyme releases Nod2 ligand(s) to promote the intestinal mucosal adjuvant activity of cholera toxin. Science China Life sciences, 64(10):1720-1731.
9.Jiaying Yu, Xin He, Aihua Wei, Teng Liu, Qin Zhang, Ying Pan, Zhenhua Hao, Lin Yang, Yefeng Yuan, Zhao Zhang, Chang Zhang, Chanjuan Hao, Zhihua Liu*, Wei Li*(2020). HPS1 Regulates the Maturation of Large Dense Core Vesicles and Lysozyme Secretion in Paneth Cells. Frontiers in immunology, 11:560110.
10.Qin Zhang, Ying Pan, Benhua Zeng, Xiaojiao Zheng, Haifang Wang, Xueying Shen, Hui Li, Qian Jiang, Jiaxu Zhao, Zhuo-Xian Meng, Pingping Li, Zhengjun Chen, Hong Wei* and Zhihua Liu*(2019). Intestinal lysozyme liberates Nod1 ligands from microbes to direct insulin trafficking in pancreatic beta cells, Cell Research, 29(7):516-532.
