Maojun YANG

 

E-mail: maojunyang(at)mail(dot)tsinghua(dot)edu(dot)cn

 

Research Area:

Prof. Yang’s laboratory aims at understanding the structural and biological function of the proteins which involving in protein ubiquitination pathways of tumorigenesis and severe diseases. Cancer-testis antigens are genes whose expression is typically restricted to cells of the germline and trophoblast lineage, but are aberrantly expressed in a wide variety of human tumors. The list of cancer-testis antigens has grown over the past two decades to include more than 60 different genes, with new genes continuing to be discovered. In our recent studies, we discovered the MAGE protein were associated with the RING domain proteins to promote several proteins ubiquitination and degradation. The Hedgehog (Hh) signal pathway controls embryonic cuticle pattern. The past decade has witnessed an explosion of information regarding the multifaceted roles of Hh signaling in development and disease as well as the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying Hh signal production and transduction.
 

Selected Publications:

1. Feng Y, Li W, Li J, Wang J, Ge J, Xu D, Liu Y, Wu K, Zeng Q, Wu JW, Tian C, Zhou B, Yang M*..Structural insight into the type-II mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenases. Nature. 2012 Nov 15;491(7424):478-82.

2. Zhang X, Wang J, Feng Y, Ge J, Li W, Sun W, Iscla I, Yu J, Blount P, Li Y*, Yang M*. Structure and molecular mechanism of an anion-selective mechanosensitive channel of small conductance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Oct 30;109(44):18180-5.

3. Xiang H, Feng Y, Wang J, Liu B, Chen Y, Liu L, Deng X*, Yang M*. Crystal structures reveal the multi-ligand binding mechanism of Staphylococcus aureus ClfB. PLoS Pathog. 2012;8(6):e1002751. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002751. Epub 2012 Jun 14.

4. She J, Han Z, Kim TW, Wang J, Cheng W, Chang J, Shi S, Wang J, Yang M, Wang ZY, Chai J. Structural insight into brassinosteroid perception by BRI1. NATURE 474(7352):472-6, 2011.

5. Zhang JH, Ge L, Qi W, Zhang L, Miao HH, Li BL, Yang M, Song BL. The N-terminal domain of NPC1L1 binds cholesterol and plays essential roles in cholesterol uptake. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 2011 May 20. 

6. Feng Y, Gao JL, Yang MJ#. When MAGE meets RING: insights into biological functions of MAGE proteins. PROTEIN&CELL 2(1): 7-12, 2011 (#corresponding).

7. Doyle JM, Gao JL, Wang JW, Yang MJ, Potts PR#.MAGE-RING protein complexes comprise a family of E3 ubiquitin ligases. MOLECULAR CELL 39(6): 963-974, 2010 (#corresponding).

8. Kang JS*, Yang MJ*, Li B, Qi W, Zhang C, Shokat KM, Tomchick DR, Machius M, Yu HT. Structure and substrate recruitment of the human spindle checkpoint kinase Bub1. MOLECULAR CELL 32(3):394-405, 2008 (* indicates equal contributions.)

9. Chen X, Hu T, Liang G, Yang M, Zong S, Miao S, Koide SS, Wang L. A novel testis protein, RSB-66, interacting with INCA1. BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY 86(4):345-51, 2008.

10. Yang M, Li B, Liu CJ, Tomchick DR, Machius M, Rizo J, Yu H, Luo X. Insights into mad2 regulation in the spindle checkpoint revealed by the crystal structure of the symmetric mad2 dimer. PLOS BIOLOGY 6(3):e50, 2008.

11. Yang M, Li B, Tomchick DR, Machius M, Rizo J, Yu H, Luo X. p31comet blocks Mad2 activation through structural mimicry. CELL131(4):744-55, 2007.