Lei LI
Email：lei.li(at)pku(dot)edu(dot)cn
Research interest: Plant Biology
Research Area:
The main objective is to illustrate how plants achieve optimal growth and development by orchestrating responses to internal signals and external stimuli. Current focus is on the microRNA-centered gene networks, and systematic improvement of crop traits through genetic engineering of the microRNA networks. In the model plant Arabidopsis, by integrating global data on transcription factors, microRNA promoters, and microRNA target spectrum, we have constructed a transcription factor-microRNA-target network. Combining molecular genetics, cell biology, genomics, and modeling approaches, we isolated and characterized several microRNA modules. These efforts expanded our knowledge on plant microRNAs and their function in plant development and adaptation. Meanwhile, we have performed comparative genomics and molecular studies to examine microRNAs across several plant lineages to prove that integration of lineage-specific microRNAs into the regulatory networks is a drive force for genetic diversity. This effort is useful to provide new ideas and materials for biotechnology in agriculture.
Selected Publications:
1. Zhang H, Zhao X, Li J, Cai C, Deng X, Li L* (2014) MicroRNA408 is critical for the HY5-SPL7 gene network that mediates the coordinated response to light and copper. Plant Cell 26: 4933-4953.
2. Zhang H, Li L* (2013) SQUAMOSA Promoter Binding Protein-Like7 regulated microRNA408 is required for vegetative development in Arabidopsis. Plant J 74: 98-109.
3. Yang X, Zhang H, Li L* (2012) Alternative mRNA processing increases the complexity of microRNA-based gene regulation in Arabidopsis. Plant J 70: 421-431.
4. Yang X, Li L* (2011) miRDeep-P: a computational tool for analyzing the microRNA transcriptome in plants. Bioinformatics 27: 2614-2615.
5. Li L*, Wang X, Stolc V, Li X, Zhang D, Su N, Tongprasit W, Li S, Cheng Z, Wang J, Deng X (2006) Genome-wide transcription analyses in rice using tiling microarrays. Nat Genet 38: 124-129.
6. Li L*, He H, Zhang J, Wang X, Bai S, Stolc V, Tongprasit W, Young ND, Yu O, Deng X (2008) Transcriptional analysis of highly syntenic regions between Medicago truncatula and Glycine max using tiling microarrays. Genome Biol 9: R57.
7. Li L*, Wang X, Xia M, Stolc V, Su N, Peng Z, Li S, Wang J, Wang X, Deng X (2005) Tiling microarray analysis of rice chromosome 10 to identify the transcriptome and relate its expression to chromosomal architecture. Genome Biol 6: R52.