Wen Liu, Ph.D.

Professor, “Min-Jiang” Scholar

Experience

Dr. Liu received his bachelor degree from the School of Life Sciences  at Xiamen University in China in 2001. He then worked as a research technician  at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute from 2002 to 2005 in the  United States. Dr. Liu earned his Ph.D. in Biology from the University of  California, San Diegoin 2011. He spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow in the  School of Medicine at University of California, San Diego prior to his  appointment as a full-time professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in  Xiamen University in 2013.He was awarded as “Min-Jiang Scholar Distinguished  Professor” and was elected to the “National Thousand Young Talents Program”. Dr.  Liu’s research work has beenpublished in prestigious journals such as Cell,Nature, Cancer Cell and Molecular Cell.

Research

The Liu laboratory is interested in studying the molecular mechanisms  underlying gene transcription regulation by epigenetic regulators, and its  implication in cancer and other human diseases. The epigenetic regulators  include but not limited to those histone/DAN/RNA modifying enzymes, “reader”  proteins recognizing such modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Based on the  molecular mechanisms identified, the Liu laboratory is also interested in the  screening, synthesizing and optimizing small molecule inhibitors which can  specifically and efficiently target to the epigenetic regulators of interest,  aiming to prevent and/or cure cancer and other human diseases. Dr.  Liu identified the first histone H4 lysine 20 demethylase named PHF8 and  described its role in cell cycle regulation and the underlying molecular  mechanisms. Recently, he revealed a novel paradigm in gene transcription  regulation, in which histone demethylase JMJD6 in conjunction with its  functional partner Brd4 regulates promoter-proximal Pol II pause release through  association with distal enhancers, which were defined as “Anti-pause Enhancers”.  The pause release function of JMJD6/Brd4 was primarily achieved through JMJD6  dual enzymatic activities targeting both histone and RNA methylation. The  aforementioned research findings along with others have been published in  several scientific journals with high impact factors, such as Cell, Nature, Cancer Cell and Molecular Cell.

Histone  Demethylase Function in Gene Transcription Regulation

Histone  Demethylase Function in Cell Cycle Progression

Team

WeiweiGao, Postdoctoral Fellow

Haifeng Shen, PhD Student

Mingfeng Huang, PhD Student

Bingling Peng, MasterStudent

Huanteng Xu, Master Student

Jia Yi, Master Student

Rongquan Xiao, Master Student

Taotao Shi, Master Student

Wenjuan Zhang, Research Technician in  Bioinformatics

Selected Publications:（last 5 years）

Liu W  ⃰#，Ma Q#, Wong K, Li W, Ohgi K, Zhang  J, Aggarwal AK, Rosenfeld MG⃰.Brd4 and JMJD6-Associated  Anti-Pause Enhancers in Regulation of Transcriptional Pause Release.Cell. 2013  Dec 19;155(7):1581-95. ( ⃰  共同通讯作者，#共同第一作者)

Liu W, Tanasa B,  Tyurina O.V., Zhou T.Y., Gassmann R, Liu W.T., Ohgi K.A., Benner C,  Garcia-Bassets I, Aggarwal A.K., Desai A, Dorrestein P.C., Glass C.K., Rosenfeld  M.G. PHF8 mediates histone H4 lysine 20 demethylation events involved in cell  cycle progression. Nature. 2010 Jul 22; 466(7305):508-12（第一作者）

Zhou Hu #, Liu  W#, Su Y, Wei Z, Liu J, Kolluri S.K., Wu H, Cao Y, Chen J, Wu Y, Yan T, Cao X,  Gao W, Molotkov A, Jiang F, Li W.G., Lin B, Zhang H.P., Yu J, Luo S.P., Zeng  J.Z., Duester G, Huang P.Q., Zhang X.K. NSAID sulindac and its analog bind  RXRalpha and inhibit RXRalpha-dependent AKT signaling. Cancer Cell. 2010 Jun  15;17(6):560-73 (#共同第一作者).

Yang L #,Lin C  #,Liu W, Zhang J, Ohgi K.A., Grinstein J.D, Dorrestein P.C., Rosenfeld M.G.  ncRNA- and Pc2 Methylation-dependent Gene Relocation between Nuclear Structures  Mediates Gene Activation Programs. Cell 2011 Nov 11; 147(4):773-88  (#共同第一作者).

Stender J.D.,  Pascual G, Liu W, Kaikkonen M.U., Do K, Spann N, Boutros M, Perrimon N,  Rosenfeld M.G., Glass C.K. Control of Pro-Inflammatory Gene Programs by  Regulated Trimethylation and Demethylation of Histone H4K20. Molecular Cell. 48,  1–11, October 12, 2012.

Zhou Z.H., Qiu,  J.S., Liu W, Zhou Y, Plocinik, M.R., Li, H.R., Hu, Q.D., Ghosh, G, Adams, J.A.,  Rosenfeld, M.G., Fu, X.D. The Akt-SRPK-SR Axis Constitutes a Major Pathway in  Transducing EGF Signaling to Regulate Alternative Splicing in the Nucleus.  Molecular Cell 2012 Aug 10; 47(1-12).

Tel:+86-592- 2881146

Fax: +86-592-2881146

E-mail: w2liu@xmu.edu.cn