Li-Lin Du, Ph.D.
Professor, TIMBR, Investigator, NIBS, Beijing, China
Education
2001 Ph.D., Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry (MB&B), Yale University, USA
1995 M.Sc., Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
1992 B.Sc., Department of Biology, Nankai University, China
Experience
2001-2007 Postdoctoral Research Associate in Dr. Paul Russell's lab at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI),USA
2007-2013 Assistant Investigator, National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
2013-2021 Associate Investigator, National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
2021.6 Professor, TIMBR, Investigator, NIBS, Beijing, China
Research
Living organisms are complex systems controlled by thousands of genes, and these genes have been shaped by evolution over hundreds of millions of years. To gain a deep understanding of life, it is necessary to pursue how genotype determines phenotype at the systems level and to study the mechanisms and principles governing genome evolution. We use the fission yeastSchizosaccharomyces pombeas a model system to carry out research. Working with fission yeast has many advantages, including its small genome size, the ease of genetics and cell biology, and extensive homology between its genes and human genes. Our ongoing research mainly includes the following aspects:
1. Studying how selfish killer genes act and evolve.
2. Systematic investigation of bypassable gene essentiality.
3. Dissecting the molecular mechanisms of autophagy-related proteins.
Publications
1. Zhao D, Zou C-X, Liu X-M, Jiang Z-D, Yu Z-Q, Suo F, Du T-Y, Dong M-Q, He W, Du L-L (2020). A UPR-induced soluble ER-phagy receptor acts with VAPs to confer ER stress resistance. Mol. Cell 79:963
2. Li J, Wang H-T, Wang W-T, Zhang X-R, Suo F, Ren J-Y, Bi Y, Xue Y-X, Hu W, Dong M-Q, Du L-L (2019). Systematic analysis reveals the prevalence and principles of bypassable gene essentiality. Nat. Commun. 10:1002
3. Liu X-M, Yamasaki A, Du X-M, Coffman VC, Ohsumi Y, Nakatogawa H, Wu J-Q, Noda NN#, Du L-L#(2018). Lipidation-independent vacuolar functions of Atg8 rely on its noncanonical interaction with a vacuole membrane protein. eLife 7:e41237 (#co-corresponding authors).
4. Hu W, Jiang Z-D, Suo F, Zheng J-X, He W-Z, Du L-L (2017). A large gene family in fission yeast encodes spore killers that subvert Mendel’s law. eLife 6:e26057.
5. Wei Y, Diao L-X, Lu S, Wang H-T, Suo F, Dong M-Q, Du L-L (2017). SUMO-targeted DNA translocase Rrp2 protects the genome from Top2-induced DNA damage. Mol. Cell 66:581–596.
6. Liu X-M, Sun L-L, Hu W, Ding Y-H, Dong M-Q, Du L-L (2015). ESCRTs cooperate with a selective autophagy receptor to mediate vacuolar targeting of soluble cargos. Mol. Cell 59:1035-1042.
7. Zhang J-M, Liu X-M, Ding Y-H, Xiong L-Y, Ren J-Y, Zhou Z-X, Wang H-T, Zhang M-J, Yu Y, Dong M-Q, Du L-L (2014). Fission yeast Pxd1 promotes proper DNA Repair by activating Rad16(XPF) and inhibiting Dna2. PLoS Biol. 12:e1001946.
8. Sun L-L, Li M, Suo F, Liu X-M, Shen E-Z, Yang B, Dong M-Q, He W-Z, and Du L-L (2013). Global analysis of fission yeast mating genes reveals new autophagy factors. PLoS Genet. 9: e1003715.
9. Zhou Z-X, Zhang M-J, Peng X, Takayama Y, Xu X-Y, Huang L-Z, and Du L-L (2013). Mapping genomic hotspots of DNA damage by a single-strand-DNA-compatible and strand-specific ChIP-seq method. Genome Res. 23: 705-715.
10. Han TX, Xu X-Y, Zhang M-J, Peng X, and Du L-L (2010). Global fitness profiling of fission yeast deletion strains by barcode sequencing. Genome Biol. 11: R60.
