Liuxinqi

My laboratory works on the structural and functional studies of the molecules involved in immune responses following the infection of pathogenic microbes, such as Toll-like receptors and Nod-like receptors in innate immunity. My interest also includes the Bcl-2 family proteins and other related apoptotic molecules playing important roles in tumorigenesis and neural degeneration. Currently three specific focuses are ongoing and seeking chances for collaboration: (1) Structural studies of HIV (serotype CRF07 B/C epidemic in China) envelope protein gp120 and its CD4 receptor complex. (2) Molecules in antiviral innate immune response, such as RIG-I, MAVS and MITA. (3) Bcl-2 mutants that form pro-apoptotic complex.

1990-1994 B.S. in Microbiology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China 1994-1999 Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Chain.

10/1999-06/2004, Postdoctoral Fellow, National Jewish Health/ Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Colorado, USA. 07/2004-10/2007, Research Scientist, Department of Biology, Purdue University, Indiana, USA 05/2008-, Professor, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University

Research Interests:

lStructure of HIV envelope and receptors.

lMechanisms of anti-viral proteins in host.

lStructure of proteins in apoptosis and autophagy.

1.Zhu T., Wu Y., Yang X., Chen W., Gong Q., and Liu X. (2018). The Asparagine-rich Protein NRP Facilitates the Degradation of the PP6-type Phosphatase FyPP3 to Promote ABA Response in Arabidopsis. Mol. Plant. 2018 Feb 5;11(2):257-268. doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2017.11.006.

2.Zhou R, Zhu T, Han L, Liu M, Xu M, Liu Y, Han D, Qiu D, Gong Q, Liu X. The asparagine-rich protein NRP interacts with the Verticillium effector PevD1 and regulates the subcellular localization of cryptochrome 2. J Exp Bot. 2017 Jun 15;68(13):3427-3440. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erx192.

3.Duan LW, Zhang H, Zhao MT, Sun JX, Chen WL, Lin JP, Liu XQ. A non-canonical binding interface in the crystal structure of HIV-1 gp120 core in complex with CD4. Sci Rep. 2017 Apr 21;7:46733. doi: 10.1038/srep46733.

4.Ma J, Zhang X, Feng Y, Zhang H, Wang X, Zheng Y, Qiao W, Liu X. Structural and Functional Study of Apoptosis-linked Gene-2·Heme-binding Protein 2 Interactions in HIV-1 Production. J Biol Chem. 2016 Dec 23;291(52):26670-26685. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.752444.

5.Liu M, Duan L, Wang M, Zeng H, Liu X, Qiu D. Crystal structure analysis and the identification of distinctive functional regions of the protein elicitor mohrip2. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2016, 7, 1103. doi:10.3389.

6.Li G, Zhang H, Sun Z, Liu X, Reetz M. Multiparameter optimization in directed evolution: engineering thermostability, enantioselectivity, and activity of an epoxide hydrolase. ACS Catalysis. 2016, 6, 3679-3687.

7.Duan L, Du J, Wang X, Zhou J, Wang X, Liu X. Structural and functional characterization of EIAV gp45 fusion peptide proximal region and asparagine-rich layer. Virology. 2016, 491, 64-72.

8.Duan L, Du J, Liu X. Insights into vaccine development for acquired immune deficiency syndrome from crystal structures of human immunodeficiency virus-1 gp41 and equine infectious anemia virus gp45. Protein Sci. 2015 Oct;24(10):1549-59. doi: 10.1002/pro.2750.

9.Han X, Qian L, Zhang L, Liu X. Structural and biochemical insights into nucleotide-rhamnose synthase/epimerase-reductase from Arabidopsis thaliana. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2015 Oct;1854(10 Pt A):1476-86. doi: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2015.06.007.

10.Qian L, Han X, Liu X. Structural insight into equine lentivirus receptor 1. Protein Sci. 2015 May;24(5):633-42. doi: 10.1002/pro.2634. 

11.Qian L, Liu X. Purification, characterization and structure of nucleoside diphosphate kinase from Drosophila melanogaster. Protein Expression and Purification. 2014, 103, 48-55.

12.Du J, Wang X, Ma J, Wang J, Qin Y, Zhu C, Liu F, Shao Y, Zhou J, Qiao W, Liu X. Structural and biochemical insights into the V/I505T mutation found in the EIAV gp45 vaccine strain. Retrovirology. 2014 ;11:26. doi: 10.1186/1742-4690-11-26.

13.Han X, Xiong X, Jiang D, Chen S, Huang E, Zhang W, Liu X. Crystal structure of L-sorbose dehydrogenase, a pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent enzyme with homodimeric assembly, from Ketogulonicigenium vulgare. Biotechnol Lett. 2014 May;36(5):1001-8. doi: 10.1007/s10529-013-1446-5. Epub 2014 Feb 21.

14.Han X, Xiong X, Hu X, Li M, Zhang W, Liu X. Crystallization and structural analysis of 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase from Ketogulonicigenium vulgare. Biotechnol Lett. 2014 Feb;36(2):295-300. doi: 10.1007/s10529-013-1354-8. Epub 2013 Sep 26.

15.Du J, Xue H, Ma J, Liu F, Zhou J, Shao Y, Qiao W, Liu X. The crystal structure of HIV CRF07 B’/C gp41 reveals a hyper-mutant site in the middle of HR2 heptad repeat. Virology. November 2013, 446, 86-94.

16.Feng Y, Yu W, Li X, Lin S, Zhou Y, Hu J, Liu X. Structural insight into Golgi membrane stacking by GRASP65 and GRASP55. J Biol Chem. 2013, 288(39):28418-27.

17.Li X, Feng Y, Liu X. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of GRASP65 GRASP domain from Rattus norvegicus. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun. 2013 Jul; 69(Pt 7):792-5.

18.Li L, Li X, Liu X, Dong Y, Geng Y, Liu X, Ning W. Expression, characterization, and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of recombinant murine Follistatin-like 1 expressed in Drosophila S2 cells. BioScience Trends. 2013; 7(2):93-100.

19.Wang J, Xu M, Zhu K, Li L*, Liu X*. The N-terminus of FILIA Forms an Atypical KH Domain with a Unique Extension Involved in Interaction with RNA. PLoS ONE, 2012, 7(1): e30209. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0030209.

20.Chen Y, Su C, Ke M, Jin X, Xu L, Zhang Z, Wu A, Sun Y, Yang Z, Tien P, Ahola T, Liang Y, Liu X*, Guo D*. Biochemical and Structural Insights into the Mechanisms of SARS Coronavirus RNA Ribose 2′-O-Methylation by nsp16/nsp10 Protein Complex. PLoS Pathogens, 2011, 7(10): e1002294. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002294.

21.Sun P, Lv S, Zhou J, Liu X*. Cloning, expression and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) gp45 ectodomain. Acta Crystallographica Section F. 2011, 67, 482-485.

22.Bian X, Klemm RW, Liu TY, Zhang M, Sun S, Sui X, Liu X*, Rapoport TA*, and Hu J*. Structures of the atlastin GTPase provide insight into homotypic fusion of endoplasmic reticulum membranes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. U S A. 2011, 108 (10), 3976-3981.

23.Wang J, Zhang T, Liu X*. Preliminary crystallographic analysis of the N-terminal domain of FILIA, a protein essential for embryogenesis. Acta crystallgrophy F. 2010, 66, 1111-1114.

24.Xinqi Liu, Yanan Zhu, Shaodong Dai, Janice White, Fred Peyerl, John W. Kappler, and Philippa Marrack. Bcl-xl does not have to bind Bax to protect T cells from death. Journal of Experimental Medicine. (2006). 203, 2953-2961.

25.Yanan Zhu, Xinqi Liu, David Hildeman, Fred W. Peyerl, Janice White, Elenora Kushnir, John Kappler, and Philippa Marrack. Bax does not have to adopt its final form to drive T cell death. (2006). Journal of Experimental Medicine. 203, 1147-1152.

26.Xinqi Liu, Shaodong Dai, Yanan Zhu, Philippa Marrack, and John W. Kappler. The structure of a Bcl-xL/Bim complex: Implications for Bax/Bak activation. Immunity. (2003). 19, 341-52.

27.Xinqi Liu, Shaodong Dai, Frances Crawford, Rachel Fruge, Philippa Marrack, and John Kappler. Alternate interactions define the binding of peptides to the MHC molecule IAb. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. (2002), 99, 8820-8825.

editorial member of Scientific reports.

Biochemistry, General Biology, Structural Biology.

Excellent talents in new century