Proteasome Biology and Regulation Laboratory
Welcome to the Li Lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Science at the Florida Institute of Technology!
We are interested in understanding proteasome trafficking and degradation at the cellular and molecular levels. Our goal is to transform the mechanistic understandings of cellular stress response and proteasome regulation into novel therapeutic targets and strategies for treating disease and aging.
Our current research program concentrates on proteasome regulation. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) touches almost every aspect of cellular processes and is central to protein homeostasis in cells. Dysfunction of the UPS has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many human diseases, including various cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. We are using yeast genetics, cell and molecular biology, structural biology, and protein biochemistry tools to explore how cell signaling pathways and autophagy precisely regulate proteasome nucleocytoplasmic trafficking and degradation under changing nutrient conditions. We also collaborate with structural biologists to solve the structures of proteasome assembly intermediates and provide structural basis for understanding proteasome biogenesis and novel drug development. What we learned from our research projects will advance the field of proteasome regulation and offer therapeutic targets for manipulating proteasome function and homeostasis in human disease treatment.
We are interested in understanding proteasome trafficking and degradation at the cellular and molecular levels. Our goal is to transform the mechanistic understandings of cellular stress response and proteasome regulation into novel therapeutic targets and strategies for treating disease and aging.
Our current research program concentrates on proteasome regulation. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) touches almost every aspect of cellular processes and is central to protein homeostasis in cells. Dysfunction of the UPS has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many human diseases, including various cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. We are using yeast genetics, cell and molecular biology, structural biology, and protein biochemistry tools to explore how cell signaling pathways and autophagy precisely regulate proteasome nucleocytoplasmic trafficking and degradation under changing nutrient conditions. We also collaborate with structural biologists to solve the structures of proteasome assembly intermediates and provide structural basis for understanding proteasome biogenesis and novel drug development. What we learned from our research projects will advance the field of proteasome regulation and offer therapeutic targets for manipulating proteasome function and homeostasis in human disease treatment.
Current research projects: Cellular regulation of proteasome trafficking and homeostasis
Proteasome trafficking:
1. How AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates proteasome storage granule dissipation?
2. How Sem1 regulates proteasome nuclear export?
Proteasome homeostasis:
3. How AMPK initiates endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT)-dependent microautophagy?
4. Structure-based drug design for novel proteasome inhibitor development
Proteasome trafficking:
1. How AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates proteasome storage granule dissipation?
2. How Sem1 regulates proteasome nuclear export?
Proteasome homeostasis:
3. How AMPK initiates endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT)-dependent microautophagy?
4. Structure-based drug design for novel proteasome inhibitor development
Interested in doing research in the lab, please contact me at [email protected], phone number: (321) 674-7152.
Our research is supported by Florida Tech Startup and Holzer - Lequear Endowment.