Mechanism of chemoresistance in brain cancer patients revealed

Prof. Jiguang Wang elucidated the mechanism of resistance to TMZ in a subset of glioma patients and published their research in Nature Communications. Read More

A novel molecular mechanism regulating planar cell polarity, shedding light on drug design for cancer treatment

Prof. Yusong Guo and his collaborators, Prof. Liwen Jiang at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Prof. Yan Yan at LIFS of HKUST, have discovered a novel molecular mechanism that controls the delivery of a key protein in PCP. Their findings, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, can provide useful guidance on the development of new drugs for cancer treatment. Read More

How multiple RNA elements control MicroRNA biogenesis

A research team led by Prof. Tuan Anh NGUYEN, Assistant Professor in the Division of Life Science at HKUST, recently discovered how RNA elements in the upper stem of pri-mRNAs affect the action of Microprocessor. Read More

Pathogenesis of Usher syndrome, a hereditary deafness disease

Prof. Mingjie Zhang published in Cell Reports that a point mutation of Myo7a (Myosin VIIa) found in Usher syndrome patients leads to disruption of the hair cell tip-link protein complex formation through liquid-liquid phase separation. Read More

Target binding mechanisms governing the WW domain-containing proteins decoded

Prof. Mingjie Zhang and his collaborators decoded the binding mechanisms governing the WW domain tandem-containing proteins. Their findings, published in eLife, reveal the recognition mechanisms of tandem WW domains with their peptide ligands which can serve as a guiding tool for functional studies of WW domain-containing proteins in the future. Read More

LIFS researchers reveal mechanism governing AMPAR synaptic targeting and clustering

Prof. Mingjie Zhang and his team reported that stargazin uses its entire C-terminal tail bind PSD-95 via a specific and multivalent interaction mode. Their findings, published in Neuron, reveal the mechanism of AMPA receptor synaptic trafficking and transmission at the neuronal synapses. Read More

An iPSC model reveals the underlying mechanism of transcriptional and synaptic dysregulation in mental disorders

Prof. Mingjie Zhang and his collaborators Prof. Ming from the University of Pennsylvania reported a DISC1 and ATF4 interaction in iPSC-derived neurons with a DISC1 mutation. Their findings, published in Molecular Psychiatry, reveal the underlying mechanisms linking the genetic lesion and functional phenotypes of psychiatric disorders. Read More