Chao Xu, Ph. D
Professor, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China
443 Huangshan Street, Hefei City, Anhui 230027, P.R.China
Tel: (+86) 551-63600061, E-mail: xuchaor@ustc.edu.cn
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2016 – Present: Professor, School of Life Sciences, University of Science & Technology of China,
2009 – 2015: Postdoc, Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), University of Toronto, Canada,
2006 – 2008: Postdoc, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, USA
2000 – 2005: Ph.D. Biochemistry and molecular biology, School of Life Sciences,
University of Sciences and Technology of China, China
1996 – 2000: B.Sc. Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Sciences and Technology of China, China
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Our research aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying the complicated roles of chemical modifications in mediating the functions of biomacromolecules. Chemical biology, combined with structural biology, molecular biology and cell biology, is utilized for the development of potent chemical tools to interfere with chemical modifications and to examine how aberrant chemical modifications are associated with severe human diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Overall, by having an impact on our understanding of human biology mechanistically, our research will provide clue to the identification of important therapeutic target and to the treatment of human diseases.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (#: corresponding author; *: Co-first author)
After 2016 (inclusive):
1. #Chen X., #Raiff A., Li S., Guo Q., Zhang J., Zhou H., Timms R.T., Yao X., Elledge S.J., *Koren I., *Zhang K, *Xu C. Mechanism of Ψ-Pro/C-degron recognition by the CRL2FEM1B ubiquitin ligase Nat. Commun. 15(1):3558. (2024).
2. #Zhao S., #Olmayev-Yaakobov D., Ru W., Li S., Chen X., Zhang J., Yao X., *Koren I., *Zhang K., *Xu C. Molecular basis for C-degron recognition by CRL2APPBP2 ubiquitin ligase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 120(43): e2308870120. (2023).
3. #Wang X., #Xie H., Guo Q., Cao D., Ru W., Zhao S., Zhu Z., Zhang J., Pan W., Yao X., *Xu C. Molecular basis for METTL9-mediated N1-histidine methylation. Cell Discov. 9(1):38. (2023).
4. #Chen Z., #Lundy T., Zhu Z., Hoskins V.E., Zhang J., Yao X., *Strahl B.D., *Xu C. Molecular basis for Eaf3-mediated assembly of Rpd3S and NuA4. Cell Discov. 9(1):51. (2023).
5. Guo Q., Chen X., *Xu C. TRIM-away via Gln/C-degrons. Nat. Chem. Biol. 18 (11), 1168-1169. (2022).
6. #Guo Q., #Zhao S., #Francisco-Velilla R., Zhang J., Embarc-Buh A., Abellan S., Lv M., Tang P., Gong Q., Shen H., Sun L., Yao X., Min J., Shi Y., *Martínez-Salas E., *Zhang K., *Xu C. Structural basis for Gemin5 decamer-mediated mRNA binding. Nat. Commun. 13:5166. (2022).
7. #Wang X., #Zeng C., #Liao S., Zhu Z., Zhang J., Tu X., Yao X., *Feng X., *Guang S., *Xu C. Molecular basis for PICS-mediated piRNA biogenesis and cell division. Nat. Commun. 12: 5595. (2021).
8. #Chen X., #Liao X., #Makaros Y, Guo Q., Zhu Z., Krizelman R., Dahan K., Tu X., Yao X., *Koren I., *Xu C. Molecular basis for arginine C-terminal degron recognition by Cul2FEM1 E3 ligase. Nat. Chem. Biol. 17(3):254-262. (2021).
9. #Liao S., #Rajendraprasad G., #Wang N., Eibes S., Gao J., Yu H., Wu G., Tu X., *Huang H., *Barisic M. *Xu C. Molecular basis of vasohibins-mediated detyrosination and its impact on spindle function and mitosis. Cell Res. 29, 533-547. (2019).
10. #Zeng C., #Weng C., #Wang X., #Yan Y., Li W., Xu D., Hong M., Liao S., Dong M., *Feng X., *Xu C., *Guang S. Functional proteomics identified a PICS complex required for piRNA maturation and chromosome segregation. Cell. Rep. 27, 3561-3572.e3 (2019).
11. #Guo Q., #Liao S., #Kwiatkowski S., Tomaka W., Yu H., Wu G., Tu X., Min J., *Drozak J., *Xu C. Structural insights into SETD3-mediated histidine methylation on β-actin. eLife 8, e43676. (2019).
12. *Xu C., Ishikawa H., Izumikawa K., Li L., He H., Nobe Y., Yamauchi Y., Shahjee M.H., Wu X., Yu Y., Isobe T., Takahashi N., *Min J. Structural insights into Gemin5-guided selection of pre-snRNAs for snRNP assembly. Genes Dev. 30, 2376-2390. (2016).