Shutang Tan, Ph.D., Professor, Principal Investigator.
PERSONAL PROFILE
2020 – present Professor, Principal Investigator, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China
2015 – 2020 Postdoctoral researcher, Institute of Science and Technology Austria
2009 – 2015 Ph.D., Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2005 – 2009 B.S., , School of Life Science, Shandong University
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Plants have evolved high plasticity in their post-embryonic growth and development owing to their sessile lifestyles. This is ensured by complex molecular networks, requiring the interplay between different signalling pathways. Trained as a plant biologist since my Ph.D. study, I have always been fascinated by plants’ ability to adapt to various harsh environmental conditions. The Tan laboratory at University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) focuses on plant cell biology and root development. The ambition is to generate fundamental understandings of the biochemical, cellular and genetic principles that underlie the behaviour of plant biological systems.
Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and USTC, we combine multiple approaches to identify novel components involved in plant growth and development under highly fluctuating environmental conditions, and investigate the molecular mechanism underlying auxin regulating these processes. With the advantage of state-of-the-art microscopy and live-imaging approaches, we aim to advance our knowledge on the puzzle of auxin transport and signalling framework via a cell dynamics lens.
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS
1. Polar auxin transport in plants.
2. Roles of auxin in the regulation of plant shoot architecture and root system.
3. Auxin-central network for plant-environment interactions.
PUBLICATIONS
(#, contributed equally to the article; *, corresponding author).
2025
45. Caoli Zhang, and Shutang Tan*. Regulation of polar auxin transport by reversible protein phosphorylation in plant developmental plasticity. Critical Insights in Plant Science. 2025, in press.
44. Yulin Gan, Yakun Peng, and Shutang Tan*. Quantitative measurement of basipetal auxin transport in Arabidopsis roots via 3H-IAA labelling. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2025, in press.
43. Meng Chen#, Xian Wang#, Kai Pan, Mengjuan Kong, Ji She, Zhong Zhao, and Shutang Tan*. The SCOOP12-MIK2 module regulates Arabidopsis root meristem development via the PLETHORA transcription factors. The Plant Journal. 2025, 124(5):e70633.
DOI: 10.1111/tpj.70633. PMID: 41364809
42. Lesia Rodriguez#, Lukáš Fiedler#, Minxia Zou, Caterina Giannini, Aline Monzer, Dmitrii Vladimirtsev, Marek Randuch, Yongfan Yu, Zuzana Gelová, Inge Verstraeten, Jakub Hajný, Meng Chen, Shutang Tan, Lukas Hoermayer, Lanxin Li, Maria Mar Marques-Bueno, Zainab Quddoos, Gergely Molnár, Ivan Kulich, Yvon Jaillais and Jiří Friml*.ABP1/ABL3-TMK1 cell-surface auxin signaling targets PIN2-mediated auxin fluxes for root gravitropism. Cell. 2025, 188(22):6138-6150.e17.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.08.026 PMID: 41043433
41. Zhisen Yang#, Hong Wei#, Yulin Gan#, Huihui Liu#, Yang Cao, Huihui An, Xiuzheng Que, Yongxiang Gao, Lizhe Zhu, Shutang Tan*, Xin Liu* and Linfeng Sun*. Structural insights into auxin influx mediated by the Arabidopsis AUX1. Cell. 2025, 188(15):3960-3973.e15.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.04.028.PMID: 40378849
40. Hong Wei#, Heyuan Zhu#, Wei Ying#, Hilde Janssens, Miroslav Kvasnica, Johan M. Winne, Yongxiang Gao, Jiří Friml, Qian Ma, Shutang Tan*, Xin Liu*, Eugenia Russinova*, Linfeng Sun*. Structural insights into brassinosteroid export mediated by the Arabidopsis ABC transporter ABCB1. Plant Communications. 2025, 6(1): 101181.
DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.101181 PMID: 39497419
2024年
39. Yakun Peng, Kangkang Ji, Yanbo Mao, Yiqun Wang, Barbara Korbei, Christian Luschnig, Jinbo Shen, Eva Benková, Jiří Friml, & Shutang Tan*. Polarly localized Bro1 domain proteins regulate PIN-FORMED abundance and root gravitropic growth in Arabidopsis. Communications Biology. 2024, 7(1):1085.
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06747-9 PMID: 39232040
38. Xian Wang#, Meng Chen#, Jie Li, Mengjuan Kong*, and Shutang Tan*. The SCOOP-MIK2 immune pathway modulates Arabidopsis root growth and development by regulating PIN-FORMED abundance and auxin transport. The Plant Journal. 2024, 120(1):318-334.
DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16988 PMID: 39162107
37. Yue Sun#, Zhisen Yang#, Caoli Zhang#, Jing Xia#, Yawen Li, Xin Liu*, Linfeng Sun*, and Shutang Tan*. Indole-3-propionic acid regulates lateral root development by targeting auxin signaling in Arabidopsis.iScience. 2024, 27(7):110363.
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110363PMID: 39071891
36. Wei Ying#, Yaowei Wang#, Hong Wei#, Yongming Luo#, Qian, Ma, Heyuan, Zhu, Hilde Janssens, Nemanja Vukašinović, Miroslav Kvasnica, Johan M. Winne, Yongxiang Gao, Shutang Tan, Jiří Friml, Xin Liu*, Eugenia Russinova* & Linfeng Sun*. Structure and function of the Arabidopsis ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCB19 in brassinosteroid export.Science. 2024, 383(6689):eadj4591.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adj4591 PMID: 38513023
2023年
35. Suruchi Roychoudhry, Katelyn Sageman-Furnas, Chris Wolverton, Peter Grones, Shutang Tan, Gergely Molnar, Heather L. Goodman, Nicola Capstaff, Jack Mullen, Roger Hangarter, Jiři Friml, and Stefan Kepinski*. Antigravitropic PIN polarization maintains non-vertical growth in lateral roots. 2023. Nature Plants. 2023, 9(9):1500-1513.
DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01478-x PMID: 37666965
34. Jing Zhang; Pingxia Zhao*; Siyan Chen; Liangqi Sun; Jieli Mao; Shutang Tan; Chengbin Xiang*. The ABI3-ERF1 module mediates ABA-auxin crosstalk to regulate lateral root emergence. Cell Reports. 2023, 42(7):112809.
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112809 PMID: 37450369
33. Jing Xia#, Mengjuan Kong#, Zhisen Yang#, Lianghanxiao Sun, Yakun Peng, Yanbo Mao, Hong Wei, Wei Ying, Yongxiang Gao, Jiří Friml, Jianping Weng*, Xin Liu*, Linfeng Sun*, & Shutang Tan*. Chemical inhibition of Arabidopsis PIN-FORMED auxin transporters by the anti-inflammatory drug Naproxen. Plant Communications. 2023, 4(6): 100632..
DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100632 PMID: 37254481
32. Pingxia Zhao#,*, Jing Zhang#, Siyan Chen, Zisheng Zhang, Guangyu Wan, Jieli Mao, Zhen Wang, Shutang Tan, and Chengbin Xiang*. ERF1 inhibits lateral root emergence by promoting local auxin accumulation and repressing ARF7 expression. Cell Reports. 2023, 42(6): 112565.
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112565 PMID: 37224012
2022年
31. Mengjuan Kong, Xin Liu, Linfeng Sun*, and Shutang Tan*. Molecular mechanisms of N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid, a chemical tool in plant biology and agriculture. Molecular Horticulture. 2022, 2: 22. (Comment; *, corresponding author).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s43897-022-00043-y
30. Nataliia Konstantinova, Lukas Hörmayer, Matouš Glanc, Rabab Keshkeih, Shutang Tan, Martin Di Donato, Katarzyna Retzer, Jeanette Moulinier-Anzola, Max Schwihla, Barbara Korbei, Markus Geisler, Jiří Friml, and Christian Luschnig*. WAVY GROWTH Arabidopsis E3 ubiquitin ligases affect apical PIN sorting decisions.Nature Communications. 2022, 13: 5147. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32888-8
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32888-8 PMID: 36050482
29. Jiří Friml*, Michelle Gallei#, Zuzana Gelová#, Alexander Johnson#, Ewa Mazur#, Aline Monzer#, Lesia Rodriguez#, Mark Roosjen#, Inge Verstraeten#, Branka Zivanovic#, Minxia Zou#, Lukáš Fiedler, Caterina Giannini, Peter Grones, Monika Hrtyan,Walter A. Kaufmann, Madhumitha Narasimhan, Marek Randuch, Nikola Rýdza, Koji Takahashi, Shutang Tan, Toshinori Kinoshita, Dolf Weijers, Hana Rakusova. ABP1-TMK auxin perception for global phosphorylation and auxin canalization.Nature. 2022, 609(7927): 575–581.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05187-x PMID: 36071161
28. Zhisen Yang#, Jing Xia#, Jingjing Hong#, Chenxi Zhang, Hong Wei, Wei Ying, Chunqiao Sun, Lianghanxiao Sun, Yanbo Mao, Yongxiang Gao, Shutang Tan, Jiří Friml, Dianfan Li, Xin Liu*, and Linfeng Sun*. Structural insights into auxin recognition and efflux by Arabidopsis PIN1. Nature. 2022, 609(7927):611–615.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05143-9 PMID: 35917925
27. Jakub Hajný, Shutang Tan, and Jiří Friml*. Auxin canalization: From speculative models towards molecular players. Current Opinion in Plant Biology. 2022, 65:102174. (Review; *, corresponding author).
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102174 PMID: 35123880
2021
26. Yanbo Mao*, and Shutang Tan*. Functions and Mechanisms of SAC Phosphoinositide Phosphatases in Plants.Frontiers in Plant Science. 2021,12: 803635. (Review).
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.803635
25. Yakun Peng, and Shutang Tan*. TMK: A Crucial Piece of the Acid Growth Puzzle.Molecular Plant. 2021, 14(12): 1982–1984. (Spotlight).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2021.11.010 PMID: 34813950
24. Yanbo Mao*, and Shutang Tan*. Pollen hydration: A tale of two peptides.Molecular Plant. 2021, 14(7): 1049. (Editor’s Highlight).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2021.05.025
23. Wei Kong#, Shutang Tan#, Qing Zhao, De-Li Lin, Zhi-Hong Xu, Jiří Friml, and Hong-Wei Xue*.
mRNA Surveillance Complex PELOTA-HBS1 Regulates Phosphoinositide-Dependent Protein Kinase1 and Plant Growth.Plant Physiology. 2021, 186 (4): 2003-2020.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiab199 PMID: 33930167
22. Cheng-Wu Liu*, and Shutang Tan*. Nitrate signaling: a translator between nitrate perception and calcium signaling.Molecular Plant. 2021, 14(5): 718-719. (Editor’s Highlight).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2021.04.002
21. Matouš Glanc#, Kasper Van Gelderen#, Lukas Hörmayer, Shutang Tan, Satoshi Naramoto, Xixi Zhang, David Domjan, Ludmila Včelařová, Robert Hauschild, Alexander Johnson, Edward de Koning, Maritza van Dop, Eike Rademacher, Stef Janson, Xiaoyu Wei, Gergely Molnár, Matyáš Fendrych, Bert De Rybel, Remko Offringa,* and Jiří Friml*. AGC kinases and MAB4/MEL proteins maintain PIN polarity by limiting lateral diffusion in plant cells. Current Biology. 2021, 31(9): 1918-1930.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.028 PMID: 33705718
20. Madhumitha Narasimhan, Michelle Gallei, Shutang Tan, Alexander Johnson, Inge Verstraeten, Lanxin Li, Lesia Rodriguez, Huibin Han, Ellie Himschoot, Ren Wang, Steffen Vanneste, Judit Sánchez-Simarro, Fernando Aniento, Maciek Adamowski, and Jiří Friml*. Systematic analysis of specific and nonspecific auxin effects on endocytosis and trafficking.Plant Physiology. 2021, 186(2): 1122-1142.
DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.1093/plphys/kiab134. PMID: 33734402
19. Shutang Tan*. Action mode of NPA: direct inhibition on PIN auxin transporters.Molecular Plant. 2021, 14(2): 199. (Editor’s Highlight).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2021.01.010.
18. Shutang Tan*. Repressors for auxin responsive transcriptional activators.Molecular Plant. 2021, 14(1): 8. (Editor’s Highlight).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2020.12.009.
17. Shutang Tan, Christian Luschnig, and Jiří Friml*. Pho-view of auxin: Reversible protein phosphorylation in auxin biosynthesis, transport and signalling. Molecular Plant. 2021. 14(1): 151-165. (Review).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2020.11.004. PMID: 33186755
16. Krisztina Ötvös, Marco Marconi, Andrea Vega, Jose O’Brien, Alexander Johnson, Rashed Abualia, Livio Antonielli, Juan Carlos Montesinos López, Yuzhou Zhang, Shutang Tan,Candela Cuesta, Christina Artner, Eleonore Bouguyon, Alain Gojon, Jirí Friml, Rodrigo A. Gutiérrez, Krzysztof Wabnik,* and Eva Benková*. Modulation of plant root growth by nitrogen source-defined regulation of polar auxin transport.The EMBO Journal. 2021, 40(3): e106862.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2020106862. PMID: 33399250
15. Meiyu Ke#, Zhiming Ma#, Deyan Wang, Yanbiao Sun, Chenjin Wen, Dingquan Huang, Zichen Chen, Liang Yang, Shutang Tan, Ruixi Li, Jiří Friml, Yansong Miao,* and Xu Chen*. Salicylic acid regulates PIN2 auxin transporter hyper-clustering and root gravitropic growth via Remorin-dependent lipid nanodomain organization in Arabidopsis thaliana.New Phytologist.2021. 229(2):963-978.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.16915. PMID: 32901934
14. Hongjiang Li, Daniel von Wangenheim, Xixi Zhang, Shutang Tan, Nasser Darwish-Miranda, Satoshi Naramoto, Krzysztof Wabnik, Riet De Rycke, Walter A. Kaufmann, Daniel Gütl, Ricardo Tejos, Peter Grones, Meiyu Ke, Xu Chen, Jan Dettmer, and Jiří Friml*. Cellular requirements for PIN polar cargo clustering in Arabidopsis thaliana. New Phytologist. 2021. 229(1):351-369.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.16887. PMID: 32810889
2020
13. Shutang Tan, Xixi Zhang, Wei Kong, Xiao-Li Yang, Gergely Molnár, Zuzana Vondráková, Roberta Filepová, Jan Petrášek, Jiří Friml*, and Hong-Wei Xue*. The lipid code-dependent phosphoswitch PDK1-D6PK activates PIN-mediated auxin efflux in Arabidopsis. Nature Plants. 2020, 6(5): 556-569.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-020-0648-9. PMID: 32393881
12. Shutang Tan, Melinda Abas, Inge Verstraeten, Matouš Glanc, Gergely Molnár, Jakub Hajný, Pavel Lasák, Ivan Petřík, Eugenia Russinova, Jan Petrášek, Ondřej Novák, Jiří Pospíšil, and Jiří Friml*. Salicylic acid targets Protein Phosphatase 2A to attenuate growth in plants. Current Biology. 2020, 30(3): 381-395.e8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.058. PMID: 31956021.
11. Shutang Tan, Martin Di Donato, Matouš Glanc, Xixi Zhang, Petr Klima, Noel Ferro, Aurélien Bailly, Jan Petrášek, Markus Geisler, and Jiří Friml*. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs target TWISTED DWARF1-regulated actin dynamics and auxin transport-mediated development in plants. Cell Reports. 2020, 30(9): 108463.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108463. PMID: 33264621
10. Jakub Hajný, Tomáš Prát, Nikola Rydza, Lesia Rodriguez, Shutang Tan, Inge Verstraeten, David Domjan, Ewa Mazur, Elwira Smakowska-Luzan, Wouter Smet, Eliana Mor, Jonah Nolf, BaoJun Yang, Wim Grunewald, Gergely Molnár, Youssef Belkhadir, Bert De Rybel and Jiří Friml*. Receptor kinase module targets PIN-dependent auxin transport during canalization.Science. 2020. 370(6516):550-557.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba3178. PMID: 33122378
9. Xixi Zhang, Maciek Adamowski, Petra Marhava, Shutang Tan, Yuzhou Zhang, Lesia Rodriguez, Marta Zwiewka, Vendula Pukyšová, Adrià Sans Sánchez, Vivek Raxwal, Christian Hardtke, Tomasz Nodzyński, and Jiří Friml*. Arabidopsis flippases cooperate with ARF GTPase Exchange Factors to regulate the trafficking and polarity of PIN auxin transporters. The Plant Cell. 2020, 32(5): 1644-1664.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.0086. PMID: 32193204
8. Madhumitha Narasimhan#, Alexander Johnson#, Roshan Prizak, Walter Anton Kaufmann, Shutang Tan, Barbara Casillas-Pérez, and Jiří Friml*. Evolutionarily unique mechanistic framework of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in plants. eLife. 2020, 9: e52067.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.52067. PMID: 31971511.
7. Yang Li#, Yaping Wang#, Shutang Tan, Matouš Glanc, Zhi Yuan, David Domjan, Kai Wang, Zhen Li, Yan Guo, Zhizhong Gong, Jiří Friml and Jing Zhang*. Root growth adaptation is mediated by PYLs ABA receptor-PP2A protein phosphatase complex. Advanced Science. 2020, 7(3): 1901455.
DOI:10.1002/advs.201901455. PMID: 32042554.
2019 & before
6. Dingquan Huang#, Yanbiao Sun#, Zhiming Ma#, Meiyu Ke, Yong Cui, Zichen Chen, Chaofan Chen, Changyang Ji, Tuan Minh Tran, Liang Yang, Sin Man Lam, Yanhong Han, Guanghou Shui, Zhuang Wei, Shutang Tan, Kan Liao, Jiří Friml, Yansong Miao, Liwen Jiang, and Xu Chen*. Salicylic acid-mediated plasmodesmal closure via Remorin-dependent lipid organization.PNAS. 2019, 116 (42): 21274-21284.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1911892116. PMID: 31575745
5. Marta Zwiewka#, Agnieszka Bielach#, Prashanth Tamizhselvan, Sharmila Madhavan, Eman Elrefaay Ryad, Shutang Tan, Mónika Hrtyan, Petre Dobrev, Rodamira Vaňková, Jiří Friml, and Vanesa B. Tognetti*. Root adaptation to H2O2-induced oxidative stress by ARF-GEF BEN1- and cytoskeleton-mediated PIN2 trafficking.Plant and Cell Physiology. 2019, 60(2): 255-273. (cover).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcz001. PMID: 30668780.
4. Yong Tang#, Chun-Yan Zhao#, Shu-Tang Tan, and Hong-Wei Xue*. Arabidopsis type II Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase PI4Kγ5 regulates auxin biosynthesis and leaf margin development through interacting with membrane-bound transcription factor ANAC078. PLoS Genetics. 2016, 12(8): e1006252.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1006252. PMID: 27529511.
3. Shu-Tang Tan, and Hong-Wei Xue*. Casein kinase 1 regulates ethylene synthesis by phosphorylating and promoting the turnover of ACS5. Cell Reports. 2014, 9(5): 1692-1702.
DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2014.10.047. PMID: 25464840.
2. Shu-Tang Tan, Cheng Dai, Hong-Tao Liu, and Hong-Wei Xue*. Arabidopsis casein kinase1 proteins CK1.3 and CK1.4 phosphorylate cryptochrome2 to regulate blue light signaling. The Plant Cell. 2013, 25(7): 2618-2632.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.113.114322. PMID: 23897926.
1. Yong Tang, Shu-Tang Tan, and Hong-Wei Xue*. Arabidopsis inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate 5/6 kinase 2 is required for seed coat development. Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica. 2013, 45(7): 549-560.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/abbs/gmt039. PMID: 23595027.
Contact
School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Lab, No. 363; Office, No. 343
E-mail: sttan@ustc.edu.cn
Further Information
ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0471-8285
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shutang_Tan