Pingsheng Liu
Professor
Institute of Biophysics
Chinese Academy of Sciences
China
Biography
2009-present　 Visiting Professor, Nanjing University, China 2008-present　 Professor/Principal Investigator, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China 2002-present　 Visiting Professor, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China 1999-2008 Research Assistant Professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75235-9039, USA 1998-1999 Instructor, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75235-9039, USA 1997-1998　Assistant Instructor, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75235-9039, USA 1994-1997　Postdoctoral Fellow, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75235-9039, USA 1987-1994　Ph.D., Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699, USA 1985-1987　Lecturer, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China 1982-1985　MS, National Academy of Light Industrial Science, Beijing, China 1978-1982　BS, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
Research Interest
Lipid droplets, a cellular organelle that is involved synthesis, storage, and metabolism of neutral lipids, have recently been linked to metabolic syndromes and biofuel development. Our lab focuses on lipid droplet biology. We established a method to isolate lipid droplets and have conducted proteomic studies of the organelle from animal cells, skeletal muscle tissue, bacteria, and C. elegans. We identified a structure-like protein, MLDS from bacteria and a marker protein from C. elegans. In addition, we also carried out a lipidomic analysis for animal lipid droplets. Recently, we conducted a comprehensive study including genome sequencing, comparative transcritomes, and proteomic analysis for an oleaginous bacterium, and established a bacterial model system to study lipid droplets. Our current projects include: 1) Molecular mechanisms of lipid droplet formation and dynamics We try to identify the common property of lipid droplet structure-like proteins and study how they regulate lipid droplet formation and dynamic changes. 2) Cellular energy homeostasis and metabolic syndromes We focus on the effects of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids on insulin signaling. We also determine the changes of lipid droplets in metabolic syndromes. 3) Biofuel storage in microorganisms We study how lipid droplet formed and its regulation mechanism, and try to build a photosynthetic bacterium to produce bio-oil.
Publications
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3. Ding Y., Zhang S., Yang L., Na H., Zhang P., Zhang H., Wang Y., Chen Y., Yu J., Huo C., Xu S., Garaiova M., Cong Y., and Liu P.* (2013) “Isolating lipid droplets from multiple species†Nature Protocols 8, 43-51.
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2. Chen Y., Ding Y., Yang L., Yu J., Liu G., Wang X., Zhang S., Yu D., Song L., Zhang H., Zhang C., Huo L., Huo C., Wang Y., Du Y., Zhang H., Zhang P., Na H., Xu S., Zhu Y., Xie Z., Liu H., Wang X., Zhang X., Zhang M., Li Y., Steinbuchel A., Fujimoto T., Cichello S., Yu J., and Liu P.* (2014) “Integrated omics study delineates the dynamics of lipid droplets in Rhodococcus opacus PD630†Nucleic Acids Res. 42, 1052-1064.
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1. Su W., Wang Y., Jia X., Wu W., Li L., Tian X., Li S., Wang C., Xu H., Cao J., Han Q., Xu S., Chen Y., Zhong Y., Zhang X., Liu P*., Gustafsson J*., and Guan Y*. (2014) “Comparative proteomic study reveals 17β-HSD13 as a pathogenic protein in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease†PNAS 111, 11437-11442.
