Ding Jianping

Biography

DING Jianping is a Professor of Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, , China. Research Areas: X-ray crystallography; protein-protein interaction; structure-function relationship; mechanism; recognition; structure-based drug design; chromatin-remodeling proteins; histone modification; epigenetics; mTOR; metabolic enzymes; aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase; tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase; antigen-antibody; protein complex. Research Interests: Structural Biology of Regulation of Eukaryotic Gene Expression Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes is much more complex than in prokaryotes, and occurs at multiple levels or steps including transcription, mRNA exportation, translation and post-translation. This complexity drives the processes of cellular differentiation and morphogenesis, leading to the creation of different cell types in multi-cellular organisms where different types of cells may possess different gene expression profiles although they all share the same genome materials. Transcription is not only regulated by basal and regulatory transcription factors, but is also subjected to epigenetic regulation including covalent modifications of DNA and histones which can modulate the chromatin structure and subsequently activate or silence the transcription of specific genes. After transcription, the mRNA must be processed, matured, and then exported to cytoplasm before it can be translated. The translation process includes regulation of the ribosome machinery mostly at the level of initiation by various signaling pathways such as the mTOR signaling pathway and fidelity control of the protein synthesis by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. All of these processes involve numerous proteins and protein complexes with not well-understood functions and mechanisms. As the biological functions of proteins are largely dictated by their three-dimensional structures, a comprehensive structural and functional knowledge of the proteins will not only enhance the understanding of the structure-function relationship of macromolecules and the relevant biological processes, but also provide molecular basis for the discovery and development of new pharmaceuticals for diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. Our group is interested in the studies of structures, functions, and molecular mechanisms of proteins and protein complexes involved in the regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes, in particular these of significant biological importance and/or related to human diseases. We utilize primarily structural biology in combination with biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, and other biological and biophysical methodologies to determine the three-dimensional structures of these proteins and their complexes with small ligands, substrates, and protein partners, and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of their biological functions. The primary goal of our research works is to understand the basic sciences of biology and in particular the structure-function relationships of proteins and protein complexes. The ultimate goal of our research works is to utilize the gained structural and functional knowledge to understand molecular basis of pathogenesis of human diseases and to develop effective drugs for the treatments of human diseases. The current researches focus on the structural and functional studies of: (1) proteins involved in epigenetic regulation of eukaryotic genes, including histone acetyltransferases and deacetylases, histone methyltransferases and demethylases, and DNA／RNA methyltransferases and demethylases; (2) proteins involved in important signaling pathways, particularly the mTORC1 signaling and DNA damage repair pathways; and (3) important human enzymes involved in protein and nucleic acid metabolisms.

Research Interest

Structural Biology of Regulation of Eukaryotic Gene Expression Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes is much more complex than in prokaryotes, and occurs at multiple levels or steps including transcription, mRNA exportation, translation and post-translation. This complexity drives the processes of cellular differentiation and morphogenesis, leading to the creation of different cell types in multi-cellular organisms where different types of cells may possess different gene expression profiles although they all share the same genome materials. Transcription is not only regulated by basal and regulatory transcription factors, but is also subjected to epigenetic regulation including covalent modifications of DNA and histones which can modulate the chromatin structure and subsequently activate or silence the transcription of specific genes. After transcription, the mRNA must be processed, matured, and then exported to cytoplasm before it can be translated. The translation process includes regulation of the ribosome machinery mostly at the level of initiation by various signaling pathways such as the mTOR signaling pathway and fidelity control of the protein synthesis by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. All of these processes involve numerous proteins and protein complexes with not well-understood functions and mechanisms. As the biological functions of proteins are largely dictated by their three-dimensional structures, a comprehensive structural and functional knowledge of the proteins will not only enhance the understanding of the structure-function relationship of macromolecules and the relevant biological processes, but also provide molecular basis for the discovery and development of new pharmaceuticals for diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. Our group is interested in the studies of structures, functions, and molecular mechanisms of proteins and protein complexes involved in the regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes, in particular these of significant biological importance and/or related to human diseases. We utilize primarily structural biology in combination with biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, and other biological and biophysical methodologies to determine the three-dimensional structures of these proteins and their complexes with small ligands, substrates, and protein partners, and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of their biological functions. The primary goal of our research works is to understand the basic sciences of biology and in particular the structure-function relationships of proteins and protein complexes. The ultimate goal of our research works is to utilize the gained structural and functional knowledge to understand molecular basis of pathogenesis of human diseases and to develop effective drugs for the treatments of human diseases. The current researches focus on the structural and functional studies of: (1) proteins involved in epigenetic regulation of eukaryotic genes, including histone acetyltransferases and deacetylases, histone methyltransferases and demethylases, and DNA／RNA methyltransferases and demethylases; (2) proteins involved in important signaling pathways, particularly the mTORC1 signaling and DNA damage repair pathways; and (3) important human enzymes involved in protein and nucleic acid metabolisms.