Zhang Lei

Biography

ZHANG Lei is a Professor Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. Research Areas: fruit fly; tumorigenesis; tissue differentiation; organ size control; signaling transduction; Hippo; Hedgehog (Hh), WWingless (Wg); cross-talk;CKI family; BTB protein; microRNA.

Research Interest

How cell growth and organ size are regulated and how growth and patterning are coordinated is a fundamental and prevalent mechanism during animal development. It is clear that cancer always involves the inappropriate regulation of genetic pathways used during normal development. Throughout embryogenesis and tissue morphogenesis, the Hippo (Hpo), Hedgehog (Hh) and Wingless (Wg) signaling pathway regulate programmed cellular responses that are essential for normal cell growth and differentiation in invertebrate and vertebrate species. In adult organisms, they appear to be essential for stem cell self-renewal and inappropriate activation of these pathways can lead to tumor formation. To study conserved developmental pathways, we use Drosophila as a genetic tool as initial, and we will use a combination of genetics, cell biology and biochemistry to further dissect signaling networks. As a novel defined tumor-suppressor pathway initially discovered in Drosophila, the Hippo (Hpo) pathway has been recognized as a conserved signaling pathway that plays a critical role in stopping organ growth. We are trying to identify additional components of the Hpo pathway exploring the upstream regulators and downstream effectors and uncovering the elusive regulation of its activation. And also, we are interested in resolving the question how it can coordinate with the other signaling.