Pingsheng, Liu, Ph.D, Prof.

Principal Investigator

National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, IBP

Lipid droplet biology

E-mail：pliu@sun5.ibp.ac.cn，

Tel：010-6488-8517(o)-8521(L)

SEC: Huina Zhang, Ph.D., Tel: 010-6488-8516　

Fax：8610-64888517，Zip code：100101

Biography & Introduction

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

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

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.

Selected Publications

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. 
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.
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.
4. Zhang P., Na H., Liu Z., Zhang S, Chen Y., Pu J., Peng G., Huang X., Yang F., Xie Z., Xue P., Xu T, Xu P, Ou G, Zhang S., and Liu P.* (2012) “Proteomic Study and Marker Protein Identification of Caenorhabditis elegans Lipid Droplets” Mol Cell Proteomics 11, 317-328.
5. Zhang H., Wang Y., Li J., Yu J., Pu J., Li L., Zhang H., Zhang S., Peng G., Yang F.,* and Liu P.* (2011) “Proteome of Skeletal Muscle Lipid Droplet Reveals Association with Mitochondria and Apolipoprotein A-I” J. Proteo Res. 10, 4757-4768.