Xin Liang, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator/Tenure Track Assistant Professor

Education

1999-2003       B.Sc.                           Shanghai Jiao Tong University

2003-2007       Ph.D.                           Shanghai Jiao Tong University

2008-2014       Postdoctoral fellow     Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and                                                             Genetics

2009-2011       "Alexander von Humboldt" Fellow   

2015-               Principal Investigator/Assistant Professor      Tsinghua University

Research Area

We apply biophysical concepts and methods to study the mechanisms underlying the force sensation of cells. The specific research directions are: (1) the molecular basis of mechanotransduction in mechanosensory neurons; (2)the cell biological and molecular mechanisms underlying the selective responses of different mechanosensory cells to different mechanical stimuli; (3) the molecular basis of microtubule dynamics and their contributions in cell morphological control and cell mechanics.

Award

2015-               Max-Planck Partner Group Program

Selected Publications

1. Liang X, Madrid J, Howard J, The Microtubule-based Cytoskeleton is a Component of a Mechanical Signaling Pathway in Fly Mechanoreceptors. Biophysical Journal. 2014 Dec 16; 107(12): 2767-74.

2. Liang X, Madrid J, Gärtner R, Verbavatz JM, Schiklenk C, Wilsch-Bräuninger M, Bogdanova A, Stenger F, Voigt A, Howard J, A NOMPC-dependent membrane-microtubule connector is a candidate of the gating spring in fly mechanoreceptors. Current Biology. 2013 May 6; 23 (9):755-63.

3. Liang X, Madrid J, Saleh HS, Howard J. NOMPC, a member of the TRP channel family, localizes to the tubular body and distal cilium of Drosophila campaniform and chordotonal receptor cells. Cytoskeleton. 2011 Jan; 68(1):1-7. (Cover of Vol. 68, Iss. 2, Feb. 2011.)

4. Liang X, Hu XF, Hu J. Dynamic inter-receptor coupling contributes to the consistent open duration of ryanodine receptors. Biophysical Journal. 2009 Jun 17; 96(12): 4826-33.

5.  Liang X, Hu XF, Hu J. Dynamic inter-receptor coupling: a novel working mechanism of two dimensional ryanodine receptor array. Biophysical Journal. 2007 Feb 15;92 (4):1215-23.

6. Liang X, Chen K, Fruen B, Hu J, Ma J, Hu X, Parness J., Impaired interaction between skeletal ryanodine receptors in malignant hyperthermia. Integrative Biology, 2009, 1, 533-539.

7. Liang X*, Sun LD and Liu Z, Mechanosensory Transduction in Drosophila Melanogaster. BOOK ISBN: 978-981-10-6525-5. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-6526-2. Springer.

8. Liang X*, Howard J, Structural Biology: A Force-Sensitive Ion Channel Springs to Life. Current Biology. 2017 Sep 25;27(18):R1017-R1020.

9. Feng S, Song Y, Shen M, Xie S, Li W, Lu Y, Yang Y, Ou G, Zhou J, Wang F, Liu W, Yan X, Liang X*, Zhou T*. Microtubule-binding protein FOR20 promotes microtubule depolymerization and cell migration. Cell Discovery. 2017 Sep 5;3:17032.

Contact

E-mail: xinliang@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

Tel: 010-62772563(office)   010-62771231(lab)