Education:
- PhD, Washington University, St. Louis, 1991
Clinical/Research Interests:
Endocytosis/endosome fusion: molecular mechanism and function in signal transduction and regulation of cell growth and differentiation
Cells are basic building blocks of living organisms. Endocytosis is a fundamental cellular process for uptake of nutrients, regulation of cell surface receptors, and maintenance of cell homeostasis. While it is an important cellular function, endocytosis is often employed by microorganisms like viruses for entry and infection of cells.
Our research is directed towards understanding the molecular basis of endocytosis and its role in regulation of cell growth and differentiation, which may provide valuable knowledge on how this cellular process is involved in human diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases and whether endocytosis can be targeted to develop therapeutics.
Current projects include (1) mechanism of Rab5-regulated endosome fusion, which is a critical step during endocytosis and (2) Role of endocytosis in nerve growth factor (NGF)-mediated signal transduction and neuron differentiation. We hope to describe endocytosis/endosome fusion in molecular terms and identify regulatory mechanisms that control the activity of these cellular processes during cell growth and differentiation.
Select Publications:
1. George, K., Hoang, H. T. M., Tibbs, T., Nagaraja, R. Y., Li, G., Troyano-Rodriguez, E., and Ahmad, M. (2024). Robust GRK2/3/6-dependent desensitization of oxytocin receptor in neurons. iSciene, 27(6), 110047. PMCID:PMC11179071
2. Li, G.#, Marlin, M. Caleb (2023). Rab GTPases and Other G Proteins. Encycl Cell Biol, 2, 607-16
3. Wu, W., Booth, J. L., Liang, Z., Li, G.#, Metcalf, J.# (2023). Bacillus anthracis spores are internalized in human lung epithelial cells by Rab GTPase-supported macropinocytosis. Microb Pathog, 106305. PMID: 37586464. DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106305
4. Owens, C. D., Bonin Pinto, C., Mukli, P., Szarvas, Z., Peterfi, A., Detwiler, S., Olay, L., Olson, A. L., Li, G., Galvan, V., Kirkpatrick, A. C., Balasubramanian, P., Tarantini, S., Csiszar, A., Ungvari, Z., Prodan, C. I., Yabluchanskiy, A. (2023). Vascular mechanisms leading to progression of mild cognitive impairment to dementia after COVID-19: Protocol and methodology of a prospective longitudinal observational study. PloS one, 18(8), e0289508. PMID: 37535668. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289508
5. Banworth, M. J., Liang, Z., Li, G.# (2022). A novel membrane targeting domain mediates the endosomal or Golgi localization specificity of small GTPases Rab22 and Rab31. J Biol Chem, 298(9), 102281. PMID: 35863437. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102281
Link to full publication list >