Education

1990, M.Sc., Xiamen University;

1996, Ph.D., Xiamen University.

Professional Experience

1993-1996, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Xiamen University;

1995-1996, 1999: Visiting Scholar, The Burnham Institute, CA, USA;

1997-2000, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Xiamen University;

2001-Present, Professor, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University.

Research Area

Our Laboratory mainly focuses on the function and regulatory mechanism of nuclear receptors and signaling transduction. TR3/Nur77 is an orphan nuclear receptor, its ligand has not been identified until now. We found that the octaketide cytosporone B (Csn-B) is a naturally agonist for TR3/Nur77. Csn-B binds to the ligand binding domain of TR3/Nur77 and stimulates its function in tumor suppression. More recently, we demonstrated a novel mechanism by which TR3/Nur77 interacts with and sequesters LKB1 in the nucleus to suppress AMPKα activity. This Nur77 function is antagonized by the chemical compound TMPA. Moreover, TMPA effectively reduces blood glucose and alleviates insulin resistance in type II db/db mice and high fat diet-induced diabetic mice. A series of study made in our laboratory have more significance in understanding the biological functions of nuclearreceptors, discovering the molecular targets for diseases, and clarifying signaling transduction of nuclear receptors.

Selected Publications

1. Wang W-J., Wang Y., Hou P-p, Li FW.,Zhou B, Chen HZ, Bian XL, Cai QX,Xing YZ, He JP, Zhang HK, Huang PQ, Lin TW* andWu Q*. Induction of Autophagic Death in Cancer Cells by Agonizing TR3 and Attenuating Akt2 Activity.Chem. Biol. 2015, 22(8): 1040-51.

2. Li L., Liu Y., Chen HZ., Li FW., Wu JF, Zhang HK, He JP, Xing YZ , Chen Y, Wang WJ, Tian XY, Li AZ, Zhang Q, Huang PQ, Han JH, Lin TW* ,Wu Q*. Impeding the interaction between nur77 and p38reduces Lps-induced inflammation.Nat. Chem. Biol.2015, 11: 339–346.

3. Chen Y, Wu R, Chen HZ, Xiao Q, Wang WJ, He JP, Li XX, Yu XW, Li L, Wang P, Wan XC, Tian XH, Li SJ, Yu X,Wu Q*. Enhancement of hypothalamic STAT3 acetylation by nuclear receptor Nur77 dictates leptin sensitivity.Diabetes. 2015 , 64(6): 2069-81. 

4. Wang W-J., Wang Y., Chen H-Z., Xing Y-Z., Li F-W., Zhang Q.,Zhou B., Zhang H-k., Zhang J., Bian X-l., Li L., Liu Y., Zhao B-x.,Chen Y., Wu R., Li A-z., Yao L-m., Chen P., Zhang Y., Tian Y-y.,Beermann F., Wu M., HanJ.,Huang P-q., Lin T.* &Wu Q*.Orphan nuclear receptor TR3 acts in autophagic cell death viamitochondrial signaling pathway.Nat. Chem. Biol. 2014,10: 133-140.

5. Wang RH, He JP, Su ML, Luo J, Xu M, Du XD, Chen HZ, Wang WJ, Wang Y, Zhang N, Zhao BX, Zhao WX, Shang ZG, Han JH, Chang S,Wu Q*. The orphan receptor TR3 participates in angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy by controlling mTOR signalling.EMBO Mol Med. 2013, 5: 137-148.

6. Zhan YY, Chen Y, Zhang Q, Zhuang JJ, Tian M, Chen HZ, Zhang LR, Zhang HK, He JP, Wang WJ, Wu R, Wang Y, Shi CF, Kai Y, Li AZ, Xing YZ, Li YT, Yang JY, Zheng ZH, Yu CD, Lin SC, Chang C, Huang PQ, Lin T*,Wu Q*. The orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 regulates LKB1 localization and activates AMPK.Nat Chem Biol. 2012, 8(11): 897-904.

7. Yao LM, He JP, Chen HZ, Wang Y, Wang WJ, Wu R, Yu CD,Wu Q*. Orphan receptor TR3 participates in cisplatin-induced apoptosis via Chk2 phosphorylation to repress intestinal tumorigenesis.Carcinogenesis. 2012, 33(2): 301-11.

8. Chen HZ, Liu QF, Li L, Wang WJ, Yao LM, Yang M, Liu B, Chen W, Zhan YY, Zhang MQ, Cai JC, Zheng ZH, Lin SC, Li BA*,Wu Q*. The orphan receptor TR3 suppresses intestinal tumorigenesis in mice by downregulating Wnt signalling.Gut. 2012, 61(5): 714-24.

9. Chen HZ, Li L, Wang WJ, Du XD, Wen Q, He JP, Zhao BX, Li GD, Zhou W, Xia Y, Yang QY, Hew CL, Liou YC,Wu Q*. Prolyl isomerase Pin1 stabilizes and activates orphan nuclear receptor TR3 to promote mitogenesis.Oncogene. 2012, 31(23): 2876-87.

10. Liu JJ, Zeng HN, Zhang LR, Zhan YY, Chen Y, Wang Y, Wang J, Xiang SH, Liu WJ, Wang WJ, Chen HZ, Shen YM, Su WJ, Huang PQ, Zhang HK*,Wu Q*. A uniquepharmacophore for activationof the nuclear orphan receptor Nur77 in vivo and in vitro.Cancer Research. 2010, 70(9): 3628-37.

11. Lei NZ, Zhang XY, Chen HZ, Wang Y, Zhan YY, Zheng ZH, Shen YM, Wu Q*. A feedback regulatory loop between methyltransferase PRMT1 and orphan receptor TR3.Nucleic Acids Research. 2009, 37(3): 832-48.

12. Zhan Y, Du X, Chen H, Liu J, Zhao B, Huang D, Li G, Xu Q, Zhang M, Weimer BC, Chen D, Cheng Z, Zhang L, Li Q, Li S, Zheng Z, Song S, Huang Y, Ye Z, Su W, Lin SC*, Shen Y*,Wu Q*. Cytosporone B is an agonist for nuclear orphan receptor Nur77.Nature Chemical Biology. 2008, 4(9): 548-56.

13. Li GD, Fang JX, Chen HZ, Luo J, Zheng ZH, Shen YM,Wu Q*. Negative regulation of transcription coactivator p300 by orphan receptor TR3.Nucleic Acids Research.2007, 35(21): 7348-59.

14. Zhao BX, Chen HZ, Lei NZ, Li GD, Zhao WX, Zhan YY, Liu B, Lin SC,Wu Q*. p53 mediates the negative regulation of MDM2 by orphan receptor TR3.EMBO Journal. 2006, 25(24): 5703-15.