Education

1992, B.Sc., Biochemistry, Tsinghua University;

1994, M.Sc., Biochemistry, Tsinghua University;

1996, Ph.D., Molecular Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science.

Professional Experience

1996-1999, Postdoctoral Scholar, Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA;

1999-2002, Postdoctoral Fellow, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada;

2002-2008, Senior Research Associate, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai, Hospital, Toronto, Canada;

2008-Present, Professor of School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University.

Research Area

Cell polarity is a fundamental property that controls a wide range of cell behavior in all eukaryotic cells. Recent studies have suggested that regulation of polarity in many biological processes is through a molecular mechanism that is conserved from worms to mammals. Our research interest hassignaling and ubiquitin-dependentbbeen focused on functional studies of TGF proteasome pathway in regulation of cell polarity during directed cell migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Accumulating evidence suggests that E3 ubiquitin ligases are involved in development of many human diseases. Search for small molecule modulators of these E3 ubiquitin ligases is emerging as a promising drug discovery strategy. We developed a novel cell-based high-throughput screening system to look for small molecule modulators of E3 ubiquitin ligases. We expect this system will provide us a powerful drug screening tool for therapeutics.

Selected Publications

1. Wang M, Guo L, Wu Q, Zeng T, Lin Q, Qiao Y, Wang Q, Liu M, Zhang X, Ren L, Zhang S, Pei Y, Yin Z, Ding F,Wang HR*. ATR/Chk1/Smurf1 pathway determines cell fate after DNA damage by controlling RhoB abundance.Nat Commun. 2014, 5: 4901.

2. Zeng T, Wang Q, Fu J, Lin Q, Bi J, Ding W, Qiao Y, Zhang S, Zhao W, Lin H, Wang M, Lu B, Deng X, Zhou D, Yin Z*,Wang HR*. Impeded Nedd4-1-Mediated Ras Degradation Underlies Ras-Driven Tumorigenesis.Cell Rep. 2014, 7(3): 871-82.

3. Xie P, Zhang M, He S, Lu K, Chen Y, Xing G, Lu Y, Liu P, Li Y, Wang S, Chai N, Wu J, Deng H,Wang HR, Cao Y, Zhao F, Cui Y, Wang J, He F, Zhang L*. The covalent modifier Nedd8 is critical for the activation of Smurf1 ubiquitin ligase in tumorigenesis.Nat Commun. 2014, 5: 3733.

4. Lin H, Lin Q, Liu M, Lin Y, Wang X, Chen H, Xia Z, Lu B, Ding F, Wu Q,Wang HR*. PKA/Smurf1 signaling-mediated stabilization of Nur77 is required for anticancer drug cisplatin-induced apoptosis.Oncogene. 2014 , 33(13): 1629-39.

5. Ding F, Yin Z,Wang HR*. Ubiquitination in Rho signaling.Curr Top Med Chem. 2011, 11(23): 2879-87.

6. Tian M, Bai C, Lin Q, Lin H, Liu M, Ding F,Wang HR*. Binding of RhoA by the C2 domain of E3 ligase Smurf1 is essential for Smurf1-regulated RhoA ubiquitination and cell protrusive activity.FEBS lett. 2011, 585(14): 2199-04.

7. Wang L, Liu YT, Hao R, Chen L, Chang Z,Wang HR, Wang ZX, Wu JW. Molecular mechanism of the negative regulation of Smad1/5 by carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP). J Biol Chem. 2011, 286(18): 15883-94.

8. Wiesner S, Ogunjim AA,Wang HR, Rotin D, Sicheri F, Wrana JL, Forman-Kay JD. Autoinhibition of the HECT-type ubiquitin ligase Smurf2 through its C2 domain. Cell. 2007, 130(4): 651-662

9.Wang HR, Ogunjimi AA, Zhang Y, Ozdamar B, Bose R, Wrana JL. Degradation of RhoA by Smurf1 ubiquitin ligase. Methods Enzymol. 2006, 406: 437-47.

10. Ozdamar B, Bose R, Barrios-Rodiles M,Wang HR, Zhang Y, Wrana JL. Regulation of the polarity protein Par6 by TGFbeta receptors controls epithelial cell plasticity.Science. 2005, 307(5715): 1603-9.

11. Zhang Y,Wang HR, Wrana JL. Smurf1: a link between cell polarity and ubiquitination.Cell Cycle. 2004, 3(4): 391-2.

12.Wang HR, Zhang Y, Ozdamar B, Ogunjimi AA, Alexandrova E, Thomsen GH, Wrana JL. Regulation of cell polarity and protrusion formation by targeting RhoA fordegradation.Science.  2003, 302(5651): 1775-9.

13. Bonni S,Wang HR, Causing CG, Kavsak P, Stroschein SL, Luo K, Wrana JL.TGF-beta induces assembly of a Smad2-Smurf2 ubiquitin ligase complex that targets SnoN for degradation.Nat Cell Biol. 2001, 3(6): 587-95.