Education

1986, B. Med., The Fourth Military Medical University;

1996, Ph.D., Shanghai Cancer Institute.

Professional Experience

1998-1999, Postdoctoral Fellow, Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Germany;

2000-2004, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California Irvine;

2004-2006, Senior Researcher, University of California Irvine;

2006-Present, Professor, Xiamen University School of Life Sciences;

2012-Present, Deputy Dean, Xiamen University School of Life Sciences.

Research Area

The canonical Wnt signaling pathway plays a central role in normal development and tumorigenesis.We are particularly interested in studying the roles of Wnt signaling components and regulators in tissue development, metabolism, and tumorigenesis under the normal and stress conditions. Our research projects touch on the knowledge frontiers of epigenetics and stem cell biology.

Selected Publications

1. Zhang ZM, Wu JF, Luo QC, Liu QF, Wu QW, Ye GD, She HQ, andLi BA*. Pygo2 activates MDR1 expression and mediates chemoresistance in breast cancer via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.Oncogene, 2016; Feb 15,doi:10.1038/onc.2016.10

2. Ye GD, Sun GB, Jiao P, Chen C,Liu QF, Huang XL, Zhang R, Cai WY, Li SN, Wu JF, Liu YJ, Wu RS, Xie YY, Chan EC, Liou YC, andLi BA*. OVOL2, an Inhibitor of WNT Signaling, Reduces Invasive Activities of Human and Mouse Cancer Cells and is Downregulated in Human Colorectal Tumors. Gastroenterology. 2015. Nov.24; doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2015.11.041.

3. Zhou W, Shi G, Zhang Q, Wu Q,Li B*, Zhang Z*. MicroRNA-20b promotes cell growth of breast cancer cells partly via targeting phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN).Cell Biosci. 2014 Oct 14;4(1): 62. doi:10.1186/2045-3701-4-62. eCollection 2014.

4. Xu J, Ren G, Zhao DA,Li BA, Cai CF, Zhou Y, Luo XY. Downregulated Chibby in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma with increased expression in laryngeal carcinoma Hep-2 cells.Oncol Rep. 2014 Nov;32(5): 1947-56. doi: 10.3892/or.2014.3451. Epub 2014 Aug 29.

5. Yang M, Li SN, Anjum KM, Gui LX, Zhu SS, Liu J,Chen JK, Liu QF, Ye GD, Wang WJ, Wu JF, Cai WY, Sun GB, Liu YJ, Liu RF, Zhang ZM,Li BA*. Double-Negative Feedback Loop Between Wnt/β-catenin Signaling and HNF4α Regulates Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.J Cell Sci. 2013 Dec 15;126(Pt 24): 5692-5703.

6. Cai WY, Wei TZ, Luo QC, Wu QW, Liu QF, Yang M, Ye GD, Wu JF, Chen YY, Sun GB, Liu YJ, Zhao WX, Zhang ZM, Li BA*. Wnt/β-catenin pathway represses let-7 microRNAs expression via transactivation of Lin28 to augment breast cancer stem cell expansion.J Cell Sci. 2013, Jul 1;126(Pt 13): 2877-2889.

7.Li BA*. A novel tumor suppressor miRNA miR-520e contributes to suppression of hepatoma. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2012 Jan; 33(1): 3-4.

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: 714-724.

9. Chen J,Luo Q,Yuan Y,Huang X, Cai W,Li C, Wei T,Zhang L, YangM, Liu Q, Ye G, Cheng P, Dai Xand Li B*.Pygo2 associates with MLL2 histone methyltransferase (HMT) and GCN5 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes to augment Wnt target gene expression and breast cancer stem-like cell expansion.Mol. Cell. Biol. 2010 Dec;30(24): 5621-35.

10. Chen YY,Li BA*,Wang HD, Liu XY, Tan GW, Ma YH, Shen SH, Zhu HW, Wang ZX. The role of Pygopus 2 in rat glioma cell growth.Med Oncol. 2011 Jun; 28(2): 631-40.

11. Wang ZX, Chen YY,Li BA*,Tan GW, Liu XY, Shen SH, Zhu HW, Wang HD. Decreased pygopus 2 expression suppresses glioblastoma U251 cell growth.J Neurooncol. 2010 Oct;100(1): 31-41.

12. Sun P, Yuan Y, Li A,Li B, Dai X. Cytokeratin expression during mouse embryonic and early postnatal mammary gland development.Histochem Cell Biol. 2010 Feb; 133(2): 213-21.

13. Gu B, Sun P, Yuan Y, Moraes RC, Li A, Teng A, Agrawal A, Rhéaume C, Bilanchone V, Veltmaat JM, Takemaru K, Millar S, Lee EY, Lewis MT, andLi B*, Dai X*,Pygo2 expands mammary progenitor cells by facilitatinghistone H3 K4 methylation. J Cell Biol. 2009, 185,811-826.

14. Nair M, Nagamori I, Sun P, Mishra DP, Rhéaume C, Li B, Sassone-Corsi P, Dai X.Nuclear regulator Pygo2 controls spermiogenesis and histone H3 acetylation.Dev Biol. 2008 Aug 15;320(2): 446-55.

15. Jonckheere N, Mayes E, Shih HP, Li B, Lioubinski O, Dai X, Sander M.Analysis of mPygo2 mutant mice suggests a requirement for mesenchymal Wnt signaling in pancreatic growth and differentiation. Dev Biol. 2008 Jun 15;318(2): 224-35.

16. Li B*,Teng A, Bilanchone V, Munguia JE, Hu M, Jessen S, Piccolo S, Waterman ML, Dai X. Developmental phenotypes and reduced Wnt signaling in mice deficient for pygopus 2. Genesis. 2007 May; 45(5): 318-25

17. Tao P, Xu D, Lin S, Ouyang GL, Chang Y, Chen Q, Yuan Y, Zhuo X, Luo Q, Li J,Li B, Ruan L, Li Q, Li Z. Abnormal expression, highly efficient detection and novel truncations of midkine in human tumors, cancers and cell lines.Cancer Lett. 2007 Aug 8; 253(1):60-7.

18. Ye Y,Li B*. 1'S-1'-Acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) isolated from Alpinia galanga inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) by blocking Rev transport.Journal of general Virology. 2006; 87: 2047-2053.

19. Nair M, Teng A, Bilanchone V, Agrawal A,Li B, Dai X.Ovol1 regulates the growth arrest of embryonic epidermal progenitor cells and represses c-myc transcription.J Cell Biol. 2006 Apr 24; 173(2):253-64.

20. Mackay DR, Hu M,Li B, Rheaume C, Dai X.The mouse Ovol2 gene is required for cranial neural tube development.Dev Biol. 2006 Jan 16;48, 543-552.

21. Li B*., Nair, M., Mackay, DR., Bilanchone, V., Hu, M., Fallahi, M., Song, H., Dai, Q., Cohen, PE., Dai, X. Ovol1 regulates meiotic pachytene progression during spermatogenesis by repressing Id2 expression.Development. 2005; 132, 1463-1473.

22. Yan, HX., Wang, HY., Zhang, R., Chen, L.,Li B., Liu, SQ., Cao, HF., Qiu, XH., Shan, YF., Yan, ZH., Wu, HP., Tan, YX., Wu, MC. Negative regulation of hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth by signal regulatory protein alpha1.Hepatology. 2004; 40(3): 618-28.

23.Li B*., Mackay, DR., Ma, J., Dai, X. Cloning and developmental expression of mouse pygopus 2, a putative Wnt signaling component.Genomics. 2004; 84(2): 398-405.

24.Li B*., Dai, Q., Li, L., Nair, M., Mackey, D., Dai, X. Ovol2, a Mammalian Homolog of Drosophila ovo: Gene Structure, Chromosomal Mapping, and Aberrant Expression in Blind-Sterile Mice.Genomics. 2002; 80(3): 319

25.Li B*., Mackey, DR, Dai, Q., Li, TW., Nair M., Fallahi, M., Schonbaum, CP., Fantes, J., Mahowald, AP., Waterman, ML., Fuchs, E., Dai, X. The LEF1/beta -catenin complex activates movo1, a mouse homolog of Drosophila ovo required for epidermal appendage differentiation.Proc Natl Acad Sci, U S A. 2002; 30; 99(9): 6064-9.