Research Interests:

We are interested in revealing how mitochondria and other organelles maintain their homeostasis and the relationship between organelle homeostasis and disease. Prof. Liu has identified a new mitophagy receptor FUNDC1, a major discovery for mitophagy, and has extensively characterized the functions of how FUNDC1 mediates mitophagy. To maintain optimal cellular function and healthy, a range of quality control mechanisms is required. Quality control within cells contains a variety of orchestrated self-regulating activities, such as organelles dynamic, biogenesis and elimination and degradation of dysfunctional proteins. Failures in cellular quality control are closely linked to many diseases, such as neurodegeneration, cancer, metabolic syndrome and other developmental diseases and diseases of aging. Uncovering the underlying mechanism of these quality control processes will help us to understand the pathogenesis and prevent and treat these diseases.

Awards and Honors:

Professional Activities:

Research Grants:

Selected Publications:

Wu H*, Wei H, Zhang D, Sehgal SA, Zhang D, Wang X, Qin Y, Liu L*, Chen Q*. Defective mitochondrial ISCs biogenesis switches on IRP1 to fine tune selective mitophagy. Redox Biol. 2020 Sep; 36:101661. (Co-corresponding author) Liu L, Liao X, Wu H, Li Y, Zhu Y, Chen Q*. Mitophagy and its contribution to metabolic and aging associated disorders. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling (invited review) 2020 Apr 20;32(12):906-927.   Wu H, Wang Y, Li W, Chen H, Du L, Liu D, Wang X, Xu T, Liu L*, Chen Q*. Deficiency of mitophagy receptor FUNDC1 impairs mitochondrial quality and aggravates dietary-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome. Autophagy 2019 Mar 22:1-17 (Co-corresponding author)   Li Y, Xue Y, Xu X, Wang G, Liu Y, Wu H, Li W, Wang Y, Chen Z, Zhang W, Zhu Y, Ji W, Xu T, Liu L*, Chen Q* A mitochondrial FUNDC1/HSC70 interaction organizes the proteostatic stress response at the risk of cell morbidity. EMBO Journal 2019 Feb 1 38(3). Liu D, Wu H, Wang C, Li Y, Tian H, Siraj S, Sehgal SA, Wang X, Wang J, Shang Y, Jiang Z, Liu L*, Chen Q*. STING directly activates autophagy to tune the innate immune response. Cell Death and Differentiation 2019 Sep;26(9):1735-1749.(Co-corresponding author)   Chen M, Chen Z, Wang Y, Tan Z, Zhu C, Li Y, Han Z, Chen L, Gao R, Liu L*, Chen Q*. Mitophagy receptor FUNDC1 regulates mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy. Autophagy 2016 2(4)：689-702 (Co-corresponding author; Highlighted by both EMBO Journal and by Faculty 1000 ) Wu H, Xue D, Chen G, Han Z, Huang L, Zhu C, Wang X, Jin H, Wang J, Zhu Y, Liu L*, Chen Q*.The Bcl-xL and PGAM5 axis defines hypoxia-induced receptor-mediated mitophagy. Autophagy 2014 10:1712-25 (Co-corresponding author) Liu L, Sakakibara K, ChenQ*, Okamoto K*. Receptor-mediated mitophagy in yeast and mammalian systems. Cell Research, 2014 24(7):787-95. Liu L, Feng D, Chen G, Chen M, Zheng Q, Song P, Ma Q, Zhu C, Wang R, Qi W, Huang L, Xue P, Li B, Wang X, Jin H, Wang J, Yang F, Liu P, Zhu Y, Sui S, Chen Q*. Mitochondrial outer-membrane protein FUNDC1 mediates hypoxia-induced mitophagy in mammalian cells. Nature Cell Biology, 2012 14(2)177-85 (Landmark paper for mitophagy, Highlighted by Nature China and by Faculty 1000)