Contact Information
Title
Associate Professor
Office
(Office) E12-3014 / (Lab) N22-2010b
Phone
(Office) +853 8822 4212 / (Lab) +853 8822 2901
Fax
+853 8822 2314
Email
gangli@um.edu.mo
Consultation Hours

Tue, Fri 14:00 – 15:00

Teaching

Course Outlines

HSCI2004 Genetics and Epigenetics

HSCI7002 Biomedical Sciences
Advanced Genetics and Bioinformatics

Research Team
NamePositionOfficePhoneEmail
Xiaowen GUANPhD Student (Lab Representative)N22-2009+853 8822 2901
Yunze LIUResearch AssistantN22-2012+853 8822 2902yunzeliu@um.edu.mo
Shawn Xiang LIResearch AssistantN22-2012+853 8822 2902shawnxiangli@um.edu.mo
Zhengfeng LIPhD StudentN22-2009+853 8822 2901
Xianju WANGPhD StudentN22-2012+853 8822 2902
Weibo ZHANGPhD StudentN22-2012+853 8822 2902
Chenyang HUANGPhD StudentN22-2009+853 8822 2901
Xuechao LIANGPhD StudentN22-2009+853 8822 2901
Education
PhDThe Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
MSShanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
BMShanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
Positions
2020-presentAssociate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau
2014-2020Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau
2010-2014Staff Scientist, City of Hope National Medical Center, USA
2006-2010Postdoctoral Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute/NYU School of Medicine, USA
2003-2005Associate Investigator, The Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
2000-2002Postdoctoral Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute/UCLA School of Medicine, USA
1998-2000Assistant Investigator, The Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Research Interests
Epigenetics, which studies the heritable changes in phenotype that are independent of alterations in the DNA sequence itself, may hold the key to understanding the fundamental aspects of how the same genome encodes many different cell types and the cellular memory. Epigenetic changes are also involved in the development of many human diseases such as, cancer, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The research of my laboratory focuses on two main research areas related to epigenetics:

1. Cancer Epigenetics
Numerous epigenetic regulators have been found to be mutated in a wide variety of tumors. However, in many cases whether those mutations are “driver” mutations or merely “passenger” mutations remains to be proven, and their mechanisms of action remain to be elucidated. We are taking a multidisciplinary approach, combining conventional biochemistry, mouse genetics, genome-wide approach and bioinformatics to investigate these questions. Another research interest is to build cell-based high throughput screening systems to screen epigenetic drugs for cancer therapy.

2. Signal transduction pathways in Epigenetics
An understanding of how different epigenetic statuses are established in different cell types and orchestrated by cell signaling is still very limited. To address these questions, my laboratory will initially focus on studying the posttranslational modification of epigenetic regulators and how PcG proteins are recruited to their targets.

Representative Publications （selected from the total of 72)
  1. Guan X, Deng H, Choi UL, Li Z, Yang Y, Zeng J, Liu Y, Zhang X, Li G. EZH2 overexpression dampens tumor-suppressive signals via an EGR1 silencer to drive breast tumorigenesis. Oncogene. 2020 Oct 2. doi:10.1038/s41388-020-01484-9.
  2. Zhang T, Guan X, Choi UL, Dong Q, Lam MMT, Zeng J, Xiong J, Wang X, Poon TCW, Zhang H, Zhang X, Wang H, Xie R, Zhu B, Li G. Phosphorylation of TET2 by AMPK is indispensable in myogenic differentiation. Epigenetics Chromatin. 2019 Jun 4;12(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s13072-019-0281-x.
  3. Cui M, Ying R, Jiang X, Li G, Zhang X, Zheng J, Yip Tam K, Liang B, Shi A, Gobel V, Zhang H. A model of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 1 reveals a role of glycosphingolipids in neuronal polarity. J Neurosci. 2019 May 28. pii: 2541-18. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2541-18.2019. [Epub ahead of print]
  4. Zhao Z, Lan M, Li J, Dong Q, Li X, Liu B, Li G, Wang H, Zhang Z, Zhu B. The proinflammatory cytokine TNFα induces DNA demethylation-dependent and -independent activation of interleukin-32 expression. J Biol Chem. 2019 Apr 26;294(17):6785-6795. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA118.006255. Epub 2019 Mar 1.
  5. Deng H, Guan X, Gong L, Zeng J, Zhang H, Chen MY, Li G. CBX6 is negatively regulated by EZH2 and plays a potential tumor suppressor role in breast cancer. Sci Rep. 2019 Jan 17;9(1):197. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-36560-4.
  6. Wang C, Cheng X, Tan J, Ding Z, Wang W, Yuan D, Li G, Zhang H, Zhang X. Reductive cleavage of C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bonds as a new strategy for turn-on dual fluorescence in effective sensing of H2S. Chem Sci. 2018 Sep 11;9(44):8369-8374. doi: 10.1039/c8sc03430c. eCollection 2018 Nov 28.
  7. Wu X, Li G, Xie R. Decoding the role of TET family dioxygenases in lineage specification. Epigenetics Chromatin. 2018 Oct 5;11(1):58. doi: 10.1186/s13072-018-0228-7. Review.
  8. Zeng J, Li G. TFmapper: A tool for searching putative factors regulating gene expression using ChIP-seq data.  Int J Biol Sci. 2018 doi:10.7150/ijbs.28850.
  9. Cheng X, Zheng J, Li G, Göbel V, Zhang H. Degradation for better survival? Role of ubiquitination in epithelial morphogenesis. Biological Reviews. 2018; 93 (3):1438-1460.
  10. Deng H, Zeng J, Zhang T, Gong L, Zhang H, Cheung E, Jones C, Li G. Histone H3. 3K27M Mobilizes Multiple Cancer/Testis (CT) Antigens in Pediatric Glioma Molecular Cancer Research 2018; 16 (4):623-633.
  11. Zou Z, Yin Y, Lin J, Hsu LJ, Brandon VL, Yang F, Jove R, Jandial R, Li G, and Chen MY Convection-enhanced delivery of sorafenib and suppression of tumor progression in a murine model of brain melanoma through the inhibition of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. Journal of neurosurgery. 2016; 124 (5):1310-1318
  12. Li G, Warden C, Zou Z, Neman J, Krueger JS, Jain A, Jandial R, Chen M. Altered Expression of Polycomb Group Genes in Glioblastoma Multiforme. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 15;8(11):e80970.
  13. Zou Z, Denny E, Brown CE, Jensen MC, Li G, Fujii T, Neman J, Jandial R, Chen M. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte trafficking and survival in an augmented fibrin matrix carrier. PLoS One. 2012; 7(4):e34652.
  14. Beck DB, Bonasio R, Kaneko S, Li G, Li G, Margueron R, Oda H, Sarma K, Sims RJ 3rd, Son J, Trojer P, Reinberg D. Chromatin in the Nuclear Landscape. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 2010;75:11-22.
  15. Li G, Margueron R, Ku M, Chambon P, Bernstein B, Reinberg D. Jarid2 and PRC2, partners in regulating gene expression. Genes & Development. 2010 Feb 15;24 (4):368-80.
  16. Kaneko S, Li G*, Son J, Xu CF, Margueron R, Neubert TA, Reinberg D. Phosphorylation of the PRC2 component Ezh2 is cell cycle-regulated and up-regulates its binding to ncRNA. Genes & Development. 2010 Dec 1;24(23):2615-20. *Co-first author.
  17. Huo YY, Li G*, Duan RF, Gou Q, Fu CL, Hu YC, Song BQ, Yang ZH, Wu DC, Zhou PK. PTEN deletion leads to deregulation of antioxidants and increased oxidative damage in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Free Radic Biol Med. 2008 Apr 15;44(8):1578-91. *Co-first author.
  18. Huo YY, Hu YC, He XR, Wang Y, Song BQ, Zhou PK, Zhu MX, Li G*, Wu DC. Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase by TGF-beta1 via TbetaRII and Smad7 dependent mechanisms in human bronchial epithelial BEP2D cells. Cell Biol Toxicol. 2007 Mar; 23(2): 113-28. *Corresponding author.
  19. Freeman D, Lesche R, Kertesz N, Wang S, Li G, Gao J, Groszer M, Martinez-Diaz H, Rozengurt N, Thomas G, Liu X, Wu H. Genetic background controls tumor development in pten-deficient mice. Cancer Res. 2006 Jul 1;66(13):6492-6.
  20. Li G*, Hu Y, Huo Y, Liu M, Freeman D, Gao J, Liu X, Wu DC, Wu H. PTEN deletion leads to up-regulation of a secreted growth factor pleiotrophin. J Biol Chem. 2006;281(16):10663-8.  *Corresponding author.
  21. Wang S, Gao J, Lei Q, Rozengurt N, Pritchard C, Jiao J, Thomas GV, Li G, Roy-Burman P, Nelson PS, Liu X, Wu H. Prostate-specific deletion of the murine Pten tumor suppressor gene leads to metastatic prostate cancer. Cancer Cell 2003 Sep; 4(3):209-21.
  22. Li G, Robinson GW, Lesche R, Martinez-Diaz H, Jiang Z, Rozengurt N, Wagner K, Wu DC, Lane TF, Liu X, Henninghausen LH. Conditional loss of PTEN leads to precocious development and neoplasia in the mammary gland. Development 2002 Sep;129(17):4159-70.
Google Scholar Profile
Current Research Grants
  • Macau Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT)
    • FDCT 095/2015/A3 (2016-2019)
    • FDCT 137/2014/A3 (2015-2018)
    • FDCT 0107/2019/A2 (2019-2022)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China and Macau Science and Technology Development Joint Fund (NSFC-FDCT)
    • NSFC-FDCT 033/2017/AFJ (2017-2019)
  • University of Macau Multi-Year Research Grant (MYRG)
    • MYRG2017-00099-FHS (2018-2020)
    • MYRG2018-00022-FHS (2019-2021)
  • Guangzhou Science and Technology Innovation and Development Special Funds
    • EF006/FHS-LG/2018/GSTIC