1946 - 1950 Zhejiang University, China, B.Sc. in Chemistry

1956 - 1960 Moscow State University, Russia, Ph. D in Biology

1960 - Investigator, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Member, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Honor Director, National Laboratory of Biomaromolecules.

The main research focus of our group is on the modulation of cell fate by lipid-protein interactions within intracellular membrane structures (especially mitochondria and lysosomes).

1. The modulation and effects of lipid-protein interactions within mitochondria and lysosomes on the induction of apoptosis and autophagy of cells.

Our recent findings suggested that chymotrypsin is not just a digestive enzyme secreted exclusively by the pancreas, but also cached in the lysosomes of a broad array of different cell types with different origins. Upon proapoptotic stimuli, it can be redistributed into the cytosol, where it cleaves different effector molecules and thus initiates mitochondria-dependent apoptosis and autophagy. We will explore the mechanisms of the formation of Bid-dependent lipidic pores by different approaches. Also the modulation of mitochondrial dynamics by chymotrypsin-dependent pathways will be investigated.

2. The effects of the dynamics of intracellular membrane structures on the migration and invasion of tumor cells.

Recently we demonstrated that the membrane proteins Drp1 and Mfn1/2 might regulate the migration and invasion of tumor cell, probably by modulating the dynamic balance between the fission and fusion of mitochondria. We also found that the membrane protein Nix is involved in the reprogramming of cell metabolism via initiation of selective mitophagy. Based on these findings, we will pay more attention on the effects of interactions and dynamics of intracellular membrane structures on the survival, migration and invasion of tumor cells.

1. Qianqian Chen, Juan Zhang, Kai Zhao, Wei Li, Qi Miao, Yang Sun, Xingyu Zhao, Taotao Wei* andFuyu Yang*. Lysosomal chymotrypsin inducesmitochondrial fission in apoptotic cellsby proteolytic activation of calcineurin.Protein & Cell5(2014), 643-647.

2. Wenjuan Duan, Juefei Zhou, Wei Li, Teng Zhou, Qianqian Chen,Fuyu Yang*and Taotao Wei*. Plasma membrane calcium ATPase 4binhibits nitric oxide generation throughcalcium-induced dynamic interaction withneuronal nitric oxide synthase.Protein & Cell4(2013), 286-298.

3. Kai Zhao, Hejiang Zhou, Xingyu Zhao, Dennis W. Wolff, YapingTu, Huili Liu,Taotao Wei* andFuyu Yang*. Phosphatidic acid mediates the targeting of tBid toinduce lysosomal membrane permeabilizationand apoptosis.Journal of Lipid Research53(2012), 2102-2114.

4. Kai Zhao, Xingyu Zhao, YapingTu, Qi Miao, Dongxu Cao, WenjuanDuan, Yang Sun, Jincheng Wang, Taotao Wei* andFuyu Yang*. Lysosomal chymotrypsin B potentiates apoptosis via cleavageof Bid.Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences67(2010), 2665-2678.

5. Qi Miao, Yang Sun, Taotao Wei, Xingyu Zhao, Kai Zhao, Ling Yan, Xujia Zhang, Hongjun ShuandFuyu Yang*. Chymotrypsin B cached in rat liver lysosomes and involvedin apoptotic regulation through a mitochondrial pathway.The Journalof Biological Chemistry283(2008), 8218-8228. (Highlighted by Nature China)

(From Fuyu Yang, April 27, 2018)