Biography

EDUCATION:

09/2009--01/2015 Beijing Normal University Beijing, China，Ph.D

09/2005--06/2009 Sichuan University Chengdu, China，B.S.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

05/2024—Present Wuhan University, Research Fellow

08/2019--03/2023 Dr. Zhao Zhang’s lab, Duke University，Research Associate Sr.

01/2019--07/2019 Dr. Zhao Zhang’s lab, Carnegie Institution for Science，Postdoctoral Research Associate

01/2015--12/2018 Dr. Rongwen Xi’s lab, National Institute of Biological Science，Postdoctoral Research Associate

Research

Retrotransposons are heavily loaded in almost all the eukaryotic genomes, comprising around 38% of human DNA. Used to be considered as the genomic dark matter, research in the past decade has uncovered the fundamental impacts of retrotransposons on host biology: from promoting development to causing diseases or potentially driving aging. My overarching research goal is characterizing the mechanisms of retrotransposon-host interactions, aiming to harness these processes to ultimately improve human health.

Traditional research on retrotransposon function has been largely focused on their regulatory roles in gene expression or their mobilization events that cause DNA breaks or mutations. Notably, my postdoc research demonstrated that upon their activation, the replicated retrotransposon DNA pieces make few mobilization events, but massively form extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA). Our findings provide me a unique opportunity to explore a largely uncharted research area: the biogenesis and function of retrotransposon-derived eccDNA. Given that retrotransposons often specifically become active in cancer or senescent cells, my research could potentially elucidate new perspectives to understand how retrotransposons contribute to pathogenesis via their eccDNA biogenesis.

Representative  Publications

Yang, F.#, Su, W.#, Chung, O.W., Tracy, L., Wang, L., Ramsden, D.A., and Zhang, Z.Z.Z*. (2023). Retrotransposons hijack alt-EJ for DNA replication and eccDNA biogenesis. Nature 620, 218-225. 10.1038/s41586-023-06327-7.

Yang, F.*, Quan, Z., Huang, H., He, M., Liu, X., Cai, T., and Xi, R*. (2019). Ovaries absent links dLsd1 to HP1a for local H3K4 demethylation required for heterochromatic gene silencing. Elife 8. 10.7554/eLife.40806.

Guo, X.#, Yin, C.#, Yang, F.#, Zhang, Y.#, Huang, H., Wang, J., Deng, B., Cai, T., Rao, Y., and Xi, R*. (2019). The Cellular Diversity and Transcription Factor Code of Drosophila Enteroendocrine Cells. Cell Rep 29, 4172-4185 e4175. 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.11.048.

Huang, C.#, Yang, F.#, Zhang, Z.#, Zhang, J., Cai, G., Li, L., Zheng, Y., Chen, S., Xi, R.*, and Zhu, B.* (2017). Mrg15 stimulates Ash1 H3K36 methyltransferase activity and facilitates Ash1 Trithorax group protein function in Drosophila. Nat Commun 8, 1649. 10.1038/s41467-017-01897-3.

Yang, F., and Xi, R. (2017). Silencing transposable elements in the Drosophila germline. Cell Mol Life Sci 74, 435-448. 10.1007/s00018-016-2353-4.

Li, X.#, Yang, F.#, Chen, H., Deng, B., Li, X., and Xi, R*. (2016). Control of germline stem cell differentiation by Polycomb and Trithorax group genes in the niche microenvironment. Development 143, 3449-3458. 10.1242/dev.137638.

Yang, F., Zhao, R., Fang, X., Huang, H., Xuan, Y., Ma, Y., Chen, H., Cai, T., Qi, Y., and Xi, R*. (2015). The RNA surveillance complex Pelo-Hbs1 is required for transposon silencing in the Drosophila germline. EMBO Rep 16, 965-974. 10.15252/embr.201540084.

Wang, L.8, Tracy, L., Su, W., Yang, F., Silverman, N., and Zhang, Z.* (2022). Retrotransposon activation during Drosophila metamorphosis conditions adult antiviral responses. Nature Genetics. 10.1038/s41588-022-01214-9.

Shi, J., Jin, Z., Yu, Y., Zhang, Y., Yang, F., Huang, H., Cai, T., and Xi, R.* (2021). A Progressive Somatic Cell Niche Regulates Germline Cyst Differentiation in the Drosophila Ovary. Curr Biol 31, 840-852 e845. 10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.053.

Li, Z., Guo, X., Huang, H., Wang, C., Yang, F., Zhang, Y., Wang, J., Han, L., Jin, Z., Cai, T., and Xi, R*. (2020). A Switch in Tissue Stem Cell Identity Causes Neuroendocrine Tumors in Drosophila Gut. Cell Rep 33, 108459. 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108459.

Li, Z., Yang, F., Xuan, Y., Xi, R., and Zhao, R*. (2019). Pelota-interacting G protein Hbs1 is required for spermatogenesis in Drosophila. Sci Rep 9, 3226. 10.1038/s41598-019-39530-6.

Liu, X., Wei, W., Li, X., Shen, P., Ju, D., Wang, Z., Zhang, R., Yang, F., Chen, C., Cao, K., et al. (2017). BMI1 and MEL18 Promote Colitis-Associated Cancer in Mice via REG3B and STAT3. Gastroenterology 153, 1607-1620. 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.07.044.

Wang, C., Zhao, R., Huang, P., Yang, F., Quan, Z., Xu, N., and Xi, R.* (2013). APC loss-induced intestinal tumorigenesis in Drosophila: Roles of Ras in Wnt signaling activation and tumor progression. Dev Biol 378, 122-140. 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.03.020.