Biography I was born and grew up in Wuhan, China. I obtained my B.S. degree in Biochemistry from Wuhan University. I received my Ph.D. training with Professor Steve Elledge at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston), where I studied the DNA damage checkpoints and developed a novel cloning method called UPS. I went on to do my postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Xiaodong Wang, from whom I learn the art of classical biochemistry. I joined the faculty at UT Southwestern in 2004. My research group currently focuses on understanding the molecular circuits of RNAi/microRNA and sleep regulation by combining genetics and biochemistry. Education Undergraduate Wuhan University - China (1992), Biochemistry Graduate School Baylor College of Medicine (2001), Cell Biology Honors & Awards Damon Runyon Scholar Award (2005) Deborah and W.A. "Tex" Moncrief, Jr. Scholar in Medical Research (2004)

Molecular Circuits of Mammalian Sleep Regulation Molecular Mechanisms of RNA Interference Regulatory Mechanisms of MicroRNA Biogenesis

Karamyshev AL, Patrick AE, Karamysheva ZN, Griesemer DS, Hudson H, Tjon-Kon-Sang S, Nilsson I, Otto H, Liu Q, Rospert S, von Heijne G, Johnson AE, Thomas PJ. Inefficient SRP interaction with a nascent chain triggers a mRNA quality control pathway. Cell 156: 146-157 (2014) C. Liang, K. Xiong, K.E. Szulwuch, Y. Zhang, Z. Wang, J. Peng, M. Fu, P. Jing, H.I. Suzuki, Q. Liu. Sjogren Syndrome Antigen B (SSB)/La promotes global microRNA expression by binding microRNA precursors through stem-loop recognition. J Biol Chem, 288:723-36 PMCID: 3537071 (2013) L. Li, W. Gu, C. Liang, Q. Liu, C.C. Mello, Y. Liu. The translin-TRAX complex (C3PO) is a ribonuclease in tRNA processing. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 19:824-30. PMCID: 3414638 (2012) Y. Li, L. Lin, Z. Li, X. Ye, K. Xiong, B. Aryal, Z. Xu, Z. Paroo, Q. Liu, C. He, P. Jin. Iron Homeostasis Regulates the Activity of the MicroRNA Pathway through Poly(C)-Binding Protein 2. Cell Metabolism, 15:895-904 (2012) Y. Liu, H. Tan, H. Tian, C. Liang, S. Chen, Q. Liu. Autoantigen La promotes RNAi, antiviral response, and transposon silencing by facilitating multi-turnover RISC catalysis, Mol Cell 44:502-8. PMCID: 3229097 (2011) X. Ye, N. Huang, Y. Liu, Z. Paroo, C. Huerta, P. Li, S. Chen, Q. Liu*, H. Zhang* (co-first and cocorresponding authors). Structure of C3PO and mechanism of human RISC activation. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 18:650-657 (2011) N. Welker, T.S. Maity*, X. Ye*, P.J. Aruscavage, A.A. Krauchuk, Q. Liu, and B.L. Bass. Dicer's helicase domain discriminates dsRNA termini to promote an altered reaction mode. Mol Cell 41: 589-599 (2011). K. Okamura, N. Robine, Y. Liu, Q. Liu, and E.C. Lai. R2D2 organizes small regulatory RNA pathways in Drosophila. Mol Cell Biol 31:884-896. PMCID: 3028645 (2011). M. Yoda, T. Kawamata, Z. Paroo, X. Ye, S. Iwasaki, Q. Liu, and Y. Tomari. ATP-dependent human RISC assembly pathways. Nat Struct Mol Biol 17:17-23. PMCID: 2915567 (2010). T. Fishler, Y.Y. Li, R.H. Wang, H.S. Kim, K. Sengupta, A. Vassilopoulos, T. Lahusen, X. Xu, M.H. Lee, Q. Liu, S.J. Elledge, T. Ried, C.X. Deng. Genetic instability and mammary tumor formation in mice carrying mammary-specific disruption of Chk1 and p53. Oncogene 19:4007- 17 (2010). Paroo, X. Ye, S. Chen, and Q. Liu. Phosphorylation of the human micro-RNA generating complex mediates MAPK/Erk signaling. Cell 139:112-122 (2009) (Selected by Faculty of 1000 Biology, previewed in Cell 2009 139:28-31, highlighted in Nature reviews in Mol Cell Biol. 10:734). Y. Liu, X. Ye, F. Jiang, C. Liang, D. Chen, J. Peng, L.N. Kinch, N.V. Grishin, and Q. Liu. C3PO, an endoribonuclease that promotes RNAi by facilitating RISC activation. Science,325:750-753 (2009) (Selected by Faculty of 1000 Biology and Highlighted in Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2009 16:909). Shan G, Li Y, Zhang J, Li W, Szulwach KE, Duan R, Faghihi MA, Khalil AM, Lu L, Paroo Z, Chan AW, Shi Z, Liu Q, Wahlestedt C, He C, Jin P, A small molecule enhances RNA interference and promotes microRNA processing. Nat Biotechnol 26:933-940 (2008) S. Kalidas, C, Sanders, X Ye, T Strauss, M Kuhn, Q. Liu, D. Smith, Drosophila R2D2 mediates follicle formation in somatic tissues through interactions with Dicer-1. Mech Dev 125:475-85 (2008) X. Liu, J. Park, F. Jiang, Y. Liu, D. McKearin, and Q. Liu, Dicer-1, but not Loquacious, is critical for assembly of miRNA-induced silencing complexes. RNA 13: 2324-2329 (2007). X. Ye, Z. Paroo, and Q. Liu, The functional anatomy of Drosophila microRNA-generating enzyme. J Biol Chem 282: 28373-28378 (2007). S. Choudhary, H.C.Lee, M. Maiti, P. Cheng, Q. Liu, Y. Liu, A double-stranded RNA response program important for RNAi efficiency. Mol Cell Biol 27: 3995-4005 (2007). (Cover Story). J. Park, X. Liu, T. Strauss, D. McKearin, and Q. Liu, The miRNA pathway intrinsically controls self-renewal of Drosophila germline stem cells. Curr Biol 17: 533–538 (2007). (Cover story). K. Zaugg, Y. Su, P. T. Reilly, Y. Moolani, C. C. Cheung, R. Hakem, A. Hirao, Q. Liu, S. J. Elledge, and T. W. Mak, Cross-talk between Chk1 and Chk2 in double-mutant thymocytes. PNAS 104: 3805-3810 (2007).

X. Liu, F. Jiang, K. Savitha, D. Smith, Q. Liu, Dicer-2 and R2D2 coordinately bind siRNA to promote assembly of the siRISC complexes. RNA 12:1514-1520 (2006).