Zhongbo Lab focuses on unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying human aging and cancers. Our research primarily centers around investigating single molecular behaviors in individual cells to gain insights into protein-nucleic acid interactions and protein-protein interactions, identifying potential drugging states. Our lab employs a range of advanced techniques including magnetic tweezers, optical tweezers, and AFM. In addition to studying telomere biology, epigenetics, and cell-cell interactions, our team is actively involved in developing innovative instruments, utilizing novel bioconjugate chemistry, and engineering macromolecules. With a dedicated focus on single-molecule biology and single-molecule pharmacology, our ongoing projects encompass telomere research, DNMTs, RNA, and instrumentation. The artwork showcased above is a creation by Ning Liu.

Publications at NKU (Click to Pubmed)

19: Yu Z, et al. Single-molecule studies of telomeres and shelterin. In preparation. 2024.


18: Lu M, et al. Single-molecule folding pathways of an anti-virus ribozyme. In preparation. 2024.


17: Cao Z, et al. Two Distinct Time Phases for the Allostery of DNA Methyltransferase 1 upon Reading CpGs. In preparation. 2024.


16: Zhai Z, et al. Mechanisms of NINJ1-mediated plasma membrane rupture: activation and pore-formation. Under review. 2024.


15: Gao H, Wang M, Wang Y, Cao Z, Lu M, Zhou J, Jing Y, Zhao Z, Ma K, Wang F, Yu Z. Absolute length distribution of human telomeres at the single-molecule level. Under review. 2024.


14: Qin Y, Wu H, Yu Z, Shirinzadeh B, Han J. Development and test of a coarse-fine inverted span-scale dual positioning stage with antagonistic piezo-actuation configuration. Under review. 2024.


13: Hu Y, Xiong L, Wang Z, Dai J, Li T, Guo X, Liu R, Yu Z, Li Y, Li Y. Probing structural variants of irregular DNA G-rich motifs using MspA nanopores. Under review. 2024.


12: Lu M, Cao Z, Xiong L, Deng H, Ma K, Liu N, Qin Y, Chen S, Chen J, Li Y, Liu Y, Yu Z. A Ribozyme Selects Mechanically Stable Conformations for Catalysis Against Viral RNA. Under revision. 2024.


11:  Gao H, Liu Y, Yu Z. Analyzing Telomeric Protein-DNA Interactions Using Single-Molecule Magnetic Tweezers. J Vis Exp. 2024 Aug 30;(210). doi: 10.3791/67251.


10: Nai S, Wang M, Yang J, Ling B, Dong Q, Yang X, Du X, Lu M, Liu L, Yu Z, Chen L. Novel role for Ddx39 in differentiation and telomere length regulation of embryonic stem cells. Cell Death Differ. 2024 Aug 6. doi: 10.1038/s41418-024-01354-x.


9: Ma K, Xiong L, Wang Z, Hu X, Qu L, Zhao X, Li Y, Yu Z. A DNA Force Circuit for Exploring Protein-Protein Interactions at the Single-molecule Level. Chin. J. Chem. 2024 Feb 23; 42(13):1456-1464. DOI:10.1002/cjoc.202300723

Selected by the editor to be the cover story.


8: Zhang Q, Sun T, Yu F, Liu W, Gao J, Chen J, Zheng H, Liu J, Tian W, Su M, Guo Y, Liu X, Pei Y, Wang Z, Chen S, Mu C, Lam SM, Shui G, Li Z, Yu Z, Miao C, Guo H, Lu C, Midgley A, Zhang Y, Chen G, Li C, Bian X, Liao X, Wang Y, Xiong W, Zhu H, Li Y, Chen Q. PAFAH2 suppresses PAF-like phospholipid-mediated synchronized ferroptosis to ameliorate AKI. Nat Chem Biol. 2024 Jan 29. doi: 10.1038/s41589-01528-7.


7: Li, P., Hou, S., Wu, Q., Chen, Y., Wang, B., Ren, H., Wang, J., Zhai, Z., Yu, Z., Lambert, C. J., Jia, C., & Guo, X. (2023). The role of halogens in Au-S bond cleavage for energy-differentiated catalysis at the single-bond limit. Nature communications14(1), 7695. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43639-8.

Highlighted by Christian Kuttner, the editor of Nature communications, as Featured articles in Inorganic and physical chemistry.


6: Wang Z, Cao Z, Ma K, Lu M, Wang M, Gao H, Gong D, Liang L, Yu Z. Reading Time and DNA Sequence Preference of TET3 CXXC Domain Revealed by Single-Molecule Profiling. Chin. J. Chem. 2023 Feb 08; 41(10), 1177-1184. DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.202200780. 

Selected by the editor to be the back cover story.


5: Liang L, Ma K, Wang Z, Janissen R, Yu Z. Dynamics and Inhibition of MLL1 CXXC Domain on DNA Revealed by Single-Molecule Quantification. Biophys J. 2021 Aug 17; 120(16):3283-3291. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.03.045. 

NEW AND NOTABLE | Biophysical Journal

Profiling selective binding to promoter CpG islands: a novel application of single-DNA mechanical footprinting assay

Wenmao Huang, Jie Yan

Published: Aug 17, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.07.010


4: Liang L, Wang Z, Qu L, Huang W, Guo S, Guan X, Zhang W, Sun F, Yuan H, Zou H, Liu H, Yu Z. Single-molecule multiplexed profiling of protein-DNA complexes using Magnetic Tweezers. J Biol Chem. 2021 Jan-Jun; 296:100327. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100327. 


3: Li X, Wang M, Zheng W, Huang W, Wang Z, Jin K, Liu L, Yu Z. Dynamics of TRF1 organizing a single human telomere. Nucleic Acids Res. 2021 Jan 25; 49(2):760-775. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1222. 


2: Ma X, Zhu M, Liu J, Li X, Qu L, Liang L, Huang W, Wang J, Li N, Chen JH, Zhang W, Yu Z. Interactions between PHD3-Bromo of MLL1 and H3K4me3 Revealed by Single-Molecule Magnetic Tweezers in a Parallel DNA Circuit. Bioconjug Chem. 2019 Dec 18; 30(12):2998-3006. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00665.


1: Li N, Wang J, Ma K, Liang L, Mi L, Huang W, Ma X, Wang Z, Zheng W, Xu L, Chen JH, Yu Z. The dynamics of forming a triplex in an artificial telomere inferred by DNA mechanics. Nucleic Acids Res. 2019 Sep 5;47(15):e86. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkz464.

 

Sponsors

State key laboratory of precision measuring technology and instruments (Tianjin University) 

National Natural Science Foundation of China (Tianjin)

National Natural Science Foundation of China

Lab workshops (Click for more)


Members (Click to ResearchGate)

Current members:


  • Dr. Zhongbo Yu

  • Zhiqiang Cao

  • Man Lu

  • Han Gao

  • Zhuofei Wang

  • Zhaoyi Zhai

  • Xin Hu

  • Xuetong Zhao

  • Yanling Liu

Alumni:


  • Dr. Lin Liang, on to a faculty position at Shanxi Agriculture University

  • Dr. Kangkang Ma

  • BSc. Yanqiu Liu

  • Dr. Ning Li, on to a faculty position at Tianjin University

  • Dr. Xiaofeng Ma

  • MSc. Lihua Qu

  • MSc. Wei Huang

  • Bsc. Zaihan Zheng

  • Dr. Xu Li, on to postdoc at CAS

  • MSc. Wei Zheng, on to Ph.D. at Nankai University

  • MSc. Junli Wang

  • Dr. Zeyu Wang, on to staff scientist at Peking Union Medical College

  • BSc. Xinrong Jiang

  • MSc. Meijie Wang

  • BSc. Yi Li

  • BSc. Cenling Gao