| Xi Huang, Ph.D. Professor. E-mail: xihuang@xmu.edu.cn |
Education
2007, B.Sc., Biotechnology, Beijing Normal University;
2012, Ph.D., Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Joint Program by National Institute of Biological Sciences and Beijing Normal University.
Professional Experience
2009-2011, Visiting Scholar, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University;
2012-2014, Postdoctoral Fellow, Peking-Yale Joint Center for Plant Molecular Genetics and Agro-Biotechnology;
2014-2015, Principal Investigator, Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University;
2015-present, Principal Investigator, Professor, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University.
Research Area
Light is the most important environmental cue for plant growth and development. To cope with the changing light environments, plants have evolved the capacity to optimize their growth. Since 1970s, an increase in UV-B irradiation has occurred due to ozone depletion. From the historical point of view, UV-B light is regarded as a damaging stimulus to plants. Yet, currently advanced scientific investigation has revealed that plants benefit from UV-B irradiation in terms of photomorphogenic development, secondary metabolism, photoprotection, antioxidative response and resistance to pest anddisease attack. Beyond the area of plant researches, UV-B photobiology has advanced the tool development that allows the optical control of spatiotemporal signaling events in mammalian cells. These facts raise the possibilities that UV-B-mediated responses can be exploited to facilitate sustainable crop production, environmental conservation, and protein engineering in medical applications. Our lab aims to elucidate the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of the UV-B light-mediated plant development. Combinatory approaches of biochemistry, molecular genetics, cell biology and computer science will be applied to investigate molecular framework of UV-B signaling cascade and crosstalk between UV-B light signal and other environmental signal pathways.
Selected Publications
1. Hu S., Chen Y., Qian C., Ren H., Liang X., Tao W., Chen Y., Wang J., Dong Y., Han J., Ouyang X.#, Huang X.# (2024) Nuclear accumulation of rice UV-B photoreceptors is UV-B- and OsCOP1-independent for UV-B responses. Nat Commun 15(1):6396.
2. Wang L., Wang Y., Chang H., Ren H., Wu X., Wen J., Guan Z., Ma L., Qiu L., Yan J., Zhang D., Huang X.#, Yin P.# (2022) RUP2 facilitates UVR8 redimerization via two interfaces. Plant Commun. 4:100428.
3. Qian C., Chen Z., Liu Q., Mao W., Chen Y., Tian W., Liu Y., Han J., Ouyang X., Huang X.# (2020) Coordinated Transcriptional Regulation by the UV-B Photoreceptor and Multiple Transcription Factors for Plant UV-B Responses. Mol Plant 13(5):777-792.
4. Ren H., Han J., Yang P., Mao W., Liu X., Qiu L., Qian C., Liu Y., Chen Z., Ouyang X., Chen X., Deng X., Huang X.# (2019) Two E3 ligases antagonistically regulate the UV-B response in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 116(10):4722-31.
5. Qian C., Mao W., Liu Y., Ren H., Lau O., Ouyang X., Huang X.# (2016) Dual-source nuclear monomers of UV-B light receptor direct photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis. Mol Plant 9(12), 1671-1674. COVER STORY.
6. Qiu L., Wang X., Zhuang G., Ouyang X.#, Huang X.# (2021) Chromosomal Looping‐Based Expression Activation System in Yeast. Small Methods 5(4):2001135. INSIDE COVER STORY.
7. Ouyang X., Ren H., Huang X.# (2021) Optogenetic tools controlled by ultraviolet-B light. aBIOTECH 2:170-175.
8. Liu Y., Huang X.# (2021) Isolation of UVR8 Protein Complexes. Plant Photomorphogenesis, Methods Mol Biol 2297:33-40.
9. Huang X.#, Deng X.W. (2013) Organization of protein complexes under photomorphogenic UV-B in Arabidopsis. Plant Signal Behav 8(12), e27206.