Education

 2006-2010, B.Eng., College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

 2010-2015, Ph.D., School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Professional Experience

 2015–2017, Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

 2017–2018, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, NJ, USA

 2018–2026, Principal Investigator, Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

 2026–present, Principal Investigator, Professor, School of Basic Medical Sciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China

Research Interests

Our laboratory has long been dedicated to structural biology and drug-target research, with a focus on systematic structural and functional dissection of key proteins involved in lipid metabolism. We aim to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying lipid homeostasis and conduct structure‑based intervention studies to provide novel therapeutic strategies for related diseases. In addition, our group is interested in the structural mechanisms of other important drug-target proteins to facilitate the development of targeted therapies.

Academic Services

Serves as a reviewer for multiple international journals and as a review expert for research and talent programs of the NSFC, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and various provincial and municipal funding agencies.

Selected Publications (Corresponding or first author publications; * indicates co‑first author, # indicates corresponding author)

1. Fang Q*, Yang C, Yao N, Xie T#, Gong X#. Structural and functional dissection of a higher-order oligomerization interface in yeast ceramide synthase. Nature Communications. 2026 Mar 31;17(1):4656.

2. Ma X*, Wang W*, Zhang J*, Jiang Z*, Xu C*, Zhu W, Shi B, Yang W, Su H, Wang X, Chen D, Wang Y, Wang J, Wang J, Liu X, Wang X, Huang X, Xie W, Cai Y, Xu K, Xin P, Liu L, Lü P, Wang Y, Chu J, Gong X#, Chu C#, Hu B#. NRT1.1B acts as an abscisic acid receptor in integrating compound environmental cues for plants. Cell. 2025 Aug 7:S0092-8674(25)00816-5.

3. Wu X*, Gong X#, Xie T#. Mechanisms of aureobasidin A inhibition and drug resistance in a fungal IPC synthase complex. Nature Communications. 2025 May 30;16(1):5010.

4. Zhang Z*, Fang Q*, Xie T#, Gong X#. Mechanism of ceramide synthase inhibition by fumonisin B1. Structure. 2024 Sep 5; 32, 1-10.

5. Xie T*, Dong F*, Han G*, Wu X*, Liu P, Zhang Z, Zhong J, Niranjanakumari S, Gable K, Gupta SD, Liu W, Harrison PJ, Campopiano DJ, Dunn TM#, Gong X#. Collaborative regulation of yeast SPT-Orm2 complex by phosphorylation and ceramide. Cell Reports. 2024 Feb 27;43(2),113717.

6. Xie T*, Fang Q*, Zhang Z, Wang Y, Dong F, Gong X#. Structure and mechanism of a eukaryotic ceramide synthase complex. The EMBO Journal. 2023 Dec 11;42(24):e114889.

7. Xie T*, Liu P*, Wu X, Yue J, Dong F, Zhang Z, Mahawar U, Farooq F, Vohra H, Fang Q, Liu W, Wattenberg BW#, Gong X#. Ceramide sensing by human SPT-ORMDL complex for establishing sphingolipid homeostasis. Nature Communications. 2023 Jun 13;14(1):3475.

8. Liu P*, Xie T*, Wu X, Han G, Gupta SD, Zhang Z, Yue J, Dong F, Gable K, Niranjanakumari S, Li W, Wang L, Liu W, Yao R, Cahoon EB, Dunn TM, Gong X#. Mechanism of sphingolipid homeostasis revealed by structural analysis of Arabidopsis SPT-ORM1 complex. Science Advances. 2023 Mar 29;9(13):eadg0728.

9. Xie T*, Zhang Z*, Yue J*, Fang Q, Gong X#. Cryo-EM structures of the human surfactant lipid transporter ABCA3. Science Advances. 2022 Apr 8;8(14): eabn3727.

10. Li W*, Wang L*, Wierbowski BM*, Lu M, Dong F, Liu W, Li S, Wang P, Salic A#, Gong X#. Structural insights into proteolytic activation of the human Dispatched1 transporter for Hedgehog morphogen release. Nature Communications. 2021 Nov 29;12(1):6966.

11. Xie T*, Zhang Z*, Fang Q, Du B, Gong X#. Structural basis of substrate recognition and translocation by human ABCA4. Nature Communications. 2021 Jun 22;12(1):3853.

12. Li S*, Xie T*, Liu P*, Wang L, Gong X#. Structural insights into the assembly and substrate selectivity of human SPT–ORMDL3 complex. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. 2021 Mar;28(3):249-257.

13. Ma L*, Guan Z, Wang Q, Yan X, Wang J, Wang J, Cao J, Zhang D, Gong X#, Yin P#. Structural insights into the photoactivation of Arabidopsis CRY2. Nature Plants. 2020 Nov 16;6(12):1432-1438.

14. Qian H*, Cao P*, Hu M, Gao S, Yan N#, Gong X#. Inhibition of tetrameric Patched1 by Sonic Hedgehog through an asymmetric paradigm. Nature Communications. 2019 May 24;10(1):2320.

15. Qian H*, Zhao X, Cao P, Lei J, Yan N#, Gong X*,#. Structure of the human lipid exporter ABCA1. Cell. 2017 Jun 15;169(7):1228–1239.

16. Gong X*, Qian H*, Cao P*, Zhao X, Zhou Q, Lei J, Yan N#. Structural basis for the recognition of Sonic Hedgehog by human Patched1. Science. 2018 Aug 10;361(6402).

17. Gong X*, Qian H*, Shao W*, Li J, Wu J, Liu J, Li W, Wang H, Espenshade PJ#, Yan N#. Complex structure of the fission yeast SREBP-SCAP binding domains reveals an oligomeric organization. Cell Research. 2016 Nov;26(11):1197-1211.

18. Gong X*, Qian H*, Zhou X*, Wu J*, Wan T*, Cao P, Huang W, Zhao X, Wang X, Wang P, Shi Y, Gao GF, Zhou Q#, Yan N#. Structural Insights into the Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1)-Mediated Cholesterol Transfer and Ebola Infection. Cell. 2016 Jun 2;165(6):1467-78.

19. Gong X*, Li J*, Shao W*, Wu J, Qian H, Ren R, Espenshade PJ#, Yan N#. Structure of the WD40 domain of SCAP from fission yeast reveals the molecular basis for SREBP recognition. Cell Research. 2015 Apr;25(4):401-11.

Contact

E-mail: gongx@ncu.edu.cn