Liangyu Zhang, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator, PhD Supervisor

Cell Biology and Genetics

School of Basic Medical Sciences

Institute of Biomedical Innovation

Jiangxi Medical College

Nanchang University

E-mail: zhangly303@ncu.edu.cn

Education

2007–2013: University of Science and Technology of China, Ph.D.

2003–2007: Anhui Normal University, B.S.

Professional Experience

2026.03–present: Principal Investigator, Nanchang University

2023.06–2026.03: Visiting Investigator, MOE Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics

2021.12–2023.02: Research Specialist, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA

2019.05–2021.12: Assistant Project Scientist, University of California, Berkeley, USA

2018.05–2019.05: Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, Berkeley, USA

2014.02–2018.05: Research Associate, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA

Research Interests

Quality control of chromosome inheritance, with an emphasis on how liquid-liquid phase separation regulates chromosome dynamics and remodeling.

1. Investigating mitotic chromosome dynamics and their regulation using cultured cells, model organisms, and human organoids, aiming to define how failures in these safeguarding mechanisms lead to chromosomal instability and tumorigenesis, and to identify novel targets and intervention strategies for cancer.

2. Dissecting the regulation of homolog pairing, synapsis, and recombination during meiosis through combined studies in model organisms and patient samples, seeking to determine how genetic and environmental perturbations disrupt these processes to cause birth defects and infertility, and to provide molecular bases for diagnosis, prevention, and therapy.

Academic Service

Associate Editor, Cell Biology International.

Review Activities: Nature Communications, JCB, JMCB, etc.

Other Activities:

Co-organizer, Workshop on “New Tools for Conditional Expression and Degradation”, 22nd International Worm Meeting;

Co-organizer, 9th International Conference on Cell Dynamics and Chemical Biology.

Selected Publications

1. Zhang L# *, Stauffer W#, Liu C#, Shao H#, Abuzahriyeh N, Jiang R, Zwicker D, Liu X, Yao X*, Dernburg AF*. Crossover patterning through condensation and coarsening of pro-crossover factors. Nature Cell Biology, 2025, 27(7), 1161-1174. (Cover article)

2. Yang T, Hu W, Zhang Y, Xiong F, Wang Z, Liu X, Jiang K, Yao X*, Zhang L*. Methylation of MATCAP by PRMT5 regulates microtubule detyrosination to ensure mitotic fidelity. Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, 2026, 11:mjag008.

3. Shi X, Yu X, Wang W, Xiong F, Yuan X, Hu Q, Song X, Dou Z, Yao X*, Zhang L*. Dynamic crotonylation of Bub3 regulates mitotic checkpoint silencing and chromosome segregation. Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, 2025, 13:mjaf040.

4. Fu W, Wang X, Rafiq M, Shao H, Wang C, Wang D, Tao C, Fu C, Zieger B, Liu X, Yao X*, Zhang L*. Multivalent interactions of Septin 6 promote the establishment of epithelial cell polarity. Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, 2025, 17(1):mjaf003.

5. He S, Wang C, Shao H, Hu C, Hu R, Liu R, Fu C, Liu X, Yao X*, Zhang L*. Phosphorylation of CENP-C by PLK1 ensures accurate chromosome congression during mitosis. Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, 2025, 17(2):mjae062.

6. Bellah SF, Xiong F, Dou Z, Yang F, Liu X, Yao X*, Gao X*, Zhang L*. PLK1 phosphorylation of ZW10 guides accurate chromosome segregation in mitosis. Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, 2024, 16(2):mjae008.

7. Zhang L, Stauffer WT, Wang JS, Wu F, Yu Z, Liu C, Kim HJ, Dernburg AF. Recruitment of Polo-like kinase couples synapsis to meiotic progression via inactivation of CHK-2. eLife, 2023, 12:e84492.

8. Zhang L, Köhler S, Rillo-Bohn R, Dernburg AF. A compartmentalized signaling network mediates crossover control in meiosis. eLife. 2018 Mar 9; 7: e30789. (Cover article)

9. Zhang L, Ward JD, Cheng Z, Dernburg AF. The auxin-inducible degradation (AID) system enables versatile conditional protein depletion in C. elegans. Development. 2015 Dec 15; 142(24):4374-84. (Recommended by F1000)

10. Zhang L#, Shao H#, Zhu T, Xia P, Wang Z, Liu L, Yan M, Hill DL, Fang G, Chen Z, Wang D, Yao X. DDA3 associates with microtubule plus ends and orchestrates microtubule dynamics and directional cell migration. Scientific Reports. 2013; 3:1681.

11. Zhang L, Shao H, Huang Y, Yan F, Chu Y, Hou H, Zhu M, Fu C, Aikhionbare F, Fang G, Ding X, Yao X. PLK1 phosphorylates mitotic centromere-associated kinesin and promotes its depolymerase activity. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2011 Jan 28;286(4):3033-46.