Introduction
Gene expression control involves three different major layers: transcriptional, post-transcriptional and translational regulations. Besides the well-known transcriptional regulation, various post-transcriptional RNA processes provide important functions in gene modulation, and the representative instances are alternative splicing (AS) and alternative polyadenylation (APA). More intriguingly, variable physiological and pathological biological processes are linked to AS/APA shift. However, little is known about the detailed regulation mechanism of these processes in variable biological processes so far. Our lab proposes to systematically attack the problem in RNA processing regulation and clarify its functions in specific biological processes.
Our work strikes an important balance between hypothesis-driven research and exploration. In our lab, we have three major research areas:
1. Systematic identify RNA processing (Splicing, Polyadenylation, Capping, RNA editing, etc. al) regulators on a genome-wide scale.
2. Dissect pathways for the regulation of RNA processes by both dry and wet lab approaches.
3. Purse the functions of RNA processes in different biological systems.
In all of our work, we use both new computational and experimental techniques to uncover the molecular connections between different layers of RNA regulation. We hope our efforts could provide novel insight into fundamental aspects in post-transcriptional regulation and biological processes.
We welcome all talented students and postdoc fellows to join our lab. If you want to know more about our lab, please don’t hesitate to contact me through Email: haoyajing@big.ac.cn.
Group leader
Dr. HAO Yajing is a Principal Investigator of a hybrid computational and experimental RNA biology lab at a hybrid computational and experimental RNA biology lab at BIG.
Dr. HAO obtained the Ph.D. degree in Bioinformatics at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science. During the Ph.D. training, Dr HAO not only constructed a series of ncRNA databases, which have been well-received to date by the research community (NONCODE 2016, NPInter 2016, LncVar 2017 & SmProt 2018), but also discovered and validated several key ncRNAs in different tumor metastasis (Gene, 2017, Clinical Cancer Res 2017, J Hematol Oncol, 2019, J Hepatol, 2019).
With a strong desire to pursue a career in academia, Dr.HAO joined the laboratory of Dr. Xiang-Dong Fu at UCSD as a postdoctoral fellow. During postdoctoral training, Dr.HAO has been participating in multiple projects in RNA processing and regulation, including RNA splicing(Genome Biology 2022), editing(JCI 2022, Nature Immunology, under revision), and polyadenylation (Mol Cells 2023). By using the newly developed technology and software, Dr. HAO has revealed several predominant regulatory networks and shed critical light on the regulatory code underlying RNA processing.
Selected Publications:
*co-first authors. #co-correspondence
1.Yajing Hao, Jing Hu, Yuanchao Xue, Steven. F. Dowdy, William. C. Mobley, Xiang-Dong Fu. Reply to: Ptbp1 deletion does not induce astrocyte-to-neuron conversion. Nature. 2023 Jun;618(7964):E8-E13.
2.Yajing Hao, Shuyang Zhang, Changwei Shao, Junhui Li, Guofeng Zhao, Dong-Er Zhang, Xiang-Dong Fu. ZetaSuite: computational analysis of two-dimensional high-throughput data from multi-target screens and single-cell transcriptomics. Genome Biology. 2022, 23(1).
3.Yajing Hao*, Dongpeng Wang*, Shuheng Wu, Xiao Li, Changwei Shao, Peng Zhang, Jia-Yu Chen, Do-Hwan Lim#, Xiang-Dong Fu#, Runsheng Chen#, Shunmin He#. Active retrotransposons help maintain pericentromeric heterochromatin required for faithful cell division. Genome Research. 2020, 30(11): 1570-1582.
4.Yajing Hao*, Lili Zhang*, Yiwei Niu, Tanxi Cai, Jianjun Luo, Shunmin He, Bao Zhang, Dejiu Zhang, Yan Qin, Fuquan Yang, Runsheng Chen. SmProt: a database of small proteins encoded by annotated coding and non-coding RNA loci. Briefings In Bioinformatics. 2018, 19(4): 636-643.
5.Yajing Hao, Ting Cai, Chang Liu, Xuan Zhang, Xiang-Dong Fu. Sequential Polyadenylation to Enable Alternative mRNA 3’ End Formation. Mol Cells. 2023, 46(1): 57-64.
6.Yajing Hao*, Wei Wu*, Hui Li, Jiao Yuan, Jianjun Luo, Yi Zhao#, Runsheng Chen#. NPInter v3. 0: an upgraded database of noncoding RNA-associated interactions. Database, Volume 2016, 2016, baw057.
7.Yajing Hao*, Xinling Yang*, Dongdong Zhang, Jianjun Luo, Runsheng Chen#. Long noncoding RNA LINC01186, regulated by TGF-beta/SMAD3, inhibits migration and invasion through Epithelial- Mesenchymal-Transition in lung cancer. Gene 2017, 608, 1-12.
8.Chong Zhang*, Dongpeng Wang*, Yajing Hao*, Shuheng Wu, Jianjun Luo, Yuanchao Xue, Di Wang, Guohong Li, Lihui Liu, Changwei Shao, Huiyan Li, Jinfeng Yuan, Maoxiang Zhu, Xiang-Dong Fu#, Xiao Yang#, Runsheng Chen#, Yan Teng#. LncRNA CCTT-mediated RNA-DNA and RNA-protein interactions facilitate the recruitment of CENP-C to centromeric DNA during kinetochore assembly. Molecular Cell. 2022, 82(21): 4018-4032.e9.
9.Li Jiang*, Yajing Hao*, Changwei Shao, Qiulian Wu, Briana C Prager, Ryan C Gimple, Gabriele Sulli, Leo JY Kim, Guoxin Zhang, Zhixin Qiu, Zhe Zhu, Xiang-Dong Fu#, Jeremy N Rich#. ADAR1-mediated RNA editing links ganglioside catabolism to glioblastoma stem cell maintenance. The Journal Of Clinical Investigation. 2022, 132(6).
10.Jing Li*, Yajing Hao*, Wenzhe Mao*, Xiaowei Xue, Pengchao Xu, Lihui iu, Jiao Yuan, Dongdong Zhang, Na Li, Hua Chen, Lin Zhao, Zhao Sun, Jianjun Luo, Runsheng Chen#, Robert Chunhua Zhao#. LincK contributes to breast tumorigenesis by promoting proliferation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Journal Of Hematology & Oncology. 2019, 12(1): 1-17.
11.Xiaowei Chen*, Yajing Hao*, Ya Cui*, Zhen Fan, Shunmin He, Jianjun Luo, Runsheng Chen. LncVar: a database of genetic variation associated with long non-coding genes. Bioinformatics. 2017, 33(1): 112-118.
12.Zheng Wang*, Yajing Hao*, Chuanbao Zhang*, Zhiliang Wang, Xing Liu, Guanzhang Li, Lihua Sun, Jingshan Liang, Jianjun Luo, Dabiao Zhou, Runsheng Chen#, Tao Jiang#. The Landscape of Viral Expression Reveals Clinically Relevant Viruses with Potential Capability of Promoting Malignancy in Lower-Grade Glioma. Clinical Cancer Research. 2017, 23(9): 2177-2185.
13. LanTao Gou*, DoHwan Lim*, Ma, Wubin*, Brandon E Aubol, Yajing Hao, Xin Wang, Jun Zhao, Zhengyu Liang, Changwei Shao, Xuan Zhang, Fan Meng, Hairi Li, Xiaorong Zhang, Ruiming Xu, Dangsheng Li, Michael G Rosenfeld, Pamela L Mellon, Joseph A Adams, MoFang Liu, Xiang-Dong Fu. Initiation of Parental Genome Reprogramming in Fertilized Oocyte by Splicing Kinase SRPK1-Catalyzed Protamine Phosphorylation. Cell. 2020, 180(6): 1212-1227.
Group Members
Graduate Students：
LIU Yanchen
HUANG Qinzhou
XU huijuan
Postdoctoral Fellows：
WU Erzhong
WU Tan
Awards and Honors
2013 Outstanding Graduates.
2014, 2015 Merit Student.
2014 National Scholarship.
2016 Excellent Student Cadre.
2017 The Di’ao First Prize Scholarship.
2018 First Prize Oral Presentation Award, 2018 “Genetics & Development” academic meeting
2018 Outstanding Graduates in Beijing.
