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Faculty
Xiang-Lei Yang
Associate Professor of Molecular Biology
Department of Molecular Biology
TSRI - 2000
Education
B.S., Capital Institute of Medical Sciences (Beijing), 1993
Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2000
Research Focus
Our research is focused on elucidating the mechanism of the functional diversity of human aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and understanding how different functions are activated and regulated.
Known as an essential component of the translational apparatus, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase family catalyzes the first step reaction in protein synthesis, that is, to specifically attach each amino acid onto its cognate tRNA. While preserving this essential role, tRNA synthetases develop other roles during evolution. Human tRNA synthetases, in particular, have diverse functions in various pathways involving angiogenesis, inflammation and apoptosis. The functional diversity is further illustrated in the association with various diseases through genetic mutations on tRNA synthetases that do not affect aminoacylation or protein synthesis.
A cross-disciplinary approach combining biochemical, biophysical, molecular genetics, cell biology and evolutionary analysis is used in our research.
Selected References
Yang, X.-L.*, Kapoor, M., Otero, F.J., Slike, B. Tsuruta, H., Frausto, R., Bates, A., Ewalt, K.L., Cheresh, D.A. & Schimmel, P. (2007). Gain-of-function mutational activation of human tRNA synthetase procytokine, Chemistry & Biology (In press) (*Corresponding author)
Nangle, L.A., Zhang, W., Xie, W., Yang, X.-L.* & Schimmel, P. (2007). Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease-associated mutant tRNA synthetases linked to altered dimer interface and neurite distribution defect, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A 104, 11239-11244 (*Co-corresponding author)
Xie, W., Nangle, L.A., Zhang, W., Schimmel, P. & Yang, X.-L.* (2007). Long-range structural effects of a Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease-causing mutation in human glycyl-tRNA synthetase, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A 104, 9976-9981 (*Co-corresponding author)
Yang, X.-L.*, Otero, F. J. , Ewalt, K. L., Liu, J., Swairjo, M. A., Kohrer, C., RajBhandary, U. L., Skene, R. J., McRee, D. E. & Schimmel, P. (2006). Two conformations of a crystalline human tRNA synthetase-tRNA complex: implications for protein synthesis, EMBO J. 25, 2919-2929 (*Corresponding author)
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