Shenhui

Dr. Shen earned his Ph.D. from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2017, under the guidance of Professors Maikun Teng and Liwen Niu, harnessing the crystal structural method to study the catalytic mechanisms of various enzymes. He subsequently undertook postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, where he worked in Professor Kathy Liu's laboratory until 2023. Dr. Shen's research has primarily focused on elucidating the mechanisms of gene expression regulation by various RNA metabolism enzymes, including RNA modification enzymes (cited in PNAS 2020, Genes and Dev 2023, JBC 2020, JBC 2021a, JBC 2021b) and RNA helicases (published in Mol Cell 2022 and Nat Commun 2024). In 2023, Dr. Shen commenced his independent research at China Pharmaceutical University, investigating the regulation of gene expression by RNA binding proteins.

1. Sexually dimorphic RNA helicases DDX3X and DDX3Y differentially regulate RNA metabolism through phase separation. Hui Shen#, Amber Yanas#, Michael C Owens, Celia Zhang, Clark Fritsch, Charlotte M Fare, Katie E Copley, James Shorter, Yale E Goldman, Kathy Fange Liu*, Molecular Cell 2022.

2. Mutant forms of DDX3X with diminished catalysis form hollow condensates that exhibit sex-specific regulation. Michael C. Owens#, Hui Shen#, Amber Yanas, Maria Saraí Mendoza-Figueroa, Ellen Lavorando, Xiaoyu Wei, Him Shweta, Hsin-Yao Tang, Yale E. Goldman*, Kathy Fange Liu*, Nature Communications 2024.

3. Coordination of mRNA and tRNA methylations by TRMT10A. R Jordan Ontiveros#, Hui Shen#, Julian Stoute, Amber Yanas, Yixiao Cui, Yuyu Zhang, Kathy Fange Liu*, PNAS 2020.

4. Noncatalytic regulation of 18S rRNA methyltransferase DIMT1 in acute myeloid leukemia. Yulia Gonskikh#, Julian Stoute#, Hui Shen#, Krista Budinich, Bianca Pingul, Kollin Schultz, Heidi Elashal, Ronen Marmorstein, Junwei Shi, Kathy Fange Liu*, Genes and Development 2023.

5. Structural and functional basis of difructose anhydride III hydrolase, which sequentially converts inulin using the same catalytic residue. Shuhuai Yu#, Hui Shen#, Yuanyuan Cheng, Yingying Zhu, Xu Li*, Wanmeng Mu*, ACS Catalysis 2018.

6. Structural and catalytic roles of the human 18S rRNA methyltransferases DIMT1 in ribosome assembly and translation. Hui Shen#, Julian Stoute, Kathy Fange Liu*, Journal of Biological Chemistry 2020.

7. Human DIMT1 generates N26, 6A-dimethylation–containing small RNAs. Hui Shen#, Yulia Gonskikh, Julian Stoute, Kathy Fange Liu*, Journal of Biological Chemistry 2021.

8. TET-mediated 5-methylcytosine oxidation in tRNA promotes translation. Hui Shen#, Robert Jordan Ontiveros#, Michael C Owens, Monica Yun Liu, Uday Ghanty, Rahul M Kohli, Kathy Fange Liu*, Journal of Biological Chemistry 2021.

Gene expression regulation by RNA binding proteins