Geng-Fu Xiao, Ph.D.
Professor of Virology and Biochemistry
State Key Lab. Of Virology
College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University
Email: gxiao@whu.edu.cn
Research Interests
1. Gene mutation, protein aggregation and cellular trafficking in Prion diseases
2. Mechanisms of viral membrane fusion and its inhibition
3. Visualizing the dynamic behavior of viruses in living host
Our research interests focus on gene mutation, protein aggregation and cellular trafficking in the conformational diseases especially on the physiological and pathologic Prion proteins (PrPC and PrPSc) that are the prerequisite for Prion diseases, a group of fatal, transmissible neurodegenerative diseases such as CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease ) and FFI (Fatal Familial Insomnia ) in human, and Mad Cow Disease in cattle.
Another project in our lab is to decipher the molecular mechanisms of viral membrane fusion. Enveloped viruses, such as SARS-CoV, HIV, HERV (human endogenous retrovirus) and HCMV (human cytomegalovirus) may share a similar model for viral entry. The fusion mechanism involves a transient protein conformational change that can be targeted by therapeutic strategies. We hope to provide new insights into virus fusogenic mechanism and identify potential antiviral synthetic peptide.
We are also interested in elucidating the proteomics of HCMV (cooperate with Prof. Fenyong Liu, UC Berkeley) and in visualizing the dynamic behavior of virus in living host cells (cooperate with Prof. Daiwen Pang, College of Chemistry, Wuhan University).
8 representative publications
1. Peng X, Pan J, Gong R, Liu Y, Kang S, Feng H, Qiu G, Guo D, Tien P, Xiao G*. Functional characterization of syncytin-A, a newly murine endogenous virus envelope protein: implication for its fusion mechanism. J Biol Chem. (published on Nov 14, 2006 as manuscript M606353200)
2. Yin S, Yu S, Li C, Wong P, Chang B, Xiao F, Kang SC, Yan H, Xiao G, Grassi J, Tien P, Sy MS. Prion proteins with insertion mutations have altered N-terminal conformation and increased ligand binding activity and are more susceptible to oxidative attack. J Biol Chem. 2006 Apr 21;281(16):10698-705.
3. Sun G, Guo M, Shen A, Mei F, Peng X, Gong R, Guo D, Wu J, Tien P, Xiao G*. Bovine PrPC directly interacts with alphaB-crystalline. FEBS Lett. 2005 Oct 10;579(24):5419-24.
4. Gong R, Peng X, Kang S, Feng H, Huang J, Zhang W, Lin D, Tien P*, Xiao G*. Structural characterization of the fusion core in syncytin, envelope protein of human endogenous retrovirus family W. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2005 Jun 17;331 (4):1193-200.
5. Fang Q, Yang L, Zhu W, Liu L, Wang H, Yu W, Xiao G, Tien P, Zhang L, Chen Z. Host range, growth property, and virulence of the smallpox vaccine: vaccinia virus Tian Tan strain. Virology. 2005 May 10; 335(2):242-51.
6. Yu S, Jin L, Sy M, Mei F, Kang S, Sun G, Tien P, Wang F*, and Xiao G*. Polymorphisms of the PRNP gene in Chinese populations and the identification of a novel insertion mutation. Eur J Hum Genet. 2004 Oct 8;12(10):867-70
7. Zhu J, Xiao G, Xu Y, Yuan F, Zheng C, Liu Y, Yan H, Cole DK, Bell JI, Rao Z, Tien P, Gao GF. Following the rule: formation of the 6-helix bundle of the fusion core from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus spike protein and identification of potent peptide inhibitors. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004 Jun 18; 319(1):283-8. (Zhu J, Xiao G and Xu Y contributed equally to this work)
8. Liu S, Xiao G, Chen Y, He Y, Niu J, Escalante CR, Xiong H, Farmar J, Debnath AK, Tien P, Jiang S. Interaction between heptad repeat 1 and 2 regions in spike protein of SARS-associated coronavirus: implications for virus fusogenic mechanism and identification of fusion inhibitors. Lancet. 2004 Mar 20; 363(9413):938-47. (Liu S and Xiao G made equal contributions).