Liwu Li, PhD

Adjunct Associate Professor, Internal Medicine (Molecular Medicine); Associate, Biochemistry

Associate Professor, Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Inflammation

Department of Biology

Institute for Biomedical and Public Health Sciences

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA 24061

http://www.biol.vt.edu/faculty/li/

Email: lwli@wfubmc.edu;  lwli@vt.edu

Education:

• University of Michigan, PhD, 1996
• University of Michigan, Post-doctoral, 1999

Current Research:

Research in my lab focuses on the signaling events controlling the innate immune response and cellular growth. Alteration in innate immunity has been recognized to contribute to various human diseases including cancer and atherosclerosis. A family of Toll-like receptor proteins recognize a diverse array of microbial as well as other cues and relay the signal through a serious of intracellular signaling components including the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK) family proteins (1, 2, M, and 4). We have observed the endogenous IRAK1 participates in the Toll-like receptor (TLR) mediated innate immune response. In contrast to IRAK4 which plays a critical role in NFkB activation, we have demonstrated that IRAK1 is mainly involved in Stat3 activation and IL-10 gene expression. Upon Lipolysaccharide (LPS) challenge, IRAK1 undergoes modification (phosphorylation and ubiquitination) which enables it to directly enter the nucleus. Nuclear IRAK1 is critical for Stat3 serine phosphorylation and IL-10 gene expression.

We are also interested in the examination of other signaling molecules involved in innate immunity such as Tollip. We have found that Tollip can specifically bind with phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate, and such binding may be essential for its cellular function.

Future studies include detailed biochemical, molecular as well as functional studies of IRAK family kinases and other signaling molecules involved in innate immunity. In particular, we plan to determine the nature of IRAK1 modification and nuclear localization as well as identifying other gene targets of IRAK1. The involvement of IRAK1 in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis as well as cancer will be examined using animal models.

Recent Publications:

Li T, Hu J, Thomas J, Li L. Differential regulation of apoptosis by LPS and taxol in THP-1 cells. Mol Immunol. 2005 May;42(9):1049-55.

Sun J, Zheng S, Chang B, Li L, Li G, Liu W, Turner AR, Meyers DA, Isaacs EB, Xu J, Grönberg H. Sequence variants in Toll-like receptor gene cluster (TLR6-TLR1-TLR10) are associated with prostate cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 Apr 6;97(7):525-32.

Huang Y, Li T, Sane DC, Li L. IRAK1 serves as a novel regulator essential for LPS-induced IL-10 gene expression. J Biol Chem. 2004 Oct 12 [Epub ahead of print]

Zheng SL, Augustsson-Balter K, Chang B, Hedelin M, Li L, Adami HO, Bensen J, Li G, Johnasson JE, Turner AR, Adams TS, Meyers DA, Isaacs WB, Xu J, Gronberg H. Sequence variants of toll-like receptor 4 are associated with prostate cancer risk: results from the CAncer Prostate in Sweden Study. Cancer Res. 2004 Apr 15;64(8):2918-22.

Li T, Hu J, Li L. Characterization of Tollip protein upon Lipopolysaccharide challenge. Mol Immunol. 2004 May;41(1):85-92.

Publications:
For a listing of additional publications, refer to PubMed, a service provided by the National Library of Medicine