Yuqi Wang, Ph.D.
Professor
Biology
Courses Taught
BIOL 3020: Molecular Cell Biology I: Cellular Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, BIOL 5070: Advanced Biological Chemistry, BIOL4930/5930: Biochemical Pharmacology
Education
Ph.D., Creighton University
Research Interests
Research in Wang's laboratory focuses on mechanisms and regulation of signaling initiated by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Human GPCRs mediate responses to light, odor, taste, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Defects in GPCR signaling pathways can cause a multitude of human diseases including hypertension, heart failure, and cancer. A better understanding of the mechanisms regulating GPCR signaling pathways will aid in the ability to define targets for therapeutic intervention, and could eventually lead to an entirely new class of pharmaceuticals.
The GPCR signaling pathways are highly conserved across evolution, which allows researchers to use the simplest eukaryotic organism, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a model system. The yeast experimental system offers the powerful genetic and biochemical tools unavailable in any other eukaryotic systems. Currently, Wang is studying a novel mechanism by which GPCR signaling pathways are regulated, namely through stimulus-dependent ubiquitination of signaling components. He has found stimulus-dependent ubiquitination of key components of the pathway including G proteins and MAP kinases, and he is using genetic and biochemical methods to study how these modifications contribute to signaling regulation. Wang is also interested in identifying the molecular machinery that carries out these modifications and how GPCR signaling might in turn regulate their activities.
Another project in Wang's laboratory focuses on function and substrate specificity of a deubiquitinating enzyme Ubp3. Recently he discovered that yeast Ubp3 is a novel regulator of protein kinase C (PKC), serine/threonine kinases that play important roles in many cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation and cell survival. He is now conducting biochemical analysis to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which Ubp3 regulates PKC. Wang is also planning on extending his work to other systems including human cell lines and pathogenic fungus to test whether PKCs are similarly regulated by deubiquitinating enzymes in these systems. Insights gained here could potentially open up an exciting possibility of targeting deubiquitinating enzymes as a strategy for developing novel therapeutics against cancer or fungal infections.
Publications and Media Placements
Lee G**, Weng F*, Cranley J**, Rajasekhar A**, Stoeckel M**, Kane T**, Tisi R, Wang Y. The Ycx1 protein encoded by the yeast YDL206W gene plays a role in calcium and calcineurin
signaling. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2023 Mar 23;104647. (*graduate student
at SLU; **undergraduate student at SLU)
Ma F*, Vayalil J**, Lee G**, Wang Y, Peng G. Emerging role of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles in T cell suppression
and dysfunction in the tumor microenvironment. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. 2021;9:e003217. (*graduate student at SLU; **undergraduate student at SLU)
Huang S*, Zhang D**, Weng F*, Wang Y. Activation of a mitogen-activated protein kinase Hog1 by DNA damaging agent methyl
methanesulfonate in yeast. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. 2020; 7:581095. (*graduate student at SLU; **undergraduate student at SLU)
Huang S*, Benben A**, Green R**, Cheranda N**, Lee G**, Joseph B**, Keaveney S**,
Wang Y. Phosphorylation of the Gα protein Gpa2 promotes protein kinase A signaling in yeast.
Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2019 Nov 5. [Epub ahead of print] (*graduate student
at SLU; **undergraduate student at SLU)
Jin X*, Starke S**, Li Y*, Sethupathi S**, Kung G**, Dodhiawala P**, Wang Y. Nitrogen starvation-induced phosphorylation of Ras1 protein and its potential role in nutrient signaling and stress response. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 291(31):16231-9, 2016. (*graduate student at SLU; **undergraduate student at SLU)
Abu Irqeba A**, Yang L*, Panahi M*, Zhu M*, Wang Y. Regulating global sumoylation by a MAP kinase Hog1 and its potential role in osmo-tolerance in yeast. PLoS ONE 9(2): e87306, 2014. (**undergraduate student at SLU; *graduate student at SLU)
Li Y*, Wang Y. Ras/cAMP-dependent protein kinase signaling is negatively regulated by a deubiquitinating
enzyme Ubp3 in yeast. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2013 Mar 8. [Epub ahead of
print] (*Graduate Student at SLU)
Zhu M*, Torres MP, Kelley J, Dohlman HG, Wang Y. Pheromone- and Rsp5-dependent ubiquitination of the G protein beta subunit Ste4 in
yeast. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286(31):27147-55, 2011. Epub on Jun 17, 2011. (*Graduate Student at SLU)
Wang Y, Abu Irqeba A**, Ayalew M, and Suntay K**. Sumoylation of a transcription factor Tec1 regulates signaling of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in yeast. PLoS ONE. 4(10): e7456. 2009. (** undergraduate student at SLU)
Wang Y, Zhu M*, Ayalew M, Ruff JA**. Down-regulation of Pkc1-mediated signaling by the deubiquitinating enzyme Ubp3. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 283(4):1954-61, 2008. (* graduate student at SLU; ** undergraduate student at SLU)
Wang Y, Dohlman HG. Regulation of G protein and MAP kinase signaling by ubiquitination - insights from model organisms. Circulation Research. 99:1305-1314, 2006.
Esch KR, Wang Y, Errede B. Pheromone induced degradation of Ste12 contributes to signal attenuation and the specificity of developmental fate. Eukaryotic Cell. 5(12):2147-2160, 2006.
Wang Y, Dohlman HG. Pheromone-regulated sumoylation of transcription factors that mediate the invasive to mating developmental switch in yeast. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 281:1964-1969, 2006.
Wang Y, Marotti LA, Lee MJ, Dohlman HG. Differential regulation of G protein alpha subunit Gpa1 trafficking by mono- and poly-ubiquitination. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 280(1):284-291, 2005.
Wang Y, Dohlman HG. Pheromone signaling mechanisms in yeast: a prototypical sex machine. Science. 306(5701):1508-1509, 2004.
Wang Y, Ge Q, Houston D, Thorner J, Errede B, Dohlman HG. Regulation of Ste7 ubiquitination by Ste11 phosphorylation and the Skp1-Cullin-F-box complex. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 278(25):22284-22289, 2003.
Wang Y, Dohlman HG. Pheromone-dependent ubiquitination of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase Ste7. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 277(18):15766-72, 2002.
Marotti LA, Newitt R, Wang Y, Aebersold R, Dohlman HG. Direct identification of a G protein ubiquitination site by mass spectrometry. Biochemistry 41(16):5067-74, 2002.