Education

1992, B.Sc., Biochemistry, Tsinghua University;

1994, M.Sc., Biochemistry, Tsinghua University;

1996, Ph.D., Molecular Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science.

Professional Experience

1996-1999, Postdoctoral Scholar, Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA;

1999-2002, Postdoctoral Fellow, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada;

2002-2008, Senior Research Associate, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai, Hospital, Toronto, Canada;

2008-Present, Professor of School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University.

Research Area

Protein post-translational modifications such as ubiquitination and ubiquitin-like modification are key regulatory mechanisms that control various biological processes. Dysregulation of protein modification results in development of many human diseases like neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Our research interest has been focused on mechanism studies of ubiquitination and ubiquitin-like modification in regulation of cell proliferation, cell death, autophagy, and tumorigenesis. We are also working on identifying small-molecule modulators of E3 ubiquitin ligases that are critical for cancer development, which is emerging as a promising drug discovery strategy.

Selected publications (* indicates corresponding author,^#indicates co-first author)

1. Taoling Zeng#; Tingting Jiang#; Baoding Zhang#; Ting Zhang#; Wanjun Dai; Xun Yin; Yunzhan Li; Zhuoran Yu; Caiming Wu; Yaying Wu; Ximin Chi; Xianming Deng*; Hong-Rui Wang*; Targeting oncogenic K-RAS mutants with small-molecule degrader XMU-MP-9 through NEDD4-1, Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, 2026, 16(2): 979-993.
2. Jing Bi#; Zhihui Wu#; Xin Zhang#; Taoling Zeng#; Wanjun Dai; Ningyuan Qiu; Mingfeng Xu; Yikai Qiao; Lang Ke; Jiayi Zhao; Xinyu Cao; Qi Lin; Xiao Lei Chen; Liping Xie; Zhong Ouyang; Jujiang Guo; Liangkai Zheng; Chao Ma; Shiying Guo; Kangmei Chen; Wei Mo; Guo Fu*; Tong-Jin Zhao*; Hong-Rui Wang*; TMEM25 inhibits monomeric EGFR-mediated STAT3 activation in basal state to suppress triplenegative breast cancer progression, Nature Communications, 2023, 14(1).
3. Maoyuan Tian#, Taoling Zeng#, Mingdong Liu, Shang Han, Huayue Lin, Qi Lin, Li Li, Tingting Jiang, Gao Li, Hong Lin, Ting Zhang, Qiaofeng Kang, Xianming Deng*, Hong-Rui Wang*. A cell-based high-throughput screening method for modulators of E3 ligases using ubiquitin-reference-technique (URT) technique. J Biol Chem, 2019, 294(8): 2880-2891.
4. Mingdong Liu#, Taoling Zeng#, Xin Zhang#, Chunyan Liu, Zhihui Wu, Luming Yao, Changchuan Xie, Hui Xia, Qi Lin, Liping Xie, Dawang Zhou, Xianming Deng, Hong-Lin Chan, Tong-Jin Zhao*, Hong-Rui Wang*. ATR/Chk1 signaling induces autophagy through sumoylated RhoB-mediated lysosomal translocation of TSC2 after DNA damage. Nature Communications, 2018, 9:4139.
5. Zeng T#, Wang Q#, Fu J#, Lin Q, Bi J, Ding W, Qiao Y, Zhang S, Zhao W, Lin H,Wang M, Lu B, Deng X, Zhou D, Yin Z*, Wang HR*. Impeded Nedd4-1-Mediated Ras Degradation Underlies Ras-Driven Tumorigenesis. Cell Reports, 2014,7(3):871-82.
6. Wang M#, Guo L#, Wu Q#, Zeng T, Lin Q, Qiao Y, Wang Q, Liu M, Zhang X, RenL, Zhang S, Pei Y, Yin Z, Ding F, Wang HR*.ATR/Chk1/Smurf1 pathway determines cell fate after DNA damage by controlling RhoB abundance. Nature Communications, 2014, 5:4901.
7. Xie P#, Zhang M#, He S#, Lu K, Chen Y, Xing G, Lu Y, Liu P, Li Y, Wang S, Chai N, Wu J, Deng H, Wang HR, Cao Y, Zhao F, Cui Y, Wang J, He F*, Zhang L*. The covalent modifier Nedd8 is critical for the activation of Smurf1 ubiquitin ligase in tumorigenesis. Nat Commun. 2014 May 13;5:3733.
8. Lin H#, Lin Q#, Liu M#, Lin Y, Wang X, Chen H, Xia Z, Lu B, Ding F, Wu Q, Wang HR*. PKA/Smurf1 signaling-mediated stabilization of Nur77 is required for anticancer drug cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Oncogene. 2014 Mar 27;33(13): 1629-39.
9. Ding F, Yin Z, Wang HR*. Ubiquitination in Rho signaling. Curr Top Med Chem, 2011, 11(23): 2879-87.
10. Tian M#, Bai C#, Lin Q, Lin H, Liu M, Ding F, Wang HR*. Binding of RhoA by the C2 domain of E3 ligase Smurf1 is essential for Smurf1-regulated RhoA ubiquitination and cell protrusive activity. FEBS lett, 2011, 585(14): 2199-04.
11. Wang L#, Liu YT, Hao R, Chen L, Chang Z, Wang HR, Wang ZX, Wu JW*. Molecular mechanism of the negative regulation of Smad1/5 by carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP). J Biol Chem, 2011, 286(18): 15883-94.
12. Wiesner S*, Ogunjim AA, Wang HR, Rotin D, Sicheri F, Wrana JL*, Forman-Kay JD*. Autoinhibition of the HECT-type ubiquitin ligase Smurf2 through its C2 domain. Cell, 2007, 130(4):651-662
13. Wang HR#, Ogunjimi AA, Zhang Y, Ozdamar B, Bose R, Wrana JL*. Degradation of RhoA by Smurf1 ubiquitin ligase. Methods Enzymol, 2006, 406:437-47.
14. Ozdamar B#, Bose R#, Barrios-Rodiles M, Wang HR, Zhang Y, Wrana JL*. Regulation of the polarity protein Par6 by TGFbeta receptors controls epithelial cell plasticity. Science, 2005, 307(5715):1603-9.
15. Zhang Y, Wang HR, Wrana JL. Smurf1: a link between cell polarity and ubiquitination. Cell Cycle, 2004, 3(4):391-2.
16. Wang HR#, Zhang Y#, Ozdamar B, Ogunjimi AA, Alexandrova E, Thomsen GH, Wrana JL*. Regulation of cell polarity and protrusion formation by targeting RhoA for degradation. Science, 2003, 302(5651):1775-9.
17. Bonni S#, Wang HR, Causing CG, Kavsak P, Stroschein SL, Luo K, Wrana JL.TGF-beta induces assembly of a Smad2-Smurf2 ubiquitin ligase complex that targets SnoN for degradation. Nat Cell Biol, 2001, 3(6):587-95.