Faculty Appointments
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
Education
Ph.D., Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New JerseyM.S., Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, ChinaB.S., Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Research Description
The Ren laboratory uses cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography to elucidate fundamental mechanisms of mRNA nuclear export and how different viruses exploit this critical step of gene expression.
Research Keywords
Cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, structural biology, mRNA nuclear export, SARS-CoV-2, influenza, virus-host interaction
Publications
Cryo-EM structure of the yeast TREX complex and coordination with the SR-like protein Gbp2. ELife. 2021 Mar 3/31/2021.
Nsp1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 disrupts the mRNA export machinery to inhibit host gene expression. Science Advances. 2021 Feb 2/5/2021.
Structure and activation mechanism of the yeast RNA Pol II CTD kinase CTDK-1 complex. PNAS. 2021 Jan 1/19/2021.
A structural basis for lithium and substrate binding of an inositide phosphatase. J Biol Chem. 2020 Nov 11/24/2020.
SARS-CoV-2 Orf6 hijacks Nup98 to block STAT nuclear import and antagonize interferon signaling. PNAS. 2020 Oct 10/23/2020.
Cellular mRNA export factor UAP56 recognizes nucleic acid binding site of influenza virus NP protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2020 Feb 2/19/2020.
Mechanisms of nuclear mRNA export: A structural perspective. Traffic. 2019 Nov 11/20/2019.
Zhang K, Xie Y, Munoz-Moreno Raquel, Wang J, Zhang L, Esparza M, Garcia-Sastre A, Fontoura BMA, Ren Y. Structural basis for influenza virus NS1 protein block of mRNA nuclear export. Nature Microbiology. 2019 Jul 7/1/2019.
Ren Y, Wente S, et al. Günter Blobel (1936–2018). Developmental Cell. 2018 Apr 4/23/2018; 2(45): 151-2.
Ren Y, Schmiege P, Blobel G. Structural and biochemical analyses of the DEAD-box ATPase Sub2 in association with THO or Yra1. Elife. 2017 Jan 1/6/2017; 6: PMID: 28059701, PMCID: PMC5218534, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.20070, ISSN: 2050-084X.
Quan B, Seo HS, Blobel G, Ren Y. Vesiculoviral matrix (M) protein occupies nucleic acid binding site at nucleoporin pair (Rae1 • Nup98). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A [print-electronic]. 2014 Jun 6/24/2014; 111(25): 9127-32. PMID: 24927547, PMCID: PMC4078809, PII: 1409076111, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1409076111, ISSN: 1091-6490.
Ren Q, Wimmer C, Chicka MC, Ye S, Ren Y, Hughson FM, Whiteheart SW. Munc13-4 is a limiting factor in the pathway required for platelet granule release and hemostasis. Blood [print-electronic]. 2010 Aug 8/12/2010; 116(6): 869-77. PMID: 20435885, PMCID: PMC2924225, PII: blood-2010-02-270934, DOI: 10.1182/blood-2010-02-270934, ISSN: 1528-0020.
Ren Y, Seo HS, Blobel G, Hoelz A. Structural and functional analysis of the interaction between the nucleoporin Nup98 and the mRNA export factor Rae1. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A [print-electronic]. 2010 Jun 6/8/2010; 107(23): 10406-11. PMID: 20498086, PMCID: PMC2890840, PII: 1005389107, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1005389107, ISSN: 1091-6490.
Ren Y, Yip CK, Tripathi A, Huie D, Jeffrey PD, Walz T, Hughson FM. A structure-based mechanism for vesicle capture by the multisubunit tethering complex Dsl1. Cell. 2009 Dec 12/11/2009; 139(6): 1119-29. PMID: 20005805, PMCID: PMC2806190, PII: S0092-8674(09)01375-0, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2009.11.002, ISSN: 1097-4172.
Tripathi A, Ren Y, Jeffrey PD, Hughson FM. Structural characterization of Tip20p and Dsl1p, subunits of the Dsl1p vesicle tethering complex. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol [print-electronic]. 2009 Feb; 16(2): 114-23. PMID: 19151722, PMCID: PMC2635920, PII: nsmb.1548, DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1548, ISSN: 1545-9985.
Ren Y, Wang WH, Wang YH, Case M, Qian W, McLendon G, Huang ZX. Mapping the electron transfer interface between cytochrome b5 and cytochrome c. Biochemistry. 2004 Mar 3/30/2004; 43(12): 3527-36. PMID: 15035623, DOI: 10.1021/bi036078k, ISSN: 0006-2960.
Wang YH, Ren Y, Wang WH, Xie Y, Huang ZX. The regulation of surface charged residues on the properties of cytochrome b5. J. Protein Chem. 2001 Aug; 20(6): 487-93. PMID: 11760123, ISSN: 0277-8033.
Nsp1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 disrupts the mRNA export machinery to inhibit host gene expression. Science Advances. 2021 Feb 2/5/2021.
Structure and activation mechanism of the yeast RNA Pol II CTD kinase CTDK-1 complex. PNAS. 2021 Jan 1/19/2021.
A structural basis for lithium and substrate binding of an inositide phosphatase. J Biol Chem. 2020 Nov 11/24/2020.
SARS-CoV-2 Orf6 hijacks Nup98 to block STAT nuclear import and antagonize interferon signaling. PNAS. 2020 Oct 10/23/2020.
Cellular mRNA export factor UAP56 recognizes nucleic acid binding site of influenza virus NP protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2020 Feb 2/19/2020.
Mechanisms of nuclear mRNA export: A structural perspective. Traffic. 2019 Nov 11/20/2019.
Zhang K, Xie Y, Munoz-Moreno Raquel, Wang J, Zhang L, Esparza M, Garcia-Sastre A, Fontoura BMA, Ren Y. Structural basis for influenza virus NS1 protein block of mRNA nuclear export. Nature Microbiology. 2019 Jul 7/1/2019.
Ren Y, Wente S, et al. Günter Blobel (1936–2018). Developmental Cell. 2018 Apr 4/23/2018; 2(45): 151-2.
Ren Y, Schmiege P, Blobel G. Structural and biochemical analyses of the DEAD-box ATPase Sub2 in association with THO or Yra1. Elife. 2017 Jan 1/6/2017; 6: PMID: 28059701, PMCID: PMC5218534, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.20070, ISSN: 2050-084X.
Quan B, Seo HS, Blobel G, Ren Y. Vesiculoviral matrix (M) protein occupies nucleic acid binding site at nucleoporin pair (Rae1 • Nup98). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A [print-electronic]. 2014 Jun 6/24/2014; 111(25): 9127-32. PMID: 24927547, PMCID: PMC4078809, PII: 1409076111, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1409076111, ISSN: 1091-6490.
Ren Q, Wimmer C, Chicka MC, Ye S, Ren Y, Hughson FM, Whiteheart SW. Munc13-4 is a limiting factor in the pathway required for platelet granule release and hemostasis. Blood [print-electronic]. 2010 Aug 8/12/2010; 116(6): 869-77. PMID: 20435885, PMCID: PMC2924225, PII: blood-2010-02-270934, DOI: 10.1182/blood-2010-02-270934, ISSN: 1528-0020.
Ren Y, Seo HS, Blobel G, Hoelz A. Structural and functional analysis of the interaction between the nucleoporin Nup98 and the mRNA export factor Rae1. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A [print-electronic]. 2010 Jun 6/8/2010; 107(23): 10406-11. PMID: 20498086, PMCID: PMC2890840, PII: 1005389107, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1005389107, ISSN: 1091-6490.
Ren Y, Yip CK, Tripathi A, Huie D, Jeffrey PD, Walz T, Hughson FM. A structure-based mechanism for vesicle capture by the multisubunit tethering complex Dsl1. Cell. 2009 Dec 12/11/2009; 139(6): 1119-29. PMID: 20005805, PMCID: PMC2806190, PII: S0092-8674(09)01375-0, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2009.11.002, ISSN: 1097-4172.
Tripathi A, Ren Y, Jeffrey PD, Hughson FM. Structural characterization of Tip20p and Dsl1p, subunits of the Dsl1p vesicle tethering complex. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol [print-electronic]. 2009 Feb; 16(2): 114-23. PMID: 19151722, PMCID: PMC2635920, PII: nsmb.1548, DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1548, ISSN: 1545-9985.
Ren Y, Wang WH, Wang YH, Case M, Qian W, McLendon G, Huang ZX. Mapping the electron transfer interface between cytochrome b5 and cytochrome c. Biochemistry. 2004 Mar 3/30/2004; 43(12): 3527-36. PMID: 15035623, DOI: 10.1021/bi036078k, ISSN: 0006-2960.
Wang YH, Ren Y, Wang WH, Xie Y, Huang ZX. The regulation of surface charged residues on the properties of cytochrome b5. J. Protein Chem. 2001 Aug; 20(6): 487-93. PMID: 11760123, ISSN: 0277-8033.