1988             Bachelor of Science, Department of Biochemistry, Beijing University

1995             Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Biochemistry, Columbia University, USA

1995 - 1999  Postdoctoral fellow, Biochemistry Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University

1999 - 2001  Associate Research Scientist, Biochemistry Department, Columbia University

2001 -           Professor, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Our research mainly focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying virus-host interactions. Specifically, we identify new host factors that participate in the regulation of virus replication, and explore the underlying mechanisms. We used to work on the Zinc-finger Antiviral Protein (ZAP), which specifically binds to viral mRNA, represses its translation and recruits RNA degradation machinery to degrade the RNA. We recently identified a host antiviral factor, Shiftless, which inhibits programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting. Shiftless inhibits the frameshiftling process of not only viral RNAs also cellular mRNAs. These results were published in high-profile journals such as Science, Cell, Cell Host & Microbe, EMBO J and PNAS. Our research in the near future will focus on two aspects: (1) identification and mechanistic analyses of novel host factors involved in HIV, SARS-CoV-2 replication (2) identification of cellular mRNAs that contain -1PRF signals and analyses of their functions in vivo using Shiftless knockout mice as a tool.

1. Luo, X., Wang, X., Gao, Y., Zhu, J., Liu, S., Gao, G.*, Gao, P.*. (2020) Molecular Mechanism of RNA Recognition by Zinc-Finger Antiviral Protein. Cell Rep 30, 46-52 e44

2. Wang, X., Xuan, Y., Han, Y., Ding, X.,Ye, K., Yang, F., Gao, P., Goff, SP., Gao, G.(2019) Regulation of HIV-1 Gag-Pol Expression by Shiftless, an Inhibitor of Programmed -1 Ribosomal Frameshifting.Cell 176(3): 625-635.

3. Luo, X., Yang, W., Gao, G. (2018) SUN1 regulates HIV-1 nuclear import in a manner dependent on the interaction between the viral capsid and cellular cyclophilin A. J Virol 92(13). pii: e00229-18.

4. Zhang, X., Yang, W., Wang, X., Zhang, X., Tian, H., Deng, H., Zhan, L., Gao G.(2018) Identification of new type I interferon-stimulated genes and investigation of their involvement in IFN-β activation. Protein Cell 9(9):799-807.

5. Chen S, Gao G*. (2017) MicroRNAs recruit eIF4E2 to repress translation of target mRNAs. Protein & Cell 8(10), 750-761.

6. Zheng X., Wang X., Tu F, Wang Q., Fan Z, Gao G*. (2017) TRIM25 Is Required for the Antiviral Activity of Zinc Finger Antiviral Protein. J Virol 91(9). pii: e00088-17.

7. Tang Q, Wang X, Gao G*. (2016) ZAPS inhibits influenza A viral protein expression and is antagonized by the virus encoded NS1. J Virol. Nov 2. pii: JVI.01909-16.

8. Wang X, Li M, Zhao J, Li S, MacDonald M, Rice C, Gao X, Gao G*. (2016) Sindbis virus can exploit a host antiviral protein to evade immune surveillance. J Virol 90(22): p10247-10258.

9. Wang Q, Zhang X, Han Y, Wang X*, Gao G*. (2016) M2BP inhibits HIV-1 virion production in a vimentin filamentsdependent manner. Scientific Reports. Sep 8;6:32736.

10. Tao X, Gao G*. (2015) Tristetraprolin Recruits Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4E2 To Repress Translation of AU-Rich Element-Containing mRNAs. Mol Cell Biol. Nov 15;35(22):3921-32.

11. Mu X, Fu Y, Zhu Y, Wang X, Xuan Y, Shang H, Goff SP, Gao G*. (2015) HIV-1 exploits RuvB-like 2 to balance viral protein expression. Cell Host & Microbe. Aug 12;18(2):233-42.

12. Mu X, Li W, Wang X, Gao G*. (2013) YB-1 stabilizes HIV-1 genomic RNA and enhances viral production. Protein & Cell. Aug;4 (8):591-7

13. Xuan Y, Gong D, Qi J, Han C, Deng H, Gao G*. (2013) ZAP inhibits murine gammaherpesvirus-68 ORF64 expression and is antagonized by RTA, J Virol. 87 (5): 2735-43.

14. Zhu Y, Wang X, Goff SP, Gao G*. (2012) Translational repression precedes and is required for ZAP-mediated mRNA decay. EMBO J. 31 (21):4236-46.

15. Li W, Wang X, Gao G*. (2012) Expression of YB-1 enhances production of murine leukemia virus vectors by stabilizing genomic viral RNA. Protein & Cell. Dec;3(12):943-9.

16. Xuan Y, Liu L, Shen S, Deng H, Gao G*. (2012) Zinc-finger antiviral protein inhibits murine gammaherpesvirus-68 M2 expression and regulates viral latency in cultured cells. J Virol. 86 (22):12431-4.

17. Wang, X., Tu, F., Zhu, Y., and Gao G*. (2012) Zinc-finger antiviral protein inhibits XMRV infection. PLoS One 7, e39159

18. Sun L, Lv F, Guo X, Gao G*. (2012) Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) modulates antiviral activity of zinc-finger antiviral protein (ZAP). J Biol Chem. 287 (27): 22882-8.

19. Chen S, Xu Y, Zhang K, Wang X, Sun J, Gao G*, Liu Y*. (2012) Structure of N-terminal domain of ZAP indicates how a zinc-finger protein recognizes complex RNA. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 19 (4): 430-5.

20. Zhu Y, Chen G, Lv F, Wang X, Ji X, Xu Y, Sun J, Wu L, Zheng Y, Gao G*. (2011) Zinc-finger antiviral protein inhibits HIV-1 infection by selectively targeting multiply spliced viral mRNAs for degradation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. Sep 20;108 (38):15834-9.

21. Ding J, Su L, Gao G*. (2011) Hrs inhibits citron kinase-mediated HIV-1 budding via its FYVE domain. Protein & Cell. Jun;2 (6):470-6.

22. Mai Y, Gao G*. (2010) Expression of IMP1 Enhances Production of Murine Leukemia Virus Vector by Facilitating Viral Genomic RNA Packaging. PLoS ONE. Dec 29; 5 (12):e15881.

23. Ye P, Liu S, Zhu Y, Chen G, Gao G*. (2010) DEXH-Box Protein DHX30 is required for optimal function of the zinc-finger antiviral protein. Protein & Cell. Vol.1 (10),956-964.

24. Huang Z, Wang X, Gao G*. (2010) Analyses of SELEX-derived ZAP-binding RNA aptamers suggest that the binding specificity is determined by both structure and sequence of the RNA. Protein & Cell. Vol.1(8), 752-759.

25. Wang X, Lv F, Gao G*. (2010) Mutagenesis analysis of the zinc-finger antiviral protein. Retrovirology. Mar 13;7:19.

26. Xu J, Liu S, Xu Y, Tian B, Gao G*. (2009) Identification of the nonstructural protein 4B of hepatitis C virus as a factor that inhibits the antiviral activity of interferon-alpha. Virus Research. 141(1): 55–62.

27. Zhu Y, Gao G*. (2008) ZAP-mediated mRNA degradation.  RNA Biology 5 (2): 65-7 (Invited minireview)

28. Chen G, Guo X, Lv F, Gao G*. (2008) p72 DEAD box RNA helicase is required for optimal function of the Zinc-finger antiviral protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 105 (11): 4352-7.

29. Guo X., Ma J., Sun J., and Gao G*. (2007) The Zinc-finger Antiviral Protein Recruits the RNA Processing Exosome to Degrade Target RNAs. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. Vol. 104 (1): 151-6

30. Duan J, Ji X, et al, Gao G*, Yan X* (2006) A human neutralizing antibody against a conformational epitope shared by oligomeric S1 protein. Antiviral Therapy 11(1): 117－23

31. Liu S, Goff SP and Gao G* (2006) Gln84 of Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase regulates the incorporation rates of ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides. FEBS Letters 580: 1497-1501.

32. Guo X, Carroll JW, Macdonald MR, Goff SP, Gao G*. (2004) The zinc finger antiviral protein directly binds to specific viral mRNAs through the CCCH zinc finger motifs. J Virol. Dec;78(23):12781-7.

33. Liu L, Chen G, Ji X, Gao G* (2004). ZAP is a CRM1-dependent nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. Aug 27;321(3):517-23.

34. Gao G, Goff SP (2004) Isolation of suppressor genes that restore retrovirus susceptibility to a virus-resistant cell line. Retrovirology. Sep 28;1 (1):30.

35. Gao, G.，Guo，X and Goff, S.P. (2002). Inhibition of Retroviral RNA Production by ZAP, a CCCH-type Antiviral Protein. Science 297:1703-1706.

(From Guangxia Gao, December 28, 2021)