2000  B.S. Biochemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

2005  Ph.D., Biomedical Science, New York University

2008  Cell Biology, Postdoctoral, Harvard Medical School/HHMI

2008 - 2012  Professor, Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, College of Life Sciences，Nankai University, Tianjin, China

2013 -           Professor, National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

2012　HHMI International Early Career Scientist

Biological membranes adopt different shapes, many of which are conserved amongst eukaryotes. The morphological dynamics of the lipid bilayer have been shown to play important roles in many cellular processes, be it organelle biogenesis, endocytosis, or vesicular trafficking, and defects have been linked to many diseases. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an organelle with extensive and continuous membrane network. How morphologically different ER domains are formed is not clear. Investigations of ER shaping and remodeling have led to the discovery of two groups of membrane proteins: the reticulons and DP1/Yop1p, proteins that are both necessary and sufficient for the generation of ER tubules; and a class of membrane-bound, dynamin-like GTPases, called atlastins, which appear to have a role in the fusion of ER membranes. Our recent structural and biochemical studies of atlastin provided first insight into the mechanism underlying ER fusion. We aim to use combined approaches to further investigate the mechanism and regulation of the tubular ER network formation. We are also interested in the functional significance of different ER morphologies, and their implication in various human diseases.

1. Liu N, Zhao H, Zhao YG, Hu J, Zhang H. Atlastin 2/3 regulate ER targeting of the ULK1 complex to initiate autophagy. J Cell Biol. 2021 Jul

2. Chen F, Yan B, Ren J, Lyu R, Wu Y, Guo Y, Li D, Zhang H, Hu J. FIT2 organizes lipid droplet biogenesis with ER tubule-forming proteins and septins. J Cell Biol. 2021 May

3. Sun S, Tang X, Guo Y, Hu J. Endoplasmic reticulum composition and form: Proteins in and out. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2021 Aug

4. Gao S, Hu J. Mitochondrial Fusion: The Machineries In and Out. Trends Cell Biol. 2021 Jan

5. Yu C, Zhao J, Yan L, Qi Y, Guo X, Lou Z, Hu J, Rao Z. Structural insights into G domain dimerization and pathogenic mutation of OPA1. J Cell Biol. 2020 Jul 6

6. Zhao J, Hu J. Self-Association of Purified Reconstituted ER Luminal Spacer Climp63. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2020 June 16.

7. Lv L, Niu L, Hu J. "At last in" the physiological roles of the tubular ER network. Biophys Rep. 2020

8. Niu L, Wu F, Li K, Li J, Zhang SL, Hu J, Wang Q. STIM1 interacts with termini of Orai channels in a sequential manner. J Cell Sci. 2020 Feb 27

9. Yan L, Qi Y, Ricketson D, Li L, Subramanian K, Zhao J, Yu C, Wu L, Sarsam R, Wong M, Lou Z, Rao Z, Nunnari J, Hu J. Structural analysis of a trimeric assembly of the mitochondrial dynamin-like GTPase Mgm1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Feb 25

10. Wang M, Guo X, Yang X, Zhang B, Ren J, Liu A, Ran Y, Yan B, Chen F, Guddat LW, Hu J, Li J, Rao Z. Mycobacterial dynamin-like protein IniA mediates membrane fission. Nat Commun. 2019 Aug 29

11. Niu L, Ma T, Yang F, Yan B, Tang X, Yin H, Wu Q, Huang Y, Yao ZP, Wang J, Guo Y, Hu J. Atlastin-mediated membrane tethering is critical for cargo mobility and exit from the endoplasmic reticulum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Jul 9.

12. Zhou X, He Y, Huang X, Guo Y, Li D, Hu J. Reciprocal regulation between lunapark and atlastin facilitates ER three-way junction formation. Protein Cell. 2019 Jul.

13. Gao A, Sun T, Ma G, Cao J, Hu Q, Chen L, Wang Y, Wang Q, Sun J, Wu R, Wu Q, Zhou J, Liu L, Hu J, Dong JT, Zhu Z. LEM4 confers tamoxifen resistance to breast cancer cells by activating cyclin D-CDK4/6-Rb and ERα pathway. Nat Commun. 2018 Oct 9

14. Wu Y, Li X, Jia J, Zhang Y, Li J, Zhu Z, Wang H, Tang J, Hu J. Transmembrane E3 ligase RNF183 mediates ER stress-induced apoptosis by degrading Bcl-xL. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2018 Mar 5.

15. Yan L, Qi Y, Huang X, Yu C, Lan L, Guo X, Rao Z, Hu J, Lou Z. Structural basis for GTP hydrolysis and conformational change of MFN1 in mediating membrane fusion. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. 2018 Feb 26.

16. Zhu Y, Zhang G, Lin S, Shi J, Zhang H, Hu J. Sec61β facilitates the maintenance of endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis by associating microtubules. Protein & Cell. 2017 Nov 22

17. Huang X, Zhou X, Hu X, Joshi AS, Guo X, Zhu Y, Chen Q, Prinz WA, Hu J. Sequences flanking the transmembrane segments facilitate mitochondrial localization and membrane fusion by mitofusin. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2017 Nov 14; 114(46): E9863-E9872

18. Wang X, Li S, Wang H, Shui W, Hu J. Quantitative proteomics reveal proteins enriched in tubular endoplasmic reticulum of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. eLife. 2017 Mar 13, 6

19. Li J, Yan B, Si H, Peng X, Zhang SL, Hu J. Atlastin regulates store-operated calcium entry for nerve growth factor-induced neurite outgrowth. Scientific reports. 2017 Feb 27, 7:43490

20. Qi Y, Yan L, Yu C, Guo X, Zhou X, Hu X, Huang X, Rao Z, Lou Z, Hu J. Structures of human mitofusin 1 provide insight into mitochondrial tethering.  J Cell Biol. 2016 Dec 5; 215(5): 621-629.

21. Zhang H, Hu J. Shaping the Endoplasmic Reticulum into a Social Network. Trends in cell biology. 2016, 26(12): 934~943.

22. Hu J, Rapoport TA. Fusion of the endoplasmic reticulum by membrane-bound GTPases. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2016. Dec; 60: 105-111.

23. Yan L, Sun S, Wang W, Shi J, Hu X, Wang S, Su D, Rao Z, Hu J, Lou Z. Structures of the yeast dynamin-like GTPase Sey1p provide insight into homotypic ER fusion. J Cell Biol. 2015 Sep 14;210(6):961-72.

24. Liu TY, Bian X, Romano FB, Shemesh T, Rapoport TA, Hu J. Cis and trans interactions between atlastin molecules during membrane fusion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Apr 14;112(15):E1851-60.

25. Zhang M, Wu F, Shi J, Zhu Y, Zhu Z, Gong Q, Hu J. ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE3 family of dynamin-like GTPases mediates homotypic endoplasmic reticulum fusion and is essential for Arabidopsis development. Plant Physiol. 2013 Oct;163(2):713-20.

26. Feng Y , Yu W, Li X, Lin S, Zhou Y, Hu J, Liu X. Structural insight into Golgi membrane stacking by GRASP65 and GRASP55 proteins. J Biol Chem. 2013 Sep 27;288(39):28418-27.

27. Liu TY, Bian X, Sun S, Hu X, Klemm RW, Prinz WA, Rapoport TA, Hu J. Lipid interaction of the C terminus and association of the transmembrane segments facilitate atlastin-mediated homotypic endoplasmic reticulum fusion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Aug 7;109(32):E2146-54.

28. Hu J, Prinz WA, Rapoport TA. Weaving the web of ER tubules. Cell. 2011 Dec 9;147(6):1226-31. Review.

29. Bian X, Klemm RW, Liu TY, Zhang M, Sun S, Sui X, Liu X, Rapoport TA, Hu J. Structures of the Atlastin GTPase provide Insight into homotypic Fusion of ER membranes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 108, Mar 8;108(10):3976-81.

30. Hu J, Shibata Y, Zhu PP, Voss C, Rismanchi N, Prinz WA, Rapoport TA, Blackstone C. A class of Dynamin-like GTPases involved in the generation of the tubular ER network. Cell. 2009 Aug 7;138(3):549-61.

31. Hu J, Shibata Y, Voss C, Shemesh T, Li Z, Coughlin M, Kozlov MM, Rapoport TA, and Prinz WA. Membrane Proteins of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Induce High-curvature Tubules. Science. 2008 Feb 29;319(5867):1247-50.

32. Hu J, Liu J, Ghirlando R, Saltiel AR, Hubbard SR. Structural Basis for the Recruitment of the Adaptor Protein APS to the Activated Insulin Receptor. Mol Cell. 2003 Dec 1;12(6):1379-89.

(From Junjie Hu, December 30, 2021)