Recent work:

• We discovered how oncogene activation triggers epithelial progenitor differentiation and act as a dominant tumor suppression strategy in stratified epithelia.

1, Ying Z, Sandoval M, Beronja S. Oncogenic activation of PI3K induces progenitor cell differentiation to suppress epidermal growth. Nature Cell Biology. 2018 Nov 20; (11):1256-1266. (Recommended by F1000)

2, Sandoval M, Ying Z, Beronja S. Interplay of opposing fate choices stalls oncogenic growth in murine skin epithelium. Elife. 2021 Jan 4;10:e54618. doi: 10.7554/eLife.54618.

• We found that every mammary gland is derived from a defined number of ectodermal progenitors that have equal expansion potential. Based on this fundamental insight of clonal dynamics of mammary gland development, we established a gene targeting method that is capable to test up to ~1200 individual genetic conditions in intact mammary glands of one single mouse.

3, Ying Z and Beronja S. Targeting of equipotent mammary progenitors for functional identification of breast cancer drivers. Cell Stem Cell. 2020 Mar 5; 26(3):403-419.e4.

Before 2018:

4, Ying Z*, Tian H*, Li Y, Lian R, Li W, Wu S, Zhang H, Wu J, Liu L, Song J, Guan H, Cai J, Zhu X, Li J, Li M. (*equal contribution) Suppression of SMAD2 by CCT6A renders TGF-β signaling pro-metastatic. J Clin Invest. 2017 May 1; 127(5):1725-1740.

5, Chen X*, Ying Z*, Lin X, Lin H, Wu J, Li M, Song L. (*equal contribution) Acylglycerol kinase augments JAK2/STAT3 signaling in esophageal squamous cells. J Clin Invest. 2013 Jun 3; 123(6): 2576-89.

6, Ying Z, Li Y, Wu J, Zhu X, Yang Y, Tian H, Li W, Hu B, Cheng SY, Li M. Loss of miR-204 expression enhances glioma migration and stem cell-like phenotype. Cancer Res. 2013 Jan 15; 73(2): 990-9.

7, Ying Z, Li J, Li M. Astrocyte elevated gene 1: biological functions and molecular mechanism in cancer and beyond. Cell Biosci. 2011 Nov 7; 1(1): 36.

8, Liu L, Guan H, Li Y, Ying Z, Wu J, Zhu X, Song L, Li J, Li M. Astrocyte Elevated Gene 1 Interacts with Acetyltransferase p300 and c-Jun To Promote Tumor Aggressiveness. Mol Cell Biol. 2017 Feb 15;37(5)

9, Li Y, Zhou QL, Sun W, Chandrasekharan P, Cheng HS, Ying Z, Lakshmanan M, Raju A, Tenen DG, Cheng SY, Chuang KH, Li J, Prabhakar S, Li M, Tergaonkar V. Non-canonical NF-κB signalling and ETS1/2 cooperatively drive C250T mutant TERT promoter activation. Nature Cell Biology. 2015 Sep 21.

10, Dai T, Zhang D, Cai M, Wang C, Wu Z, Ying Z, Wu J, Li M, Xie D, Li J, Song L. Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell aggressiveness by activating the NF-κB pathway. J Pathol. 2015 Feb;235 (3):490-501

11, Li Y, Li W, Ying Z, Tian H, Zhu X, Li J, Li M. Metastatic heterogeneity of breast cancer cells is associated with expression of a heterogeneous TGFβ-activating miR424-503 gene cluster. Cancer Res. 2014 Nov 1;74(21):6107-18

12, Song L, Liu L, Wu Z, Li Y, Ying Z, Lin C, Wu J, Hu B, Cheng SY, Li M, Li J.  TGF-β induces miR-182 to sustain NF-κB activation in glioma subsets. J Clin Invest. 2012 Oct 1; 122(10): 3563-78.

13, Song L, Dai T, Xie Y, Wang C, Lin C, Wu Z, Ying Z, Wu J, Li M, Li J.  Up-regulation of miR-1245 by c-myc targets BRCA2 and impairs DNA repair. J Mol Cell Biol. 2012 Apr; 4(2): 108-17.

14, Jiang L, Lin C, Song L, Wu J, Chen B, Ying Z, Fang L, Yan X, He M, Li J, Li M.  MicroRNA-30e* promotes human glioma cell invasiveness in an orthotopic xenotransplantation model by disrupting the NF-κB/IκBα negative feedback loop. J Clin Invest. 2012 Jan 3; 122(1): 33-47.

15, Liu L, Wu J, Ying Z, Chen B, Han A, Liang Y, Song L, Yuan J, Li J, Li M. Astrocyte elevated gene-1 upregulates matrix metalloproteinase-9 and induces human glioma invasion.  Cancer Res. 2010 May 1; 70(9): 3750-9.