Research Interests

Focusing on key proteins in the process of marine life, mainly with biochemical and biophysical techniques, to elucidate the assembly and catalytic mechanism of key proteins (enzymes) at molecular level, laying the basic understanding for the decoding of blue life. On this basis, combined with genetic engineering, enzyme engineering, and other bioengineering technology, to carry out the industrialization of key proteins (enzymes) application research, break through the technical bottleneck of the industrialization of marine biological protein resources, to help the high value of marine biological protein resources. The team's main focus is currently:

1.Degradation mechanism of marine complex polysaccharide degrading enzymes.

2. Assembly mechanism of scallop byssal proteins.

Research Project

The research team has undertaken and participated in more than 10 national and provincial-level projects, 2 projects of the Science and Technology Commission of the Central Military Commission. In the past 5 years, more than 20 SCI articles have been published in internationally renowned academic journals such as Bioactive Materials, Acta Crystallographica Section D: Economic Biology,Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj. Applied for 15 invention patents, 7 authorized patents, and 1 transferred patent. Chaired the preparation of 3 monographs.

In terms of marine oligosaccharide tool enzymes. In order to find homogenous algal oligosaccharide tool enzymes to meet the industrial demand, the structure-activity relationship of algal oligosaccharide lyase sequence and product distribution was established, and tool enzyme which can be used to prepare alginate oligosaccharides (AOs) with specific degree of polymerization was successfully obtained.

In terms of marine biological adhesive proteins. With the goal of exploring the active adhesive protein material, multiple omics technology was utilized to obtain a variety of new marine life wet adhesive materials, the new adhesive material assembly mechanism and preclinical application research have been carried out systematically, laying the foundation for the development of high-quality medical biological materials with independent intellectual property rights.

Recent Selected Publications:

  1. Zhang K, Li Z, Zhu Q, Cao H, He X, Zhang XH, Liu W*, Lyu Q*. Determination of oligosaccharide product distributions of PL7 alginate lyases by their structural elements. Communications Biology. 2023, Aug 2;5(1):782. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-03721-1

  2. Zhang X#, Cui M#, Wang S#, Han F#, Xu P, Teng L, Zhao H, Wang P, Yue G, Zhao Y, Liu G, Li K, Zhang J, Liang X, Zhang Y, Liu Z*, Zhong C*, Liu W*. Extensible and self-recoverable proteinaceous materials derived from scallop byssal thread. Nature Communications. 2023，13:2731

  3. Pan Z#, Wei X#, Li S, Guo H, Li Z, Zhang K, Lyu Q, Liu W*, Yang Q*, Cheng D*. Sulfated alginate oligosaccharide exerts antitumor activity and autophagy induction by inactivating MEK1/ERK/mTOR signaling in a KSR1-dependent manner in osteosarcoma. Oncogenesis. 2023，11(1):16

  4. Xu P, Wang L, Zhang X, Yan J, Liu W*. High-performance smart hydrogels with redox-responsive properties inspired by Scallop Byssus. ACS Applied Materials & Interfacesserves, 2023, 14(1):214-224

  5. Wang L, Zhang X, Xu P, Yan J, Zhang Y, Su H，Sun C, Lu Q*, Liu W*. Exploration of sea anemone-inspired high-performance biomaterials with enhanced antioxidant activity. Bioactive Materials. 2023.10:504-514

  6.Zhang K, Yang Y, Wang W, Liu W*, Lyu Q*. Substrate-binding mode and intermediate-product distribution co-guided protein design of Alginate Lyase AlyF for altered end-product distribution. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2021,69, 7190–7198

  7. Zhang K, Liu T, Liu W* and Lyu Q*. Structural insights into the substrate-binding cleft of AlyF reveal the first long-chain alginate-binding mode. Acta Crystallographica Section D: Structural Biology. 2021, 77 (3): 336-346

  8. Li Z, Liu W, Lyu Q*. Biochemical Characterization of a Novel Endo-1,3- -Glucanase from the Scallop Chlamys farreri. Marine Drugs. 2020, 18 (9): 466

  9. Lyu Q, Zhang K, Shi Y, Li W, Diao X, Liu W*. Structural insights into a novel Ca2+-independent PL-6 alginate lyase from Vibrio OU02 identify the possible subsites responsible for product distribution. Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects. 2019, 1863 (7): 1167-1176