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  • LI Boliang
  • Professor
    Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.
  • E-mail：blli@@sibcb.ac.cn
    Research Areas
  • Acyl-coezyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT); Genomic organization of ACAT genes; Transcriptional activities of ACAT gene promoters; Genetic and epigenetic regulation of ACAT expression; Upregulation of ACAT1 expression by inflammatory factors (IFN, TNF) and hormone (Dex); Mechanism of ACAT2 expression in a cell-specific manner; Interchromosomal trans-splicing of human ACAT1 mRNA; Alternative splicing of human ACAT2 mRNAs; RNA secondary structures for human ACAT1 isoform (50, 56 kD) production; Allosteric tetrameric enzyme ACAT involved in cholesterol homeostasis; Effect of ACAT via substrate cholesterol on plasma membrane function; Regulation of ACAT producing cholesteryl esters in transportation and storage; Mechanism of cholesteryl ester accumulation during monocyte/macrophage forming foam cell; Compound-screening systems for drug development; Diseases including atherosclerosis (AS) and Alzheimer′s disease (AD).
    Research Interests
  • My lab now focuses on the regulation of both expression and role of human ACAT genes involved in cholesterol homeostasis as well as the correlative diseases, such as atherosclerosis and Alzheimer′s disease. We mainly detect the regulation mechanisms of the ACAT gene expression at transcription and posttranscription levels and the roles of altering free cholesterols in plasma membrane of various cells and recycling cholesteryl esters in transportation or storage. The further interest is to understand how the precise regulation mechanisms of human ACAT gene expression, including the presumably novel interchromosomal trans-splicing of human ACAT1 mRNA and the epigenetic regulation of human ACAT2 gene expression, ensure their metabolism roles, especially in the monocytic cells, and the dysregulation during the formation of macrophage-derived foam cells as the pathological early stage of atherosclerosis. Hopefuly, the construction and application of compound-screening systems targeted to the regulation of both expression and role of human ACAT genes may be pursued to promote more studies on the biological significance of human ACAT gene expression regulation in cholesterol homeostasis or dysregulation in the correlative diseases. Additionally, these studies on both expression and role of human ACAT genes could open the door for developing some effective and specific drugs in near future.
    Selected Publications
    1. Jingjie Tang, Jiagui Li, Wei Qi, Wenwei Qiu, Peishan Li, Boliang Li, Baoliang Song. Inhibition of SREBP by a Small Molecule, Betulin, Improves Hyperlipidemia and Insulin Resistance and Reduces Atherosclerotic Plaques. Cell Metab. (2011) 13,44-56.
    2. Liang Ge, Wei Qi, Lijuan Wang, Honghua Miao, Yuxiu Qu, Boliang Li, and Baoliang Song. Flotillins play an essential role in Niemann-Pick C1-like 1-mediated cholesterol uptake. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. (2011)
    3. Lijuan Wang, Jing Wang, Na Li, Liang Ge, Boliang Li, and Baoliang Song. Molecular characterization of the NPC1L1 variants identified from cholesterol low absorbers. J Biol Chem. (2011)
    4. Lei Lei, Ying Xiong, Jia Chen, Jin-Bo Yang, Yi Wang, Xin-Ying Yang, Cantherine C.Y. Chang, Bao-Liang Song, Ta-Yuan Chang and Bo-Liang Li*. TNF-alpha stimulates the ACAT1 expression in differentiating monocytes to promote the CE-laden cell formation. J Lipid Res, 2009, 50: 1057-1067.
    5. Jiang Wang, Bei-Bei Chu, Liang Ge, Bo-Liang Li, Yan Yan* and Bao-Liang Song*. Membrane topology of human NPC1L1, a key protein in enterohepatic cholesterol absorption. J Lipid Res, 2009, 50: 1653-1662.
    6. Bei-Bei Chu, Liang Ge, Chang Xie, Yang Zhao, Hong-Hua Miao, Jiang Wang, Bo-Liang Li and Bao-Liang Song*. Requirement of myosin Vb/Rab11a/Rab11-FIP2 complex in cholesterol-regulated translocation of Niemann-Pick C1 like 1 protein to the cell surface. J Biol Chem, 2009, 284: 22481-22490.
    7. Xiao-Nan Zhao, Jia Chen, Lei Lei, Guang-Jing Hu, Ying Xiong, Jia-Jia Xu, Qin Li, Xin-Ying Yang, Catherine Chang, Bao-Liang Song, Ta-Yuan Chang and Bo-Liang Li*. The optional long 5’-untranslated region of human ACAT1 mRNAs impairs the production of ACAT1 protein by promoting its mRNA decay. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin, 2009, 41: 30-41.
    8. Jia Chen, Xiao-Nan Zhao, Li Yang, Guang-Jing Hu, Ming Lu, Ying Xiong, Xin-Ying Yang, Catherine C. Y. Chang, Bao-Liang Song, and Ta Yuan CHANG, Bo-Liang Li*. The RNA secondary structures located at the interchromosomal region of human ACAT1 chimeric mRNA are required to produce the 56-kD isoform. Cell Res, 2008, 18: 921-936.
    9. Liang Ge, Jing Wang, Wei Qi, Hong-Hua Miao, Jian Cao, Yu-Xiu Qu, Bo-Liang Li and Bao-Liang Song*. The cholesterol absorption inhibitor Ezetimibe acts by blocking the sterol-induced internalization of NPC1L1. Cell Metab, 2008, 7: 508-519.
    10. Jian Cao, Jiang Wang, Wei Qi, Honghua Miao, Jing Wang, Liang Ge, Russell A.DeBose Boyd, Jingjie Tang, Boliang Li*, Baoliang Song*. Ufd1 Is a Cofactor of gp78 and Plays a Key Role in Cholesterol Metabolism by Regulating the Stability of HMG-CoA Reductase. Cell Metab. (2007) 6,115-128.
    11. Boliang Li*, Tayuan Chang, Jia Chen, Catherine CY Chang, Xiaonan Zhao. Human ACAT1 gene expression and its involvement in the development of atherosclerosis. Future Cardiology, 2006, 2: 93-99.
    12. Baoliang Song, Canhua Wang, Xiaomin Yao, Li Yang, Wenjing Zhang, Zhenzhen Wang, Xiaonan Zhao, Jinbo Yang, Wei Qi, Xinying Yang, Kenji Inoue, Zhixin Lin, Huizhan Zhang, Tatsuhiko Kodama, Catherine CY Chang, Yinkun Liu, Tayuan Chang*, Boliang Li*. Human Acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase 2 gene expression in intestinal Caco-2 cells and in hepatocellular carcinoma. Biochem J, 2006, 394: 617-626.
    13. Xiaomin Yao, Canhua Wang, Baoliang Song, Xinying Yang, Zhenzhen Wang, Wei Qi, Zhixin Lin, Catherine CY Chang, Tayuan Chang, Boliang Li*. Two human ACAT2 mRNA variants produced by alternative splicing and coding for novel isoenzymes. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin, 2005, 37: 797-806.
    14. Li Yang, Jiang Chen, Catherine CY Chang, Xinying Yang, Zhenzhen Wang, Tayuan Chang, Boliang Li*. A stable upstream stem-loop structure enhances selection of the first 5′-ORF-AUG as a main start codon for translation initiation of human ACAT1 mRNA. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin, 2004, 36: 259-268.
    15. Zhanyun Guo, Catherine CY Chang, Xiaohui Lu, Jiang Chen, Boliang Li, Tayuan Chang*. The disulfide linkage and the free sulfhydryl accessibility of acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase 1 as studied by using mPEG5000-maleimide. Biochemistry, 2005, 44: 6537-6546.
    16. Li Yang, Jinbo Yang, Jia Chen, Guangyao Yu, Pei Zhou, Lei Lei, Zhenzhen Wang, Catherine CY Chang, Xinying Yang, Tayuan Chang*, Boliang Li*. Enhancement of human ACAT1 gene expression to promote the macrophage-derived foam cell formation by dexamethasone. Cell Res, 2004, 14: 315-323.
    17. Li Yang, Oneil Lee, Jia Chen, Jiang Chen, Catherine CY Chang, Pei Zhou, Zhenzhen Wang, Hanhui Ma, Huifang Sha, Jiuxian Feng, Yi Wang, Xinying Yang, Li Wang, Ruhong Dong, Kim Ornvold, Boliang Li*, Tayuan Chang*. Human acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase 1 (acat1) sequences located in two different chromosomes (7 and 1) are required to produce a novel ACAT1 isoenzyme with additional sequence at the N-terminal. J Biol Chem, 2004, 279: 46253-46262.
    18. Baoliang Song, Wei Qi, Canhua Wang, Jinbo Yang, Xinying Yang, Zhixin Lin, Boliang Li*. Preparation of an anti-Cdx-2 antibody for analysis of different species Cdx-2 binding to acat2 promoter. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin, 2003, 35: 6-12.
    19. Baoliang Song, Wei Qi, Boliang Li*. Direct cloning of the unknown flanking DNA fragments from a large insert without restriction mapping. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin, 2002, 34: 365-368.
    20. Tayuan Chang*, Catherine CY Chang, Song Lin, Chunjiang Yu, Boliang Li, Akira Miyazaki. Roles of acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase-1 and -2. Curr Opin Lipidol, 2001, 12: 289-296.
    21. Jinbo Yang, Zhijun Duan, Wei Yao, Onel Lee, Li Yang, Xinying Yang, Xia Sun, Catherine CY Chang, Tayuan Chang*, Boliang Li*. Synergistic transcriptional activation of human ACAT1 gene by IFN-gamma and ATRA in THP-1 cells. J Biol Chem, 2001, 276: 20989-20998.
    22. Baoliang Song, Wei Qi, Xinying Yang, Catherine CY Chang, Jianqin Zhu, Tayuan Chang, Boliang Li*. Organization of human ACAT2 gene and its cell type-specific promoter activity. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2001, 282: 580-588.
    23. Boliang Li*, Xialu Li, Zhijun Duan, Oneil Lee, Song Lin, Zhangmei Ma, Catherine CY Chang, Xinying Yang, Jonathan P Park, TK Mohandas, Walter Noll, Lawrence Chan, Tayuan Chang*. Human acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT1) gene organization and evidence that the 4.3 kb mRNA is produced from two different chromosomes. J Biol Chem, 1999, 274: 11060-11071.
      (*: Corresponding author)
    Education Background & Academic Experience
  • 1975-1979 Department of Biology, Peking University, Beijing, China
    1980-1983 MS, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
    1983-2000 Director (1997-2000), Executive Director (1995-1997), Chairman of Scientific Council (1995-2000),
                      Professor (1993-2000), Associate Professor (1989-1993), Research Associate (1985-1989), Shanghai
                      Institute of Biochemistry, CAS, Shanghai, China
    1986-1988 Research Associate, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, UMDNJ, Piscataway, NJ, USA
    1993-1994 Visiting Scientist, Department of Biochemistry, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH, USA
    1999-2006 Chief Member of Leading Group (2002-2004), and Executive Member of Scientific Council (1999-2006),
                      Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS, Shanghai, China
    2000-Now  Director (2000-2003), Professor (2000-present), and Research Group Leader, Institute of Biochemistry
                      and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS, Shanghai, China
    1992-2003 Member of Committee, Shanghai Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai, China
    1996-2003 Members, Committees of Biological Sciences (1997-2003), Biotechnology (1996-2003), and
                      International Collaboration (1996-2003), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
    1997-2005 Vice President and Secretary-General (2001-2005), Vice President (1997-2001), Chinese Society of
                      Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai, China
    1997-Now  Member (2005-present), Executive Member (2001-2005) and Member (1997-2001) of Committee,
                      Chinese Society of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
    1999-2006 Executive Member (2002-2006) and Member (1999-2002) of Committee, Shanghai Society of
                      Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
    2005-Now  Chairman of Gene and Genome Research Committee, Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular
                      Biology, Shanghai, China
    2006-Now  Executive Member of Lipoprotein Committee, Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
                      Shanghai, China
    1996-Now  Editor-in-Chief (2006-present), Associate Editor (2002-2006) and Standing Member (1996-present) of
                      Editorial Board, Acta Biochemica et Biophysica Sinica, Shanghai, China
    1998-Now  Associate Editor (2002-present), Standing Member (2002-present) and Member (1998-2002) of
                      Editorial Board, Chemistry of Life, Shanghai, China
    2001-2008 Special Invited Member of the Editorial Board of Life Sciences, Chinese Science Bulletin, Beijing, China
    2002-2006 Member of Editorial Board, Cell Research, Shanghai, China
    2004-Now  Member of Editorial Board, Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Beijing, China
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