Biography

Teaching Responsibility: Immunology for PA program

Research Interests: Molecular Insights in inflammation and human inflammatory diseases

Research Projects:

Expression and function of glycoRNAs in immune and cancer cells: There is a group of newly discovered biomolecules called glycoRNAs on the cell surface. Our recent studies found that there is robust expression of glycoRNA-L and glycoRNA-S in human leukocytes and its expression was dramatically increased at the early time points but significantly decreased at late time points of LPS treatment. Removing the cell surface glycoRNAs from leukocytes significantly attenuated their adhesion on activated human endothelial cells. We hypothesize that glycoRNAs may play an important role in mediating leukocyte adhesion and infiltration into inflamed area. Dysregulated expression of glycoRNAs may contribute to the pathogenesis of sepsis. We are currently studying the expression, processing, function and mechanisms of glycoRNAs in immune regulation and cancer-immune cell interaction.

Molecular regulators in vascular endothelial inflammation, injury and repair: Vascular endothelium is a multifunctional and critical interface between blood stream and vascular wall. Endothelial dysfunction is an early hallmark of cardiovascular diseases and stroke caused by atherosclerosis, hypertension and diabetes. In addition, the initial event in bacterial and viral infection-caused multi-organ injury is vascular endothelial damage and dysfunction. Using expression profiling and bioinformatics, we recently identified TRIM65 and TRIM47 as novel determinants of vascular endothelial inflammation. Currently, we are studying the roles and mechanisms of these proteins in vascular inflammation, atherosclerosis, sepsis and cerebral small vascular disease.

Ribonuclease-mediated regulation of inflammation: MCPIP1 is an endoribonuclease that is crucial for many aspects of inflammation and immune responses via targeting mRNA degradation and other mechanisms. In the past eighteen years, using transgenic and knockout mouse models, we are studying the physiological role and mechanisms of MCPIP1 in inflammatory response and immunity and the involvement of MCPIP1 in septic shock, atherosclerosis and autoimmune diseases.

Selected Publications:

(Selected from 104 peer-reviewed papers, H-index 51, Total citation 8404)

Li Y, Qian Y, Lei T, Monaghan-Nichols P, Fu M#. Simple and rapid lectin-based detection of native glycoRNAs. bioRxiv 2024.12.09.627596

Li Y, Qian Y, Huang E, Schwartz Z, Tai H, Tillock K, Fu M#. GlycoRNA-L and glycoRNA-S mediate human monocyte adhesion via binding to Siglec-5. BBA: Molecular Cellular Research 2025

Qian Y, Wang Z, Lin H, Lei T, Zhou Z, Huang W, Wu X, Zuo L, Wu J, Liu Y, Wang LF, Guan XH, Deng KY, Fu M#, Xin HB#. TRIM47 is a novel endothelial activation factor that aggravates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice via K63-linked ubiquitination of TRAF2. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2022 May 6;7(1):148.

Behrens G, Edelmann SL, Raj T, Kronbeck N, Monecke T, Davydova E, Wong EH, Kifinger L, Giesert F, Kirmaier ME, Hohn C, de Jonge LS, Pisfil MG, Fu M, Theurich S, Feske S, Kawakami N, Wurst W, Niessing D, Heissmeyer V. Disrupting Roquin-1 interaction with Regnase-1 induces autoimmunity and enhances antitumor responses. Nat Immunol. 2021 Dec;22(12):1563-1576.

Bhat N, Virgen-Slane R, Ramezani-Rad P, Leung CR, Chen C, Balsells D, Shukla A, Kao E, Apgar JR, Fu M, Ware CF, Rickert RC. Regnase-1 is essential for B cell homeostasis to prevent immunopathology.  J Exp Med. 2021 May 3;218(5):e20200971.

Qian Y, Lei T, Patel PS, Lee CH, Monaghan-Nichols P, Xin HB, Qiu J, Fu M#. Direct Activation of Endothelial Cells by SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein Is Blocked by Simvastatin. J Virol. 2021 Nov 9;95(23):e0139621.

Huang X, Li Y, Li X, Fan D, Xin HB, Fu M#. TRIM14 promotes endothelial activation via activating NF-κB signaling pathway. J Mol Cell Biol. 2020 Apr 24;12(3):176-189.

Li Y, Huang X, Guo F, Lei T, Li S, Monaghan-Nichols P, Jiang Z, Xin HB, Fu M#. TRIM65 E3 ligase targets VCAM-1 degradation to limit LPS-induced lung inflammation. J Mol Cell Biol. 2020 Apr 24;12(3):190-201.

Li Y, Huang X, Huang S, He H, Lei T, Saaoud F, Yu XQ, Melnick A, Kumar A, Papasian CJ, Fan D, Fu M#. Central role of myeloid MCPIP1 in protecting against LPS-induced inflammation and lung injury. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2017 Dec 8;2:17066

Fu M#, Blackshear PJ. RNA-binding proteins in immune regulation: a focus on CCCH zinc finger proteins. Nat Rev Immunol. 2017 Feb;17(2):130-143.

Lu W, Ning H, Gu L, Peng H, Wang Q, Hou R, Fu M, Hoft DF, Liu J. MCPIP1 Selectively Destabilizes Transcripts Associated with an Antiapoptotic Gene Expression Program in Breast Cancer Cells That Can Elicit Complete Tumor Regression. Cancer Res. 2016 Mar 15;76(6):1429-40.

Huang S, Liu S, Fu JJ, Tony Wang T, Yao X, Kumar A, Liu G, Fu M#. Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-induced Protein 1 and 4 Form a Complex but Act Independently in Regulation of Interleukin-6 mRNA Degradation. J Biol Chem. 2015 Aug 21;290(34):20782-92.

Jeltsch KM, Hu D, Brenner S, Zöller J, Heinz GA, Nagel D, Vogel KU, Rehage N, Warth SC, Edelmann SL, Gloury R, Martin N, Lohs C, Lech M, Stehklein JE, Geerlof A, Kremmer E, Weber A, Anders HJ, Schmitz I, Schmidt-Supprian M, Fu M, Holtmann H, Krappmann D, Ruland J, Kallies A, Heikenwalder M & Heissmeyer V. Cleavage of roquin and regnase-1 by the paracaspase MALT1 releases their cooperatively repressed targets to promote TH17 differentiation. Nat Immunol. 2014, 15(11):1079-1089.

Yao H, Ma R, Yang L, Hu G, Chen X, Duan M, Kook Y, Niu F, Liao K, Fu M, Hu G, Kolattukudy P, Buch S. MiR-9 promotes microglial activation by targeting MCPIP1. Nat Commun. 2014. 5:4386.

Liu S, Qiu C, Miao R, Zhou J, Fu W, Zhu L, Zhang L, Xu J, Fan D, Li K, Fu M#, Wang T#. MCPIP1 restricts HIV infection and is rapidly degraded in activated CD4+ T cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A., 2013, 110(47):19083-8.

Niu J, Shi Y, Xue J, Xu M, Miao R, Huang S, Chen ZJ, Fu M, Wu Z-H. DNA damage-induced MCPIP1 negatively regulates NF-κB activation by facilitating USP10-dependent disassembly of linear polyubiquitin chain. EMBO J, 2013, 32:3206-3219

Zhang Y, Breevoort SR, Angdisen J, Fu M, Schmidt DR, Holmstrom AR, Kliewer SA, Mangelsdorf DJ, Schulman IG. Liver LXRα expression is crucial for whole body cholesterol homeostasis and reverse cholesterol transport in mice. J Clin Invest, 2012, 122(5):1688-99.

Qi D, Huang S, Miao R, She ZG, Quinn T, Chang Y, Liu J, Fan D, Chen YE, Fu M#. Monocyte chemotactic protein-induced protein 1 (MCPIP1) suppresses stress granule formation and determines apoptosis under stress. J Biol Chem. 2011, 286(48):41692-700.

Liang J, Saad Y, Lei T, Wang J, Qi D, Yang Q, Kolattukudy PE and Fu M#. MCP-induced protein 1 deubiquitinating TRAFs and negatively regulate JNK and NF-κB signaling. J Exp Med, 2010, 207:2959-73.

Liang J, Lei T, Song Y, Yanes N and Fu M#. RNA-destabilizing factor Tristetraprolin negatively regulates NF-κB signaling. J Biol Chem. 2009, 284: 29383-29390.

Liang J, Wang J, Azfer A, Song W, Tromp G, Kolattukudy PE, Fu M#. A novel CCCH-Zinc finger protein family regulates proinflammatory activation of macrophages. J Biol Chem. 2008, 283:6337-6346.

Fu M*, Zhang J*, Tseng YH, Cui T, Zhu X, Xiao Y, Mou Y, De Leon H, Chang MM,Hamamori Y, Kahn CR, Chen YE. Rad GTPase Attenuates Vascular Lesion Formation by Inhibition of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration. Circulation. 2005,101:1071-107716.

Zhang J*, Fu M*, Cui T, Xiong C, Xu K, Zhong W, Xiao Y, Floyd D, Liang J, Li E, Song Q, Chen YE. Selective disruption of PPARgamma 2 impairs the development of adipose tissue and insulin sensitivity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004, 101(29): 10703-8.

Fu M, Zhang J, Lin Y, Zhu X, Ehrengruber MU, Chen YE. Early growth response factor-1: a critical mediator of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor g1 gene expression in human aortic smooth muscle cells. J Biol Chem. 2002, 277:26808-26814.

Fu M, Zhang J, Zhu X, Myles DE, Willson TM, Liu X, Chen YE. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor g inhibits transforming growth factor b-induced connective tissue growth factor expression in human aortic smooth muscle cells by interfering with Smad3. J Biol Chem. 2001, 276:45888-45894.

Fu M, Zhu X, Wang Q, Zhang J, Song Q, Zheng H, Ogawa W, Du J, Chen YE. Platelet-derived growth factor promotes the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor g in vascular smooth muscle cells by a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway. Circ Res. 2001, 89:1058-1064.