Kun-Liang Guan
Encyclopedia
Kun-Liang Guan is an American
biochemist
. He won the MacArthur Award in 1998.
(Jiaxing
, Zhejiang Province), China. In 1982, Guan graduated (B.S.) from the Department of Biology, Hangzhou University (previous and current Zhejiang University
). He did his postgraduate study at Purdue University
(Ph.D. 1989; Advisor: Prof. Henry Weiner). In 1992, Guan joined the faculty in the University of Michigan
(UM) Department of Biological Chemistry. From 1996 to 2000, he was an associate professor at UM. In 2000 Guan became a professor (Halvor Christensen Collegiate Professor in Life Sciences, 2003–2007) at UM.
In 1998, Kun-Liang Guan was rewarded a MacArthur Fellowship, with a grant of $230,000 over five years. Before this, he won the Schering-Plough Award, by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
(ASBMB).
Guan currently is a professor of the Department of Pharmacology and the Moores Cancer Center at University of California, San Diego
(UCSD). Guan's research mainly focuses on cancer biology and the intracellular signal transduction in cell growth regulation. Guan has made seminal contributions in the fields of protein tyrosine phosphatase, Mitogen-Activated Protein (MAP) kinase, and the mammalian Target Of Rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. Guan and his team have published influential papers in, many publications, such as Cell
, Nature
and Science
.
Research in Dr. Guan's laboratory focuses on intracellular signal transduction in cell growth regulation and cancer biology.
Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the development of benign tumors in a wide range of tissues. Mutations in either the TSC1 or TSC2 tumor suppressor gene are responsible for TSC disease. TSC1 and TSC2 proteins form a physical and functional complex.
Recent studies from Guan's laboratory demonstrate that TSC1/TSC2 functions to inhibit the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which is a central cell growth controller conserved from yeast to human. mTOR integrates a wide range of signals, including growth factors, nutrients, and stress conditions, to regulate cell growth and cell size.
Two distinct TOR complexes, TORC1 and TORC2, have been identified. These two TOR complexes phosphorylate different substrates and have distinct physiological functions. For example, TORC1 phosphorylates the ribosomal S6 kinase (S6K), thereby regulating translation and cell growth.
In contrast, TORC2 phosphorylates and activates AKT, a key kinase involved in cell growth and apoptosis. Guan and his team are interested in how mTOR is regulated by upstream signals, such nutrients and cellular energy levels. In addition, they are studying the mechanism of mTOR activation by the phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K).
The second project in his laboratory is studying the novel Hippo tumor suppressor pathway. Recent genetic studies in Drosophila have shown that the Hippo signaling pathway plays a key role in restricting organ size by controlling both cell proliferation and apoptosis. Components of the Hippo pathway are highly conserved in mammalian cells. Acting down stream of the Hippo pathway is the YAP oncogene, which encodes a transcription co-activator.
Their recent studies have shown that regulation of YAP by the Hippo pathway plays a critical role in cell contact inhibition. Furthermore, YAP is elevated in many human cancers. The main focus of this project is to elucidate the physiological regulation of the Hippo pathway and to understand how dysregulation of the pathway contributes to tumorigenesis.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
biochemist
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
. He won the MacArthur Award in 1998.
Career
In 1963, Guan was born in TongxiangTongxiang
Tongxiang City is a county-level city, part of Jiaxing , in northern Zhejiang Province, China. Population : 109,976.The scenic town of Wuzhen is part of Tongxiang....
(Jiaxing
Jiaxing
Jiaxing is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. Lying on the Grand Canal of China, Jiaxing borders Hangzhou to the southwest, Huzhou to the west, Shanghai to the northeast, and the province of Jiangsu to the north....
, Zhejiang Province), China. In 1982, Guan graduated (B.S.) from the Department of Biology, Hangzhou University (previous and current Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University , sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest institutions of higher education...
). He did his postgraduate study at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
(Ph.D. 1989; Advisor: Prof. Henry Weiner). In 1992, Guan joined the faculty in the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(UM) Department of Biological Chemistry. From 1996 to 2000, he was an associate professor at UM. In 2000 Guan became a professor (Halvor Christensen Collegiate Professor in Life Sciences, 2003–2007) at UM.
In 1998, Kun-Liang Guan was rewarded a MacArthur Fellowship, with a grant of $230,000 over five years. Before this, he won the Schering-Plough Award, by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is a learned society that was founded on December 26, 1906 at a meeting organized by John Jacob Abel...
(ASBMB).
Guan currently is a professor of the Department of Pharmacology and the Moores Cancer Center at University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
(UCSD). Guan's research mainly focuses on cancer biology and the intracellular signal transduction in cell growth regulation. Guan has made seminal contributions in the fields of protein tyrosine phosphatase, Mitogen-Activated Protein (MAP) kinase, and the mammalian Target Of Rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. Guan and his team have published influential papers in, many publications, such as Cell
Cell (journal)
Cell is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing research papers across a broad range of disciplines within the life sciences. Areas covered include molecular biology, cell biology, systems biology, stem cells, developmental biology, genetics and genomics, proteomics, cancer research,...
, Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
and Science
Scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
.
Research in Dr. Guan's laboratory focuses on intracellular signal transduction in cell growth regulation and cancer biology.
Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the development of benign tumors in a wide range of tissues. Mutations in either the TSC1 or TSC2 tumor suppressor gene are responsible for TSC disease. TSC1 and TSC2 proteins form a physical and functional complex.
Recent studies from Guan's laboratory demonstrate that TSC1/TSC2 functions to inhibit the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which is a central cell growth controller conserved from yeast to human. mTOR integrates a wide range of signals, including growth factors, nutrients, and stress conditions, to regulate cell growth and cell size.
Two distinct TOR complexes, TORC1 and TORC2, have been identified. These two TOR complexes phosphorylate different substrates and have distinct physiological functions. For example, TORC1 phosphorylates the ribosomal S6 kinase (S6K), thereby regulating translation and cell growth.
In contrast, TORC2 phosphorylates and activates AKT, a key kinase involved in cell growth and apoptosis. Guan and his team are interested in how mTOR is regulated by upstream signals, such nutrients and cellular energy levels. In addition, they are studying the mechanism of mTOR activation by the phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K).
The second project in his laboratory is studying the novel Hippo tumor suppressor pathway. Recent genetic studies in Drosophila have shown that the Hippo signaling pathway plays a key role in restricting organ size by controlling both cell proliferation and apoptosis. Components of the Hippo pathway are highly conserved in mammalian cells. Acting down stream of the Hippo pathway is the YAP oncogene, which encodes a transcription co-activator.
Their recent studies have shown that regulation of YAP by the Hippo pathway plays a critical role in cell contact inhibition. Furthermore, YAP is elevated in many human cancers. The main focus of this project is to elucidate the physiological regulation of the Hippo pathway and to understand how dysregulation of the pathway contributes to tumorigenesis.