Kathy Fange Liu, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Member, Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism
Member, The Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Member, Pennsylvania Muscle Institute
Group Leader, Penn Institute for RNA Innovation
Full Member, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute
Leadership Council, Penn Center for Genome Integrity
Co-director, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Program, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Member, Penn Epigenetics Institute
Co-director, Penn Center of Genome Integrity
Department: Biochemistry and Biophysics
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
347-A Clinical Research Building
415 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6059 USA
Philadelphia, PA 19104
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
347-A Clinical Research Building
415 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6059 USA
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-573-6413
Lab: 215-573-6414
Lab: 215-573-6414
Email:
liufg@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
liufg@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Links
Faculty Page
Faculty page in Cell And Molecular Biology graduate group
Faculty page in Institute of Regenerative Medicine
Kathy Liu Group Twitter
Kathy Liu Group Website
Faculty Page
Faculty page in Cell And Molecular Biology graduate group
Faculty page in Institute of Regenerative Medicine
Kathy Liu Group Twitter
Kathy Liu Group Website
Education:
B.S. (Cell Biology with Honors)
Capital Normal University, Beijing, P.R. China, 2008.
Ph.D (Biochemistry with Distinction)
Georgia State University, USA, 2013.
Permanent linkB.S. (Cell Biology with Honors)
Capital Normal University, Beijing, P.R. China, 2008.
Ph.D (Biochemistry with Distinction)
Georgia State University, USA, 2013.
Description of Research Expertise
Our lab studies how enzymes regulate gene expression differently in normal physiology and cancer biology. We discover unique biochemical mechanisms underlying cancer vulnerabilities. We combine deep mechanistic studies with innovative therapeutic development, from (1) X-Y paired homologous proteins, (2) cancer fusion proteins, (3) ribosome biology, and (4) coregulation of enzyme-mediated modifications across RNA species. We aim to redefine how molecular understanding leads to new cancer treatments by bridging fundamental biochemistry and translational research. Our goal is to forge a direct path from benchside discoveries to impactful clinical applications, fundamentally changing how we approach cancer treatment.Selected Publications
Yanas A, Shweta H, Owens MC, Liu Kathy Fange* and Goldman E. Yale*: DDX3X and DDX3Y constitutively form nanometer-scale RNA-protein clusters that foster enzymatic activity. Curr. Biol. Nov 2024.Shen H, Owens MC, Yanas A, Lavorando E, Tang HY, Liu Kathy Fange: Specific catalytically impaired DDX3X mutants form sexually dimorphic hollow condensates. Nat. Commun. Nov 2024.
Owens M, Yanas A, Liu Kathy Fange: Sex chromosome-encoded protein homologs: current progress and open questions. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. Aug 2024.
Owens M, Lavorando E, Liu Kathy Fange: Comparing the roles of sex chromosome-encoded protein homologs in gene regulation. Genes & Dev. Aug 2024.
Gonskikh Y, Tirrito C, Bommisetti P, Mendoza M, Stoute J, Kim J, Wang Q, Song Y*, and Liu Kathy Fange*: Spatial regulation of NSUN2-mediated tRNA m5C installation in cognitive function. Nucleic Acids Res. accepted, 2024.
Maldonado-Lopez A, Huang S, Pacella G, Ko EK, Shen H, Stoute J, Sinkfield M, Anderson A, Prouty S, Li H, Seykora JT, Liu Kathy Fange, and Capell B: METTL3 maintains epithelial homeostasis through m6A-dependent regulation of chromatin modifiers. Sci. Adv. 9(35), Sep 2023 Notes: My lab contributed to quantifying the levels of m6A using mass spec and analyzing the molecular pathways m6A might be involved in epithelial homeostasis.
Gonskikh Y, Stoute J, Shen H, Budinich K, Pingul B, Schultz K, Elashal H, Marmorstein R, Shi J, Liu Kathy Fange: Non-catalytic regulation of 18S rRNA methyltransferase DIMT1 in acute myeloid leukemia. Genes & Dev. 1;37(7-8):321-335, April 2023.
Liu Kathy Fange: The condensates underlying sexual dimorphism. Mol. Cell 83(7): 1016-1021, April 2023.
Perlegos A, Shields E, Shen H, Liu Kathy Fange, and Bonini N: Mettl3-dependent m6A modification attenuates the brain stress response in Drosophila. Nat. Commun. 13(5387), Oct 2022 Notes: My lab contributed to quantifying m6A level changes using the mass spec and analyzing the pathways m6A involved in heat shock response.
Basavappa M; Ferretti M; Dittmar M; Stoute J; Sullivan M; Whig K; Shen H; Liu Kathy Fange; Schultz D; Beiting D; Lynch K; Henao-Mejia J; Cherry S: The novel lncRNA ALPHA specifically targets chikungunya virus to control infection. Mol. Cell 82(19): 3729-3744.e10, Oct 2022 Notes: My lab contributed to performing polysome profiling experiments to analyze the impacts of lncRNA ALPHA on translation.