Feng Li, PhD
Research Scientist in Cell Biology
Research & Publications
Biography
Research Summary
I am interested membrane dynamics. My current research is focused on elucidating the molecular mechanism of biological membrane fusion.
Extensive Research Description
Synaptic vesicle fusion is an ultrafast and highly synchronized process. In the prefusion stage, vesicles are docked and primed at the presynaptic terminal, probably through some tethering factors and the initial association of the v- and t-SNAREs, and form a ready-to-release pool. Upon the entry of calcium, the SNAREs further zipper up to induce bilayer merging, and neurotransmitters are then released from the vesicles to synaptic cleft in sub-millisecond. How this fusion achieves ultrafast kinetics and synchronicity is poorly understood. It likely involves the collaborative efforts of several proteins such as Syntaxin, SNAP25, VAMP2, Synaptotagmin, Complexin, and probably Munc18, alpha-SNAP, NSF, too. To unravel the molecular basis of this process, it requires a thorough understanding of the role of each protein as well as their interplay.
Coauthors
Selected Publications
- Stability, folding dynamics, and long-range conformational transition of the synaptic t-SNARE complexZhang X, Rebane AA, Ma L, Li F, Jiao J, Qu H, Pincet F, Rothman JE, Zhang Y. Stability, folding dynamics, and long-range conformational transition of the synaptic t-SNARE complex. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2016, 113: e8031-e8040. PMID: 27911771, PMCID: PMC5167175, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1605748113.
- Kinetic barriers to SNAREpin assembly in the regulation of membrane docking/priming and fusionLi F, Tiwari N, Rothman JE, Pincet F. Kinetic barriers to SNAREpin assembly in the regulation of membrane docking/priming and fusion. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2016, 113: 10536-10541. PMID: 27601655, PMCID: PMC5035884, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604000113.
- Snapshot of sequential SNARE assembling states between membranes shows that N-terminal transient assembly initializes fusionWang YJ, Li F, Rodriguez N, Lafosse X, Gourier C, Perez E, Pincet F. Snapshot of sequential SNARE assembling states between membranes shows that N-terminal transient assembly initializes fusion. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2016, 113: 3533-3538. PMID: 26979957, PMCID: PMC4822643, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1518935113.
- Phosphorylation of Complexin by PKA Regulates Activity-Dependent Spontaneous Neurotransmitter Release and Structural Synaptic PlasticityCho RW, Buhl LK, Volfson D, Tran A, Li F, Akbergenova Y, Littleton JT. Phosphorylation of Complexin by PKA Regulates Activity-Dependent Spontaneous Neurotransmitter Release and Structural Synaptic Plasticity. Neuron 2015, 88: 749-761. PMID: 26590346, PMCID: PMC4847943, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.10.011.
- Formation of Giant Unilamellar Proteo-Liposomes by Osmotic ShockMotta I, Gohlke A, Adrien V, Li F, Gardavot H, Rothman JE, Pincet F. Formation of Giant Unilamellar Proteo-Liposomes by Osmotic Shock. Langmuir 2015, 31: 7091-7099. PMID: 26038815, PMCID: PMC4950989, DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b01173.
- Re-visiting the trans insertion model for complexin clampingKrishnakumar SS, Li F, Coleman J, Schauder CM, Kümmel D, Pincet F, Rothman JE, Reinisch KM. Re-visiting the trans insertion model for complexin clamping. ELife 2015, 4: e04463. PMID: 25831964, PMCID: PMC4384536, DOI: 10.7554/elife.04463.
- Genetic analysis of the Complexin trans-clamping model for cross-linking SNARE complexes in vivoCho RW, Kümmel D, Li F, Baguley SW, Coleman J, Rothman JE, Littleton JT. Genetic analysis of the Complexin trans-clamping model for cross-linking SNARE complexes in vivo. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2014, 111: 10317-10322. PMID: 24982161, PMCID: PMC4104896, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1409311111.
- A Half-Zippered SNARE Complex Represents a Functional Intermediate in Membrane FusionLi F, Kümmel D, Coleman J, Reinisch KM, Rothman JE, Pincet F. A Half-Zippered SNARE Complex Represents a Functional Intermediate in Membrane Fusion. Journal Of The American Chemical Society 2014, 136: 3456-3464. PMID: 24533674, PMCID: PMC3985920, DOI: 10.1021/ja410690m.
- Complexin cross-links prefusion SNAREs into a zigzag arrayKümmel D, Krishnakumar SS, Radoff DT, Li F, Giraudo CG, Pincet F, Rothman JE, Reinisch KM. Complexin cross-links prefusion SNAREs into a zigzag array. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 2011, 18: 927-933. PMID: 21785414, PMCID: PMC3410656, DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2101.
- A conformational switch in complexin is required for synaptotagmin to trigger synaptic fusionKrishnakumar SS, Radoff DT, Kümmel D, Giraudo CG, Li F, Khandan L, Baguley SW, Coleman J, Reinisch KM, Pincet F, Rothman JE. A conformational switch in complexin is required for synaptotagmin to trigger synaptic fusion. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 2011, 18: 934-940. PMID: 21785412, PMCID: PMC3668341, DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2103.
- Complexin activates and clamps SNAREpins by a common mechanism involving an intermediate energetic stateLi F, Pincet F, Perez E, Giraudo CG, Tareste D, Rothman JE. Complexin activates and clamps SNAREpins by a common mechanism involving an intermediate energetic state. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 2011, 18: 941-946. PMID: 21785413, PMCID: PMC3736826, DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2102.
- The Surface Force Apparatus to Reveal the Energetics of Biomolecules Assembly. Application to DNA Bases Pairing and SNARE Fusion Proteins FoldingEric Perez, Feng Li, David Tareste, and Frédéric Pincet, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, 2008, 1, (4), 240-246.
- Confinement Free Energy of Surfaces Bearing End-Grafted Polymers in the Mushroom Regime and Local Measurement of the Polymer DensityLi F, Pincet F. Confinement Free Energy of Surfaces Bearing End-Grafted Polymers in the Mushroom Regime and Local Measurement of the Polymer Density. Langmuir 2007, 23: 12541-12548. PMID: 17988162, DOI: 10.1021/la7021374.
- Energetics and dynamics of SNAREpin folding across lipid bilayersLi F, Pincet F, Perez E, Eng WS, Melia TJ, Rothman JE, Tareste D. Energetics and dynamics of SNAREpin folding across lipid bilayers. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 2007, 14: 890-896. PMID: 17906638, DOI: 10.1038/nsmb1310.