Liang Li
Associate Research ScientistAbout
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Titles
Associate Research Scientist
Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral fellow
- University of California, San Francisco (2024)
- PhD
- Peking Union Medical College, Biochemistry& Molecular Biology (2018)
Research
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Overview
Adipose tissue has important implications for metabolism and general health. Enhancing energy utilization by increasing the number and activity of beige adipocytes, an inducible form of thermogenic fat cells, can be of therapeutic benefit for a broad range of metabolic disorders.
My research focuses on understanding how thermogenic fat cells are created in vivo and what determines their metabolic phenotypes under physiological and pathological conditions. I'm also interested in exploring the application and utility of adipose tissue preclinical model in anti-obesity drug discovery.
In the long term, the goal is to use our understanding of the thermogenic fat cells development to guide strategies for expanding metabolically beneficial adipocyte phenotypes for the treatment of obesity and metabolic disease.
ORCID
0009-0002-1543-1818
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Brian Feldman, MD, PhD
Publications
2025
Characterization and lineage tracing of a mouse adipose depot reveal properties conserved with human supraclavicular brown adipose tissue
Li L, Feldman B. Characterization and lineage tracing of a mouse adipose depot reveal properties conserved with human supraclavicular brown adipose tissue. Stem Cell Reports 2025, 20: 102509. PMID: 40409261, PMCID: PMC12181967, DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2025.102509.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsInguinal white adipose tissueBrown adipose tissueSupraclavicular brown adipose tissuePreclinical modelsAdipose tissueActivation of beige adipocytesBeige adipose tissueAdipose tissue developmentWhite adipose tissueRobust preclinical modelsBeige fatDevelopmental originsMolecular markersSuccess of therapyTissue developmentThermogenic activityAdipose tissue depotsLineage tracingCell originLineagesAdipose depotsTherapeutic benefitMetabolic disordersTissue depotsMice
2024
White adipocytes in subcutaneous fat depots require KLF15 for maintenance in preclinical models
Li L, Feldman B. White adipocytes in subcutaneous fat depots require KLF15 for maintenance in preclinical models. Journal Of Clinical Investigation 2024, 134: e172360. PMID: 38949025, PMCID: PMC11213504, DOI: 10.1172/jci172360.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsWhite adipose tissueSubcutaneous white adipose tissueBrown adipose tissueDeletion of KLF15Transcription factor KLF15Visceral white adipose tissueHuman adipose cellsWhite adipocytesAdipose tissueMolecular mechanismsKLF15Adipose cellsDepot-specificAdipocytesNormal physiologySubcutaneous fat depotsCell-specific propertiesAdipose tissue depotsHealthy adipose tissueDirectional regulationMetabolic diseasesDevelopment of therapiesPathwayCellsMouse model
2023
Quantification of cell energetics in human subcutaneous adipose progenitor cells after target gene knockdown
Li L, Gunewardena A, Nyima T, Feldman B. Quantification of cell energetics in human subcutaneous adipose progenitor cells after target gene knockdown. STAR Protocols 2023, 4: 102607. PMID: 37742183, PMCID: PMC10751552, DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102607.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsIdentification of an adipose tissue-resident pro-preadipocyte population
Chen M, Kim S, Li L, Chattopadhyay S, Rando T, Feldman B. Identification of an adipose tissue-resident pro-preadipocyte population. Cell Reports 2023, 42: 112440. PMID: 37119138, PMCID: PMC10370484, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112440.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDeconvolution of cell typesSingle-cell RNA sequencingCell typesScRNA-seqRNA sequencingRegulate adipogenesisPopulation of cellsHeterogeneous population of cellsExpression profilesStromal vascular fractionAdipocyte lineagePreadipocyte populationPathwayProgenitor cellsTherapeutic opportunitiesCellsPhysiological mechanismsAdipose tissueHeterogeneous populationLineagesStem cellsFunctional propertiesPreadipocytesProgenitorsSequence
2022
The Ash2l SDI Domain Is Required to Maintain the Stability and Binding of DPY30
Ma M, Zhou J, Ma Z, Chen H, Li L, Hou L, Yin B, Qiang B, Shu P, Peng X. The Ash2l SDI Domain Is Required to Maintain the Stability and Binding of DPY30. Cells 2022, 11: 1450. PMID: 35563756, PMCID: PMC9103646, DOI: 10.3390/cells11091450.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsTranslational regulationGene expressionUbiquitin-mediated proteasomal pathwayRNA-seq dataUbiquitin-proteasome systemAbnormal cell cycleChIP-seqRNA-seqHistone methylationProteasome pathwayASH2LDPY30Cell cycleAmino acidsCell linesGenesBindingMouse modelExpressionCellsSet1HistoneAminoOverexpressionCCND1
2021
MYH9 facilitates autoregulation of adipose tissue depot development
Cheung S, Sayeed M, Nakuluri K, Li L, Feldman B. MYH9 facilitates autoregulation of adipose tissue depot development. JCI Insight 2021, 6: e136233. PMID: 33986190, PMCID: PMC8262332, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.136233.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMature adipocytesProgenitor cellsModulate systemic metabolismAdipogenesis in vivoPostnatal lifeExtracellular inputsWhite adipose tissueHormone signalingAdipose tissueEarly postnatal lifeDifferentiation of progenitor cellsTissue formation in vivoFormation in vivoEnergy storageSystemic metabolismAdipose depotsAdipocytesMYH9CellsDepot formationTissueAdipose
2019
The COMPASS Family Protein ASH2L Mediates Corticogenesis via Transcriptional Regulation of Wnt Signaling
. The COMPASS Family Protein ASH2L Mediates Corticogenesis via Transcriptional Regulation of Wnt Signaling. Cell Reports 2019, 28: 698-711.e5. PMID: 31315048, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.06.055.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricPTB-AS, a Novel Natural Antisense Transcript, Promotes Glioma Progression by Improving PTBP1 mRNA Stability with SND1
Zhu L, Wei Q, Qi Y, Ruan X, Wu F, Li L, Zhou J, Liu W, Jiang T, Zhang J, Yin B, Yuan J, Qiang B, Han W, Peng X. PTB-AS, a Novel Natural Antisense Transcript, Promotes Glioma Progression by Improving PTBP1 mRNA Stability with SND1. Molecular Therapy 2019, 27: 1621-1637. PMID: 31253583, PMCID: PMC6731175, DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2019.05.023.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsMeSH Keywords3' Untranslated RegionsCell Line, TumorCell MovementCell ProliferationEndonucleasesGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticGliomaHeterogeneous-Nuclear RibonucleoproteinsHumansMicroRNAsPolypyrimidine Tract-Binding ProteinRNA InterferenceRNA StabilityRNA-Binding ProteinsRNA, AntisenseRNA, Long NoncodingRNA, MessengerConceptsStaphylococcal nuclease domain-containing 1MiR-9Novel natural antisense transcriptsRNA-binding proteinsNatural antisense transcriptsBinding sitesAntisense noncoding RNAAntisense transcriptsBase pairsNoncoding RNAsBinding proteinPTBP1MRNA stabilityMolecular mechanismsUTRGlioma progressionPTBP1 expressionMRNAProteinGlioma cellsExpression
2018
Generating a reporter mouse line marking medium spiny neurons in the developing striatum driven by Arpp21 cis-regulatory elements
Chen P, Ruan X, Chen Y, Chu S, Mo K, Wu C, Liu W, Yin B, Zhou J, Li L, Hou L, Yuan J, Qiang B, Chen J, Shu P, Peng X. Generating a reporter mouse line marking medium spiny neurons in the developing striatum driven by Arpp21 cis-regulatory elements. Journal Of Genetics And Genomics 2018, 45: 673-676. PMID: 30595471, DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2018.09.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitations
2017
Mutation of the cellular adhesion molecule NECL2 is associated with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
. Mutation of the cellular adhesion molecule NECL2 is associated with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. Journal Of The Neurological Sciences 2017, 388: 133-138. PMID: 29627007, DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2017.10.023.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
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