• Assistant Research Professor
• Assistant Member of the Walther Oncology Center

• Telephone: (317) 274-7526
• E-mail: yliu2@iupui.edu

Hal Broxmeyer named distinguished professor at IUSM (click here for more details)

Janice Blum discusses Immunology & Infectious Diseases (click here for more details)

Training:
• M.D., Sep. 1981-Jul. 1986, Xian Medical University, Xian, P. R. China
• Postdoctoral fellow, Dec. 1997-Jul. 2004, Department of Microbiology and
  Immunology Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana

Summary of the focus of the research of Dr. Liu:
My search is focused on molecular mechanisms of the HIV-1 Tat protein neurotoxicity and roles of the recently identified Tat-interacting protein Tip110 protein in HIV-1 gene expression.

Description and summary of research focus of the laboratory:
HIV-1 infection in the central nervous system causes a variety of neurological dysfunction, such as memory loss and motor control deficits. Although microglia and macrophages are the major targets for HIV-1 infection in CNS, neurons loss has often been noted in the brain of AIDS patients.   Tat, one of the HIV-1 early proteins, is essential for HIV-1 transactivation and replication.   Tat protein is also toxic to neurons. Our studies have recently shown that Tat binds to low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein (LRP) and becomes internalized into neurons.   We have also shown that Tat interaction with LRP disrupts metabolic balance of LRP physiological ligands.   We are continuing to determine whether LRP-mediated intracellular signaling upon Tat binding also contribute to Tat neurotoxicity through alteration of gene expression.   The other focus is on the Tip110 protein we recently cloned.   We have demonstrated that Tip110 binds to Tat and synergizes with Tat in transactivating HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter.   We are continuing to understand the underlying mechanisms for this synergistic function.

Publications
Liu, Y., Jones, M., Huntington, C.E., Bu, G., Laribee, N., Moir, R., Tanzi, R., Nath, A., and He, J. (2000) Uptake of HIV-1 Tat protein mediated by low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein disrupts the neuronal metabolic balance of the receptor ligands. Nature Medicine 6:1380-1387.

Liu, Y., Li, J., Kim B.O., Pace B.S., and He, J. (2002) HIV-1 Tat protein-mediated transactivation of the HIV-1 LTR promoter is potentiated by a novel nuclear Tat-interacting protein of 110 kDa, Tip110. Journal of Biological Chemistry 277:23854-23863.

Liu, Y., Liu, H., Kim, B. O., Nath, A., Li, J., Blum, J., and He, J. (2004) CD4-independent infection of astrocytes by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1): Requirement for the human mannose receptor . Journal of Virology 78:4121-4133.

Kim, B. O., Liu, Y., Zhou, B., and He, J. (2004) Induction of C chemokine XCL1 (lymphotactin/SCM-1 a /ATAC) expression by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat protein . Journal of Immunology 172:1888-1895.

Liu, Y., Kim, B. O., Kao, C-H., Jung C-Y., Dalton J. T., and He, J. (2004) Tip110, a potent repressor of androgen-dependent androgen receptor-mediated gene transactivation. Journal of Biological Chemistry 279:21766-73.

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