Dr Robin Du

Dr Robin Du

Senior Research Associate
2003 – 2007: PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, UNSW
2002 – 2003: MSc in Biotechnology, UNSW
Science
School of Biotech & Biomolecular Science

Professional Experience:

2010 – current: Senior Research Associate, School of BABS

2007 – 2010: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of BABS

 

Research Contribution:

Dr Du’s research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of intracellular lipid trafficking and investigating how changes in membrane lipid distribution and metabolism contribute to metabolic disorders and cancer. He received a PhD from UNSW in 2007 for studies examining molecular machinery controlling cholesterol homeostasis and cell signalling. After his PhD training, Dr Du continued to investigate molecular functions of lipid transfer proteins, such as Niemann Pick Type C proteins and oxysterol-binding protein-related proteins. He has since developed a keen interest in intracellular lipid trafficking and its role in human diseases. He has gained further extensive experience in genetics, molecular cloning, genome editing, protein purification, lipidomics, advanced fluorescent microscopy, and new model systems such as yeast and mouse. In 2010, Dr Du became a Senior Research Associate. He is currently leading a research team focusing on organellar membrane lipid dynamics mediated by lipid transfer proteins at the School of BABS, UNSW.

Dr Du has a record of continuing publications in high-profile, peer-reviewed journals, including Cell, Nature, Science, Molecular Cell, Nature Communications, Developmental Cell, Cell Reports, Journal of Cell Biology, Journal of Lipid Research, Molecular Biology of the Cell, and Journal of Biological Chemistry. Dr Du serves as a referee for the NHMRC and a reviewer for the International Journal of Cell Biology, PLOS ONE and others. He is also an active member of the ASBMB and Biochemical Society (London).

Dr Du’s publications and citations can be found at: 

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5qcHpYoAAAAJ&hl=en

 

Selected Publications:

Zadoorian A, Du X and Yang H. (2023) Lipid droplet biogenesis and functions in health and disease. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-023-00845-0 (PMID: 37221402)

Coates HW, Capell-Hattam IM, Olzomer EM, Du X, Farrell R, Yang H, Byrne FL, Brown AJ. (2023) Hypoxia truncates and constitutively activates the key cholesterol synthesis enzyme squalene monooxygenase. eLife. Jan 19;12:e82843. doi: 10.7554/eLife.82843. (PMID: 36655986)

Keable R, Hu S, Pfundstein G, Kozlova I, Su F, Du X, Yang H, Gunnersen J, Schachner M, Leshchyns'ka I, Sytnyk V. (2022) The BACE1-generated C-terminal fragment of the neural cell adhesion molecule 2 (NCAM2) promotes BACE1 targeting to Rab11-positive endosomes. Cellular and Molecular Life SciencesOct 17;79(11):555. doi: 10.1007/s00018-022-04575-w. (PMID: 36251052)

Lukmantara I, Chen F, Mak HY, Zadoorian A, Du X, Xiao FN, Norris DM, Pandzic E, Whan R, Zhong Q and Yang H. (2022) PI(3)P and DFCP1 regulate the biogenesis of lipid droplets. Mol Biol Cell. 33(14):ar131. (PMID: 36129766)

Mak HY, Ouyang Q, Tumanov S, Xu J, Rong P, Dong F, Lam SM, Wang X, Lukmantara I, Du X, Gao M, Brown AJ, Gong X, Shui G, Stocker R, Huang X, Chen S and Yang H. (2021) AGPAT2 interaction with CDP-diacylglycerol synthases promotes the flux of fatty acids through the CDP-diacylglycerol pathway. Nature Communications. 12(1):6877. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-27279-4. (PMID: 34824276)

Zhang T, Li YE, Yuan Y, Du X, Wang Y, Dong X, Yang H, Qi S. TMEM41B and VMP1 are phospholipid scramblases. Autophagy 1-3 12 Jun 2021 (PMID: 34074213)

Li YE*, Wang Y*, Du X*, Zhang T, Mak HY, Hancock SE, McEwen H, Pandzic E, Whan RM, Aw YC, Lukmantara IE, Yuan Y, Dong X, Don A, Turner N, Qi S and Yang H. (2021)  TMEM41B and VMP1 are scramblases and regulate the distribution of cholesterol and phosphatidylserine. Journal of Cell Biology; 220 (6), e202103105(*co-first) (PMID: 33929485)

Yan R, Cao P, Song W, Qian H, Du X, Coates HW, Zhao X, Li Y, Gao S, Gong X, Liu X, Sui J, Lei J, Yang H, Brown AJ, Zhou Q, Yan C, Yan N. (2021) A structure of human Scap bound to Insig-2 suggests how their interaction is regulated by sterols. Science Jan 14:eabb2224. doi: 10.1126/science.abb2224. (PMID: 33446483)

Du, X., Yang, H. (2021) Seipin regulates the formation of nuclear lipid droplets from a distance.  Journal of Cell Biology Jan 4;220(1):e202011166. doi: 10.1083/jcb.202011166. (PMID: 33320190)

Qian, H.*, Wu, X.*, Du, X.*, Yao, X., Zaho, X., Yang, H., and Yan, N. (2020) Structural basis of low pH-dependent lysosomal cholesterol egress by NPC1 and NPC2. Cell 182, 1-14 (*co-first) (PMID: 32544384)

Qian, H., Zhao, X., Yan, R., Yao, X., Gao, S., Sun, X., Du, X., Yang, H., Wong, C. C. L., and Yan, N. (2020) Structural basis for catalysis and substrate specificity of human ACAT1. Nature 581, 333-338 (PMID: 32433614)

Du, X.*, Zhou, L., Aw, Y. C., Mak, H. Y., Xu, Y., Rae, J., Wang, W., Zadoorian, A., Hancock, S. E., Osborne, B., Chen, X., Wu, J. W., Turner, N., Parton, R. G., Li, P., and Yang, H.* (2020) ORP5 localizes to ER-lipid droplet contacts and regulates the level of PI(4)P on lipid droplets. Journal of Cell Biology 219 (*co-corresponding) (PMID: 31653673

Wang, H., Ma, Q., Qi, Y., Dong, J., Du, X., Rae, J., Wang, J., Wu, W. F., Brown, A. J., Parton, R. G., Wu, J. W., and Yang, H. (2019) ORP2 Delivers Cholesterol to the Plasma Membrane in Exchange for Phosphatidylinositol 4, 5-Bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2). Molecular Cell 73, 458-473 e457 (PMID: 30581148

Dong, J.*, Du, X.*, Wang, H.*, Wang, J., Lu, C., Chen, X., Zhu, Z., Luo, Z., Yu, L., Brown, A. J., Yang, H., and Wu, J. W. (2019) Allosteric enhancement of ORP1-mediated cholesterol transport by PI(4,5)P2/PI(3,4)P2. Nature Communications 10, 829 (*co-first) (PMID: 30783101)

Yan, R., Qian, H., Lukmantara, I., Gao, M., Du, X., Yan, N., and Yang, H. (2018) Human SEIPIN Binds Anionic Phospholipids. Developmental Cell 47, 248-256 e244 (PMID: 30293840

Du, X.*, Zadoorian, A., Lukmantara, I. E., Qi, Y., Brown, A. J., and Yang, H.* (2018) Oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 5 (ORP5) promotes cell proliferation by activation of mTORC1 signaling. Journal of Biological Chemistry 293, 3806-3818 (*co-corresponding) (PMID: 29358326)

Du, X., Turner, N., and Yang, H. (2018) The role of oxysterol-binding protein and its related proteins in cancer. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 81, 149-153 (PMID: 28733164)

Ghai, R.*, Du, X.*, Wang, H., Dong, J., Ferguson, C., Brown, A. J., Parton, R. G., Wu, J. W., and Yang, H. (2017) ORP5 and ORP8 bind phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-biphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P 2) and regulate its level at the plasma membrane. Nature Communications 8, 757 (*co-first) (PMID: 28970484)

Pagac, M., Cooper, D. E., Qi, Y., Lukmantara, I. E., Mak, H. Y., Wu, Z., Tian, Y., Liu, Z., Lei, M., Du, X., Ferguson, C., Kotevski, D., Sadowski, P., Chen, W., Boroda, S., Harris, T. E., Liu, G., Parton, R. G., Huang, X., Coleman, R. A., and Yang, H. (2016) SEIPIN Regulates Lipid Droplet Expansion and Adipocyte Development by Modulating the Activity of Glycerol-3-phosphate Acyltransferase. Cell Reports 17, 1546-1559 (PMID: 27806294)

Du, X.*, Zhang, Y., Jo, S. R., Liu, X., Qi, Y., Osborne, B., Byrne, F. L., Smith, G. C., Turner, N., Hoehn, K. L., Brown, A. J., and Yang, H.* (2015) Akt activation increases cellular cholesterol by promoting the proteasomal degradation of Niemann-Pick C1. Biochemical Journal 471, 243-253 (*co-corresponding) (PMID: 26283546)

Du, X., Brown, A. J., and Yang, H. (2015) Novel mechanisms of intracellular cholesterol transport: oxysterol-binding proteins and membrane contact sites. Current Opinion in Cell Biology 35, 37-42 (PMID: 25932595)

Chu, B. B., Liao, Y. C., Qi, W., Xie, C., Du, X., Wang, J., Yang, H., Miao, H. H., Li, B. L., and Song, B. L. (2015) Cholesterol transport through lysosome-peroxisome membrane contacts. Cell 161, 291-306 (PMID: 25860611)

Du, X., Kazim, A. S., Dawes, I. W., Brown, A. J., and Yang, H. (2013) The AAA ATPase VPS4/SKD1 regulates endosomal cholesterol trafficking independently of ESCRT-III. Traffic 14, 107-119 (PMID: 23009658

Du, X., Kazim, A. S., Brown, A. J., and Yang, H. (2012) An essential role of Hrs/Vps27 in endosomal cholesterol trafficking. Cell Reports 1, 29-35 (PMID: 22832105)

Du, X., Kumar, J., Ferguson, C., Schulz, T. A., Ong, Y. S., Hong, W., Prinz, W. A., Parton, R. G., Brown, A. J., and Yang, H. (2011) A role for oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 5 in endosomal cholesterol trafficking. Journal of Cell Biology 192, 121-135 (PMID: 21220512)

Fei, W., Shui, G., Gaeta, B., Du, X., Kuerschner, L., Li, P., Brown, A. J., Wenk, M. R., Parton, R. G., and Yang, H. (2008) Fld1p, a functional homologue of human seipin, regulates the size of lipid droplets in yeast. Journal of Cell Biology 180, 473-482 (PMID: 18250201)

Du, X., Kristiana, I., Wong, J., and Brown, A. J. (2006) Involvement of Akt in ER-to-Golgi transport of SCAP/SREBP: a link between a key cell proliferative pathway and membrane synthesis. Molecular Biology of Cell 17, 2735-2745 (PMID: 16571675)

Du, X., Pham, Y. H., and Brown, A. J. (2004) Effects of 25-hydroxycholesterol on cholesterol esterification and sterol regulatory element-binding protein processing are dissociable: implications for cholesterol movement to the regulatory pool in the endoplasmic reticulum. Journal of Biological Chemistry 279, 47010-47016 (PMID: 15317807)

 

 

Phone
(+61 2) 9385 8112
Location
Level 3 East, Biological Sciences Building South, E26
  • Book Chapters | 2008
    Sharpe LJ; Du XR; Brown AJ, 2008, 'Approaches to investigate the role of signaling in ER-to-Golgi transport', in Sheehan D; Tyther R (ed.), Methods in Molecular Biology, Two Dimensional Electrophoresis Protocols, Humana Press, Inc., United States, pp. 215 - 227
  • Journal articles | 2023
    Coates HW; Capell-Hattam IM; Olzomer EM; Du X; Farrell R; Yang H; Byrne FL; Brown AJ, 2023, 'Hypoxia truncates and constitutively activates the key cholesterol synthesis enzyme squalene monooxygenase', eLife, 12, http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.82843
    Journal articles | 2023
    Lin Y; Ran L; Du X; Yang H; Wu Y, 2023, 'Oxysterol-Binding Protein: new insights into lipid transport functions and human diseases', Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 1868, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbalip.2023.159365
    Journal articles | 2023
    Zadoorian A; Du X; Yang H, 2023, 'Lipid droplet biogenesis and functions in health and disease', Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 19, pp. 443 - 459, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41574-023-00845-0
    Journal articles | 2022
    Keable R; Hu S; Pfundstein G; Kozlova I; Su F; Du X; Yang H; Gunnersen J; Schachner M; Leshchyns’ka I; Sytnyk V, 2022, 'The BACE1-generated C-terminal fragment of the neural cell adhesion molecule 2 (NCAM2) promotes BACE1 targeting to Rab11-positive endosomes', Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 79, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00018-022-04575-w
    Journal articles | 2022
    Lukmantara I; Chen F; Mak HY; Zadoorian A; Du X; Xiao FN; MacMurray Norris D; Pandzic E; Whan R; Zhong Q; Yang H, 2022, 'PI(3)P and DFCP1 regulate the biogenesis of lipid droplets', Molecular Biology of the Cell, 33, pp. ar131, http://dx.doi.org/10.1091/mbc.E22-07-0279
    Journal articles | 2021
    Chu BB; Liao YC; Qi W; Xie C; Du X; Wang J; Yang H; Miao HH; Li BL; Song BL, 2021, 'Erratum: Cholesterol Transport through Lysosome-Peroxisome Membrane Contacts (Cholesterol Transport through Lysosome-Peroxisome Membrane Contacts (2015) 161(2) (291–306), (S0092867415001853), (10.1016/j.cell.2015.02.019))', Cell, 184, pp. 289, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.12.023
    Journal articles | 2021
    Du X; Yang H, 2021, 'Seipin regulates the formation of nuclear lipid droplets from a distance', Journal of Cell Biology, 220, http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/JCB.202011166
    Journal articles | 2021
    Li YE; Wang Y; Du X; Zhang T; Mak H; Hancock SE; McEwen H; Pandzic E; Whan RM; Aw YC; Lukmantara IE; Yuan Y; Dong X; Don A; Turner N; Qi S; Yang H, 2021, 'TMEM41B and VMP1 are scramblases and regulate the distribution of cholesterol and phosphatidylserine', Journal of Cell Biology, 220, http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202103105
    Journal articles | 2021
    Mak HY; Ouyang Q; Tumanov S; Xu J; Rong P; Dong F; Lam SM; Wang X; Lukmantara I; Du X; Gao M; Brown AJ; Gong X; Shui G; Stocker R; Huang X; Chen S; Yang H, 2021, 'AGPAT2 interaction with CDP-diacylglycerol synthases promotes the flux of fatty acids through the CDP-diacylglycerol pathway', Nature Communications, 12, pp. 6877, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27279-4
    Journal articles | 2021
    Yan R; Cao P; Song W; Qian H; Du X; Coates HW; Zhao X; Li Y; Gao S; Gong X; Liu X; Sui J; Lei J; Yang H; Brown AJ; Zhou Q; Yan C; Yan N, 2021, 'A structure of human scap bound to insig-2 suggests how their interaction is regulated by sterols', Science, 371, http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abb2224
    Journal articles | 2021
    Zhang T; Li YE; Yuan Y; Du X; Wang Y; Dong X; Yang H; Qi S, 2021, 'TMEM41B and VMP1 are phospholipid scramblases', Autophagy, 17, pp. 2048 - 2050, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2021.1937898
    Journal articles | 2020
    Du X; Yang H, 2020, 'Triacylglycerol Measurement in HeLa Cells', Bio-protocol, 10, pp. e3852, http://dx.doi.org/10.21769/BioProtoc.3852
    Journal articles | 2020
    Du X; Zhou L; Aw YC; Mak HY; Xu Y; Rae J; Wang W; Zadoorian A; Hancock SE; Osborne B; Chen X; Wu JW; Turner N; Parton RG; Li P; Yang H, 2020, 'ORP5 localizes to ER-lipid droplet contacts and regulates the level of PI(4)P on lipid droplets', Journal of Cell Biology, 219, http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201905162
    Journal articles | 2020
    Qian H; Wu X; Du X; Yao X; Zhao X; Lee J; Yang H; Yan N, 2020, 'Structural Basis of Low-pH-Dependent Lysosomal Cholesterol Egress by NPC1 and NPC2', Cell
    Journal articles | 2020
    Qian H; Zhao X; Yan R; Yao X; Gao S; Sun X; Du X; Yang H; Wong CCL; Yan N, 2020, 'Structural basis for catalysis and substrate specificity of human ACAT1', Nature, 581, pp. 333 - 338, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2290-0
    Journal articles | 2019
    Dong J; Du X; Wang H; Wang J; Lu C; Chen X; Zhu Z; Luo Z; Yu L; Brown AJ; Yang H; Wu JW, 2019, 'Allosteric enhancement of ORP1-mediated cholesterol transport by PI(4,5)P 2 /PI(3,4)P 2', Nature Communications, 10, pp. 829, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-08791-0
    Journal articles | 2019
    Wang H; Ma Q; Qi Y; Dong J; Du X; Rae J; Wang J; Wu WF; Brown AJ; Parton RG; Wu JW; Yang H, 2019, 'ORP2 Delivers Cholesterol to the Plasma Membrane in Exchange for Phosphatidylinositol 4, 5-Bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P 2 )', Molecular Cell, 73, pp. 458 - 473.e7, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2018.11.014
    Journal articles | 2019
    Xu Y; Du X; Turner N; Brown AJ; Yang H, 2019, 'Enhanced acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity increases cholesterol levels on the lipid droplet surface and impairs adipocyte function', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 294, pp. 19306 - 19321, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA119.011160
    Journal articles | 2019
    Xu Y; Mak HY; Lukmantara I; Li YE; Hoehn KL; Huang X; Du X; Yang H, 2019, 'CDP-DAG synthase 1 and 2 regulate lipid droplet growth through distinct mechanisms', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 294, pp. 16740 - 16755, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA119.009992
    Journal articles | 2018
    Du X; Turner N; Yang H, 2018, 'The role of oxysterol-binding protein and its related proteins in cancer', Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, 81, pp. 149 - 153, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.07.017
    Journal articles | 2018
    Du X; Zadoorian A; Lukmantara IE; Qi Y; Brown AJ; Yang H, 2018, 'Oxysterol-binding protein–related protein 5 (ORP5) promotes cell proliferation by activation of MTORC1 signaling', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 293, pp. 3806 - 3818, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA117.001558
    Journal articles | 2018
    Yan R; Qian H; Lukmantara I; Gao M; Du X; Yan N; Yang H, 2018, 'Human SEIPIN Binds Anionic Phospholipids', Dev. Cell, 47, pp. 248 - 256, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2018.09.010
    Journal articles | 2017
    Du X; Lukmantara I; Yang H, 2017, 'CRISPR/Cas9-mediated generation of niemann–pick C1 knockout cell line', Methods in Molecular Biology, 1583, pp. 73 - 83, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6875-6_7
    Journal articles | 2017
    Ghai R; Du X; Wang H; Dong J; Ferguson C; Brown AJ; Parton RG; Wu JW; Yang H, 2017, 'ORP5 and ORP8 bind phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-biphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P 2) and regulate its level at the plasma membrane', Nature Communications, 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00861-5
    Journal articles | 2016
    Liu X; Xie B; Qi Y; Du X; Wang S; Zhang Y; Paxinos G; Yang H; Liang H, 2016, 'The expression of SEIPIN in the mouse central nervous system', Brain Structure and Function, 221, pp. 4111 - 4127, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00429-015-1151-3
    Journal articles | 2016
    Pagac M; Cooper DE; Qi Y; Lukmantara IE; Mak HY; Wu Z; Tian Y; Liu Z; Lei M; Du X; Ferguson C; Kotevski D; Sadowski P; Chen W; Boroda S; Harris TE; Liu G; Parton RG; Huang X; Coleman RA; Yang H, 2016, 'SEIPIN Regulates Lipid Droplet Expansion and Adipocyte Development by Modulating the Activity of Glycerol-3-phosphate Acyltransferase', Cell Reports, 17, pp. 1546 - 1559, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.10.037
    Journal articles | 2016
    Qi Y; Kapterian TS; Du X; Ma Q; Fei W; Zhang Y; Huang X; Dawes IW; Yang H, 2016, 'CDP-diacylglycerol synthases regulate the growth of lipid droplets and adipocyte development', Journal of Lipid Research, 57, pp. 767 - 780, http://dx.doi.org/10.1194/jlr.M060574
    Journal articles | 2016
    Tuong ZK; Lau P; Du X; Condon ND; Goode JM; Oh TG; Yeo JC; Muscat GEO; Stow JL, 2016, 'RORα and 25-hydroxycholesterol crosstalk regulates lipid droplet homeostasis in macrophages', PLoS ONE, 11, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0147179
    Journal articles | 2016
    Wang M; Gao M; Liao J; Qi Y; Du X; Wang Y; Li L; Liu G; Yang H, 2016, 'Adipose tissue deficiency results in severe hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis in the low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice', Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 1861, pp. 410 - 418, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbalip.2016.02.018
    Journal articles | 2015
    Chu B-B; Liao Y-C; Qi W; Xie C; Du X; Wang J; Yang H; Miao H-H; Li B-L; Song B-L, 2015, 'Cholesterol Transport through Lysosome-Peroxisome Membrane Contacts', Cell, 161, pp. 291 - 306, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.02.019
    Journal articles | 2015
    Du X; Brown AJ; Yang H, 2015, 'Novel mechanisms of intracellular cholesterol transport: oxysterol-binding proteins and membrane contact sites', Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 35, pp. 37 - 42, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ceb.2015.04.002
    Journal articles | 2015
    Du X; Zhang Y; Jo SR; Liu X; Qi Y; Osborne B; Byrne FL; Smith GC; Turner N; Hoehn KL; Brown AJ; Yang H, 2015, 'Akt activation increases cellular cholesterol by promoting the proteasomal degradation of Niemann-Pick C1', Biochemical Journal, 471, pp. 243 - 253, http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/BJ20150602
    Journal articles | 2013
    Du X; Kazim AS; Dawes IW; Brown AJ; Yang H, 2013, 'The AAA ATPase VPS4/SKD1 regulates endosomal cholesterol trafficking independently of ESCRT-III.', Traffic, 14, pp. 107 - 119, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tra.12015
    Journal articles | 2013
    Du X; Yang H, 2013, 'Endosomal cholesterol trafficking: protein factors at a glance.', ACTA Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica, 45, pp. 11 - 17, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/abbs/gms095&#65279
    Journal articles | 2012
    Du X; Kazim A; Brown AJ; Yang H, 2012, 'An essential role of Hrs/Vps27 in endosomal cholesterol trafficking', Cell Reports, 1, pp. 29 - 35, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2011.10.004
    Journal articles | 2012
    Ta MT; Kapterian T; Fei W; Du X; Brown AJ; Dawes IW; Yang H, 2012, 'Accumulation of squalene is associated with the clustering of lipid droplets.', FEBS Journal, 279, pp. 4231 - 4244, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/febs.12015
    Journal articles | 2011
    Du X; Yang H, 2011, 'Sterol-binding proteins and endosomal cholesterol transport', Frontiers in Biology, 6, pp. 190 - 196
    Journal articles | 2011
    Du XR; Kumar J; Ferguson C; Schulz TA; Ong YS; Hong W; Prinz WA; Parton RG; Brown AJ; Yang H, 2011, 'A role for oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 5 in endosomal cholesterol trafficking', Journal of Cell Biology, 192, pp. 121 - 135, http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201004142
    Journal articles | 2011
    Fei W; Du XR; Yang H, 2011, 'Seipin, adipogenesis and lipid droplets.', Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, 22, pp. 204 - 210, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2011.02.004
    Journal articles | 2011
    Fei W; Li H; Shui G; Kapterian TS; Bielby C; Du X; Brown AJ; Li P; Wenk M; Liu P; Yang H, 2011, 'Molecular characterization of seipin and its mutants: implications for seipin in triacylglycerol synthesis.', Journal of Lipid Research, 52, pp. 2136 - 2147, http://dx.doi.org/10.1194/jlr.M017566
    Journal articles | 2008
    Fei W; Shui G; Gaeta BA; Du XR; Kuerschner L; Liu P; Brown AJ; Wenk M; Parton R; Yang H, 2008, 'Fld1p, a functional homologue of human seipin, regulates the size of lipid droplets in yeast', Journal of Cell Biology, 180, pp. 473 - 482, http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/icb.200711136
    Journal articles | 2008
    Sharpe LJ; Du X; Brown AJ, 2008, 'Approaches to investigate the role of signaling in ER-to-golgi transport', Methods in Molecular Biology, 457, pp. 215 - 225, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-261-8_16
    Journal articles | 2006
    Du XR; Kristiana I; Wong J; Brown AJ, 2006, 'Involvement of Akt in ER-to-Golgi transport of SCAP/SREBP: A link between a key cell proliferative pathway and membrane synthesis', Molecular Biology of the Cell, 17, pp. 2735 - 2745, http://dx.doi.org/10.1091/mbc.E05-11-1094
    Journal articles | 2004
    Du XR; Pham Y; Brown AJ, 2004, 'Effects of 25-hydroxycholesterol on cholesterol esterification andsterol regulatory element-binding protein processing are dissociable -Implications for cholesterol movement to the regulatory pool in theendoplasmic reticulum', The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 279, pp. 47010 - 47016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M408690200
  • Preprints | 2022
    Amanda Tan RP; Kozlova I; Su F; Sah S; Keable R; Hagan W; Bustamante S; Du X; Osborne B; Turner N; Clemens K; Begg D; Phelps E; Yang H; Leshchyns’ka I; Sytnyk V, 2022, Neuronal growth regulator 1 (NEGR1) promotes synaptic targeting of glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65), , http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2022.02.08.479601
    Preprints | 2022
    Coates H; Olzomer E; Du X; Farrell R; Yang H; Byrne F; Brown A, 2022, Hypoxia truncates and constitutively activates the key cholesterol synthesis enzyme squalene monooxygenase, , http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2022.08.18.504470

2019, Research Excellence Awards, Australian Association of Chinese Biomedical Scientists

2020, Research Excellence Awards, Australian Association of Chinese Biomedical Scientists

RESEARCH INTERESTS

1.  Intracellular lipid (e.g., cholesterol and phosphatidylserine) sorting/transport/scrambling by lipid bind/transfer proteins and scramblases

2. The role of membrane lipid distribution in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

3. The biology of lipid droplets and their associated proteins. 

 

RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS 

My research has contributed to the significant advance of knowledge in the field of intracellular lipid sensing, trafficking, and storage. My previous work demonstrated that:

  • newly identified phospholipid scramblases TMEM41B and VMP1 regulate the intracellular distribution of phosphatidylserine (PS), the focus of this project (Li et al, J. Cell Biol. 2021).
  • lysosomal cholesterol egress requires low-pH-dependent structural alteration of NPC1 and NPC2 (Qian et al, Cell 2020).
  • lipid transfer protein ORP5 can connect the endoplasmic reticulum to lipid droplet and maintain the abundance of lipids on the lipid droplet surface (Du et al, J Cell Biol. 2020).
  • lipid transfer proteins, including ORP1, ORP5 and ORP8, can exchange lipids between two organelles at membrane contact sites (Ghai et al. Nat. Commun. 2017; Dong et al. Nat. Commun. 2019).
  • lipid transfer proteins such as NPC1 and ORP5 can be associated with cell signalling and play a role in cancer development (Du et al. Biochem. J. 2015; Du et al. J. Biol. Chem. 2018).
  • lysosomal low-density lipoprotein-derived cholesterol transport involves endoplasmic reticulum-anchored lipid transfer proteins (ORP5) and the components (Hrs and VPS4) of the ESCRT (endosomal sorting complex required for transport) pathway (Du et al. J Cell Biol. 2011; Du et al. Cell Reports 2012; Du et al. Traffic 2013).
  • processing of SREBP (sterol-responsive element binding protein), the transcription factor that governs cholesterol synthesis and uptake, is regulated by an important signalling molecule (Akt), linking a key cell proliferative pathway to membrane synthesis (Du et al. Mol. Biol. Cell 2006).
  • effects of an oxysterol (25-hydroxycholesterol) on cholesterol esterification and cholesterol sensing by its homeostatic machinery are dissociable, providing the first insight into the measurement of cholesterol transport to the endoplasmic reticulum (Du et al. J. Biol. Chem. 2004).