Qize Wei

MD, Youjiang Medical College, China, 1984
MS, Biochemistry, Guangxi Medical University, China, 1988
PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking Union Medical College, China, 1994
Research Associate, Division of Neurogerontology, Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, 1994-1997
Research Associate, Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, NHLBI, NIH, 1997-2004
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Kansas State University, 2004-2012

Cell division and cell migration are critical biological processes that are ultimately regulated by the microtubule and/or actomyosin cytoskeleton. Dysregulation of these biological processes is often associated with cancer development and progression as well as with developmental defects in humans. Our lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that modulate the organization of the microtubule and actomyosin cytoskeleton. Currently, we are using knockout mice and cultured mammalian cells as model systems to investigate: 1) how MyoGEF, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, regulates cytokinesis and breast cancer cell invasion; 2) how CCDC69, a coiled-coil protein, contributes to the regulation of microtubule stabilization and central spindle assembly; and 3) how Pitx2, a homeodomain transcription factor that is involved in left-right patterning during embryonic development, is implicated in cytoskeletal regulation and cancer development. A combination of molecular, cellular, and biochemical approaches is used in our research.

Students who are interested in working in the lab should feel free to contact me at [email protected].

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Wu D, Zhu X, Jimenez-Cowell K, Mold AJ, Sollecito CC, Lombana N, Jiao M, and Wei Q, Identification of the GTPase-activating protein DEP domain containing 1B (DEPDC1B) as a transcriptional target of Pitx2. Experimental Cell Research, 333:80-92, 2015

Recuenco MC, Ohmori T, Tanigawa S, Taguchi A, Fujimura S, Conti MA, Wei Q, Kiyonari H, Abe T, Adelstein RS, Nishinakamura R, Nonmuscle Myosin II Regulates the Morphogenesis of Metanephric Mesenchyme-Derived Immature Nephrons. J Am Soc Nephrol. 26:1081-91, 2015

Wu D, Jiao M, Zu S, Sollecito CC, Jimenez-Cowell K, Mold AJ, Kennedy RM, Wei Q, Intramolecular Interactions between the Dbl Homology (DH) Domain and the Carboxyl-terminal region of Myosin II-interacting Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor (MyoGEF) Act as an Autoinhibitory Mechanism for the Regulation of MyoGEF Functions. J Biol Chem 289:34033-48, 2014

Wu D, Asiedu M, Matsumura F, and Wei Q, Phosphorylation of Myosin II-interacting Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor (MyoGEF) at Threonine 544 by Aurora B Kinase Promotes the Binding of Polo-like Kinase 1 to MyoGEF. J Biol Chem 289:7142-50, 2014

Yang F, Wei Q, Adelstein RS, and Wang PJ, Non-muscle myosin IIB is essential for cytokinesis during male meiotic cell divisions. Developmental Biology 369:356-61, 2012

Pal D, Wu D, Haruta A, and Wei Q, Role of a novel coiled-coil domain-containing protein CCDC69 in regulating central spindle assembly. Cell Cycle 9:4117-29, 2010

Wu D, Haruta A, and Wei Q, GIPC1 interacts with MyoGEF and promotes MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell invasion. J Biol Chem 285:28643–28650, 2010

Ma X, Takeda K, Singh A, Yu ZX, Zerfas P, Blount A, Liu C, Towbin JA, Schneider MD, Adelstein RS, and Wei Q, Conditional Ablation of Nonmuscle Myosin II-B in Mice Delineates Brain and Heart Defects. Circulation Research 105:1102-9, 2009

Wu D, Asiedu M, and Wei Q, MyoGEF regulates the invasion activity of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells through activation of RhoA and RhoC. Oncogene 4;28:2219-30, 2009

Asiedu M, Wu D, Matsumura F, and Wei Q, Centrosome/spindle pole-associated protein (CSPP) regulates cytokinesis via promoting the recruitment of MyoGEF to the central spindle. Mol Biol Cell 20:1428-1440, 2009

Asiedu M, Wu D, Matsumura F, and Wei Q, Phosphorylation of MyoGEF on Thr-574 by Plk1 promotes MyoGEF localization to the central spindle. J Biol Chem, 283:28392-28400, 2008

Wu D, Asiedu M, Adelstein RS and Wei Q, A novel guanine nucleotide exchange factor, MyoGEF, is required for cytokinesis. Cell Cycle 5:1234-9, 2006

Wei Q, Pitx2a binds to human papillomavirus type 18 E6 protein and inhibits E6-mediated p53 degradation in HeLa cells. J Biol Chem 280:37790-7, 2005

Meshel AS, Wei Q, Adelstein RS, Sheetz MP, Basic mechanism of three-dimensional collagen fibre transport by fibroblasts. Nat Cell Biol 7:157-164, 2005

Wei Q and Adelstein RS, Pitx2a expression alters the actin-myosin cytoskeleton and migration of HeLa cells through Rho GTPase signaling. Mol Biol Cell 13:683–697, 2002

Viswanath V, Wu Z, Fonck C, Wei Q, Boonplueang R and Andersen JK, Transgenic mice neuronally expressing baculoviral p35 are resistant to diverse types of induced apoptosis, including seizure-associated neurodegeneration. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97:2270-2275, 2000

Wei Q and Adelstein RS, Conditional expression of a truncated fragment of nonmuscle myosin II-A alters cell shape but not cytokinesis in HeLa cells. Mol Biol Cell 11:3617-3627, 2000