Current Research Programme

Studies in our lab focus on small RNA regulation in Drosophila, particularly in the reproductive and nervous systems. Most small RNAs, if not all, undergo dynamic migration among various compartments in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. We are interested in how various small RNAs (sn/mi/si/piRNAs) may be related and how the spatial dynamics of small RNAs influence gene expression in development.

In living cells, RNAs are coated with proteins to form ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). We have recently found that snRNPs and the essential snRNP assembly factor, survival motor neuron (SMN) protein, are concentrated in a novel cytoplasmic organelle, the U body. Intriguingly, U bodies always associate with cytoplasmic processing bodies (P bodies), which are specialized compartments containing siRNPs, miRNPs and other RNA degradation factors.

By combining genetic and biochemical approaches, we aim to illuminate how those small RNP pathways interact in U bodies and P bodies. Our long-term goal is to understand small RNA regulatory networks, through which we hope to gain new insights into the molecular basis of human diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a common neurodegenerative disorder.

Ji-Long Liu