Dr.ZHAI, Yuanliang

Assistant Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, HKU

BSc (Sun Yat-Sen University); MPhil (Sun Yat-Sen University); PhD (HKUST)

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[javascript protected email address]
2299 0847
2559 9114
KBSB 4N10

Teaching Areas

Structural biology
Molecular and cell biology
Principles of Quantitative Biology Instrumentation

Research Interests

Regulation of eukaryotic DNA replication;
Chromatin organization and Chromosome dynamics;
Structural determination of macromolecular complexes using cryo-electron microscopy;

Current Research

Structural and functional characterization of DNA replication complexes
Elucidating the mechanisms regulating replication initiation in eukaryotes
Understanding the basis of replicative helicase loading and activation

Fellowships

Junior Fellow Institute for Advanced Study, HKUST
Division of Life Science, HKUST

Publications and News

Li, N.*, Lam, W.*, Zhai, Y.*#, Cheng, J.*, Cheng, E., Zhao, Y., Gao, N.# & Tye, B.# (2018) Structure of the origin recognition complex bound to DNA replication origin. Nature 559, 217-222, *Co-first authors # co-corresponding authors

News:

Hi-res image of structure of the origin recognition complex bound to DNA revealed
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/hkuo-hio070418.php
拆解DNA複製機器結構
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/**/s00002/**19
Zhai, Y.#, Li, N., Jiang, H., Huang, X., Gao, N. #, Tye, B. # (2017) Unique roles played by each of the non-identical MCM subunits in DNA Replication Licensing. Molecular Cell 67, 168-179. # co-corresponding authors
Zhai, Y., Cheng, E., Wu, H., Li, N., Yung, P., Gao, N., and Tye, B. Open-ringed Structure of the Cdt1-MCM2-7 Complex as a Precursor of the MCM Double Hexamer. (2017) Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 24, 300-308
News: Scientists reveal open-ringed structure of Cdt1-Mcm2-7 complex
https://phys.org/news/2017-03-scientists-reveal-open-ringed-cdt1-mcm2-complex.html
Zhai, Y., and Tye, B. (2017) Structure of the MCM2-7 Double Hexamer and Its Implications for the Mechanistic Functions of the Mcm2-7 Complex. in “DNA replication: From Old Principles to New Discovery” Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 1042:189-205.
Li, N.*, Zhai, Y.*#, Zhang, Y., Li, W., Yang, M., Lei, J., Tye, B.#, and Gao, N.# (2015) Structure of the Eukaryotic Minichromosome Maintenance Complex at 3.8 Å. Nature, 524, 186–191 *Co-first authors # co-corresponding authors
News:
Scientists solve the structure of the eukaryotic MCM2-7 complex
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-07/hkuo-hus073015.php
Zhao, T., Wang, Y., Zhai, Y., Qu, X., Ai, F., Du, S., and Loy, M. (2015) A user-friendly two-color super-resolution localization microscope. Optics Express 23, 1879-187