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Peng Yao, Ph.D.

Peng Yao, Ph.D.

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About Me

Dr. Yao earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology from Wuhan University in 2003. He received his Ph.D. degree in the laboratory of Dr. En-Duo Wang in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology of Chinese Academy of Science in 2008, where ...
Dr. Yao earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology from Wuhan University in 2003. He received his Ph.D. degree in the laboratory of Dr. En-Duo Wang in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology of Chinese Academy of Science in 2008, where he studied the structural and functional interplay of transfer RNA (tRNA) and tRNA synthetase in bacteria, yeast and human. During his post-doctoral training under Dr. Paul Fox at Lerner Research Institute of Cleveland Clinic, he made contributions in understanding the translational control mechanisms regulating VEGFA (vascular endothelial growth factor-A) expression in human monocytes. He was then promoted to Research Associate in 2012, Project Scientist in 2013, and Assistant Professor (non-tenure track) of Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in 2014. Dr. Yao was recruited to the University of Rochester Medical Center as an Assistant Professor in 2016.

Faculty Appointments

Associate Professor - Department of Medicine, Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute (SMD)

Associate Professor - Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (SMD) - Joint

Credentials

Post-doctoral Training & Residency

Postdoctoral Fellow
Laboratory of Paul L. Fox, Ph.D., Department of Cell Biology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 2008 - 2012

Education

PhD | China-Chinese Academy of Sciences. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 2008

BS | China-Wuhan University. Biotechnology. 2003

Awards

Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative Core Utilization Pilot Grant. 2016 - 2017

Elsa Albrecht Research Associate Award, 1st Place, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, LRI. 2014

Scientist Development Grant. 2013 - 2017

Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Associate Award for Excellence in Research, LRI. 2013

Elsa Albrecht Fellow Award, 1st Place, Department of Cell Biology, LRI. 2012

Postdoctoral Fellowship. 2010 - 2012

Di'ao Scholarship from Chinese Academy of Sciences (1st Place). 2008

Research

Regulatory non-coding RNAs and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are important research areas in gene regulation and RNA biology. Our laboratory is interested in the understanding of pathophysiological function and molecular mechanism of new non-coding RNAs (and RBPs) and new modes of gene regulation in c...
Regulatory non-coding RNAs and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are important research areas in gene regulation and RNA biology. Our laboratory is interested in the understanding of pathophysiological function and molecular mechanism of new non-coding RNAs (and RBPs) and new modes of gene regulation in cardiac system and cardiovascular disease. We recently discovered a new type of stress-responsive, protein-directed human RNA switch that regulates expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A in human monocytic cells (Ray, PS, et al. Nature 2008 457: 915-919; Yao, P, et al. Plos Biology 2013 11: e1001635) and may play a role in cardiovascular disorders and cancers. Intriguingly, some of these RNA switches involve the interplay between microRNA and RNA-binding protein (Jafarifar, F, et al. EMBO Journal 2011 30: 1324-1334). We also identified a novel mRNA processing mechanism that expands human proteome at the posttranscriptional level and regulates gene expression (Yao, P, et al. Cell 2012 149: 88-100). Our current research interest includes: (1) Pathophysiological function and regulatory mechanism of microRNA (and other noncoding RNA) and RNA-binding proteins in cardiac system and cardiovascular disorders; (2) Riboswitch-like RNA switch mechanisms of gene regulation in mammalian system; (3) The role of translation machinery and translational control in cardiovascular system and identification of therapeutic targets for treatment of cardiovascular diseases (e.g., cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure). We employ various approaches and methods of biochemistry and biophysics, molecular and cellular biology, and genetic and surgical mouse models, to dissect the convergent and divergent regulatory pathways. The long-term objective of our laboratory is to identify novel RNA-based molecular mechanisms that control gene expression and conduct pathophysiological function in cardiac system, as well as to develop novel therapeutic approaches for the prevention or treatment of human cardiovascular diseases.

Publications

Journal Articles

FAK and p130Cas modulate stiffness-mediated early transcription and cellular metabolism.

Tumenbayar BI, Tutino VM, Brazzo JA, Yao P, Bae Y

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.. 2024 January 16 Epub 01/16/2024.

Cardiomyocyte-Specific Loss of Glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA Synthetase Leads to Disturbed Protein Homeostasis and Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Wu J, Hollinger J, Bonanno E, Jiang F, Yao P

Cells.. 2023 December 2213 (1)Epub 12/22/2023.

FAM210A regulates mitochondrial translation and maintains cardiac mitochondrial homeostasis.

Wu J, Subbaiah KCV, Hedaya O, Chen S, Munger J, Tang WHW, Yan C, Yao P

Cardiovascular research.. 2023 November 15119 (14):2441-2457. Epub 1900 01 01.

Expression and purification of the mitochondrial transmembrane protein FAM210A in Escherichia coli.

Hollinger J, Wu J, Awayda KM, O'Connell MR, Yao P

Protein expression and purification.. 2023 October 210 :106322. Epub 06/15/2023.

Cardiomyocyte-specific Loss of Glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA Synthetase Leads to Disturbed Protein Homeostasis and Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Wu J, Hollinger J, Bonanno E, Jiang F, Yao P

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.. 2023 September 22 Epub 09/22/2023.

RNA binding protein PRRC2B mediates translation of specific mRNAs and regulates cell cycle progression.

Jiang F, Hedaya OM, Khor E, Wu J, Auguste M, Yao P

Nucleic acids research.. 2023 June 2351 (11):5831-5846. Epub 1900 01 01.

Secondary structures that regulate mRNA translation provide insights for ASO-mediated modulation of cardiac hypertrophy.

Hedaya OM, Subbaiah KCV, Jiang F, Xie LH, Wu J, Khor E, Zhu M, Mathews DH, Proschel C, Yao P

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.. 2023 June 15 Epub 06/15/2023.

FAM210A Regulates Mitochondrial Translation and Maintains Cardiac Mitochondrial Homeostasis.

Wu J, Subbaiah KCV, Hedaya O, Chen S, Munger J, Tang WHW, Yan C, Yao P

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.. 2023 May 22 Epub 05/22/2023.

Ciclopirox Inhibition of eIF5A Hypusination Attenuates Fibroblast Activation and Cardiac Fibrosis.

Subbaiah KCV, Wu J, Tang WHW, Yao P

Journal of cardiovascular development and disease.. 2023 January 2910 (2)Epub 01/29/2023.

FAM114A1 influences cardiac pathological remodeling by regulating angiotensin II signaling.

Subbaiah KCV, Wu J, Tang WHW, Yao P

JCI insight.. 2022 July 87 (13)Epub 07/08/2022.

MicroRNA-574 regulates FAM210A expression and influences pathological cardiac remodeling.

Wu J, Venkata Subbaiah KC, Jiang F, Hedaya O, Mohan A, Yang T, Welle K, Ghaemmaghami S, Tang WHW, Small E, Yan C, Yao P

EMBO molecular medicine.. 2021 February 513 (2):e12710. Epub 12/28/2020.

Generating a CRISPR knockout mouse through a strong premature termination codon: a cautionary tale.

Lyu QR, Yao P, Miano JM

Journal of biomedical research.. 2020 December 2535 (2):174-178. Epub 1900 01 01.

Glutamyl-Prolyl-tRNA Synthetase Regulates Proline-Rich Pro-Fibrotic Protein Synthesis During Cardiac Fibrosis.

Wu J, Subbaiah KCV, Xie LH, Jiang F, Khor ES, Mickelsen DM, Myers JR, Tang WW, Yao P

Circulation research.. 2020 August 28127 (6):827-846. Epub 07/01/2020.

Selective deletion of MyD88 signaling in ?-SMA positive cells ameliorates experimental intestinal fibrosis via post-transcriptional regulation.

Zhao S, Dejanovic D, Yao P, Bhilocha S, Sadler T, Schirbel A, West G, Doyon G, Lopez R, Mao R, Kurada S, El Ouali S, Grassl G, Fox PL, Cruise M, Worthley DL, de la Motte C, Fiocchi C, Rieder F

Mucosal immunology.. 2020 July 13 (4):665-678. Epub 02/04/2020.

A Novel Role of Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase 10A in Pathological Cardiac Remodeling and Dysfunction.

Chen S, Zhang Y, Lighthouse JK, Mickelsen DM, Wu J, Yao P, Small EM, Yan C

Circulation.. 2020 January 21141 (3):217-233. Epub 12/05/2019.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in cell signaling.

Yao P, Fox PL

The Enzymes.. 2020 48 :243-275. Epub 06/12/2020.

Investigation and Restoration of BEST1 Activity in Patient-derived RPEs with Dominant Mutations.

Ji C, Li Y, Kittredge A, Hopiavuori A, Ward N, Yao P, Fukuda Y, Zhang Y, Tsang SH, Yang T

Scientific reports.. 2019 December 139 (1):19026. Epub 12/13/2019.

hnRNP L-mediated RNA switches function as a hypoxia-induced translational regulon.

Venkata Subbaiah KC, Wu J, Potdar A, Yao P

Biochemical and biophysical research communications.. 2019 August 27516 (3):753-759. Epub 06/26/2019.

Mammalian RNA switches: Molecular rheostats in gene regulation, disease, and medicine.

Venkata Subbaiah KC, Hedaya O, Wu J, Jiang F, Yao P

Computational and structural biotechnology journal.. 2019 17 :1326-1338. Epub 10/24/2019.

Structural control of caspase-generated glutamyl-tRNA synthetase by appended noncatalytic WHEP domains.

Halawani D, Gogonea V, DiDonato JA, Pipich V, Yao P, China A, Topbas C, Vasu K, Arif A, Hazen SL, Fox PL

The Journal of biological chemistry.. 2018 June 8293 (23):8843-8860. Epub 04/11/2018.

The GAIT translational control system.

Arif A, Yao P, Terenzi F, Jia J, Ray PS, Fox PL

Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. RNA.. 2018 March 9 (2)Epub 11/20/2017.

The RNA-Binding Protein HuR Posttranscriptionally Regulates IL-2 Homeostasis and CD4 Th2 Differentiation.

Techasintana P, Ellis JS, Glascock J, Gubin MM, Ridenhour SE, Magee JD, Hart ML, Yao P, Zhou H, Whitney MS, Franklin CL, Martindale JL, Gorospe M, Davis WJ, Fox PL, Li X, Atasoy U

ImmunoHorizons.. 2017 August 11 (6):109-123. Epub 1900 01 01.

Interplay between miR-574-3p and hnRNP L regulates VEGFA mRNA translation and tumorigenesis.

Yao P, Wu J, Lindner D, Fox PL

Nucleic acids research.. 2017 July 2745 (13):7950-7964. Epub 1900 01 01.

"Translational control mechanisms in angiogenesis and vascular biology."

Peng Yao; Sandeepa M. Eswarappa; Paul L. Fox.

Current Atherosclerosis Reports. 2015; : 17: 30.

"A bridge between the aminoacylation and editing domains of leucyl-tRNA synthetase is crucial for its synthetic activity."

Qian Huang; Xiao-Long Zhou; Qing-Hua Hu; Hui-Yan Lei; Zhi-Peng Fang; Peng Yao; and En-Duo Wang.

RNA. 2014; 20: 1440-1450.

Regulation and dysregulation of 3'UTR-mediated translational control.

Jia J, Yao P, Arif A, Fox PL

Current opinion in genetics & development.. 2013 February 23 (1):29-34. Epub 01/09/2013.

"The HILDA complex coordinates a conditional switch in the 3´-untranslated region of the VEGFA mRNA."

Peng Yao; Alka A. Potdar; Partho Sarothi Ray; Sandeepa M. Eswarappa; Andrew C. Flagg; Belinda Willard; and Paul L. Fox.

Plos Biology. 2013; 11: e1001635.

"IRAK-M mediates Toll-like receptor/IL-1R-induced NFkB activation and cytokine production."

Hao Zhou; Minjia Yu; Koichi Fukuda; Jinteak Im; Peng Yao; Wei Cui; Katarzyna Bulek; Jarod Zepp; Youzhong Wan; Tae Whan Kim; Weiguo Yin; Victoria Ma; James Thomas; Jun Gu; Jian-an Wang; Paul E DiCorleto; Paul L Fox; Jun Qin; and Xiaoxia Li.

EMBO Journal. 2013; 32: 583-596.

"HuR is required for IL-17-induced Act1-mediated CXCL1 and CXCL5 mRNA stabilization."

Tomasz Herjan; Peng Yao; Wen Qian; Xiao Li; Caini Liu; Katarzyna Bulek; Dongxu Sun; Wen-Pin Yang; Jun Zhu, Aiqing He; Julie A. Carman; Serpil C. Erzurum; Howard D. Lipshitz; Paul L. Fox; Thomas A. Hamilton; and Xiaoxia Li.

Journal of Immunology. 2013; 191: 640-649.

"Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in medicine and disease."

Peng Yao; Paul L. Fox.

EMBO Molecular Medicine. 2013; 5: 332-343.

"Non-catalytic regulation of gene expression by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases."

Peng Yao; Kiran Poruri; Susan A. Martinis; Paul L. Fox.

Topics in Current Chemistry. 2013; 344: 167-187 (Springer).

"Regulation and dysregulation of 3´UTR mediated translational control."

Jie Jia; Peng Yao; Abul Arif; and Paul L. Fox.

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development. 2013; 23: 29-34.

The HILDA complex coordinates a conditional switch in the 3'-untranslated region of the VEGFA mRNA.

Yao P, Potdar AA, Ray PS, Eswarappa SM, Flagg AC, Willard B, Fox PL

PLoS biology.. 2013 11 (8):e1001635. Epub 08/20/2013.

Coding region polyadenylation generates a truncated tRNA synthetase that counters translation repression.

Yao P, Potdar AA, Arif A, Ray PS, Mukhopadhyay R, Willard B, Xu Y, Yan J, Saidel GM, Fox PL

Cell.. 2012 March 30149 (1):88-100. Epub 03/01/2012.

"Coding region polyadenylation generates a truncated tRNA synthetase that counters translation repression."

Peng Yao; Alka A. Potdar; Abul Arif; Partho Sarothi Ray; Rupak Mukhopadhyay; Belinda Willard; Yichi Xu; Jun Yan; Gerald M. Saidel; and Paul L. Fox.

Cell. 2012; 149: 88-100.

"A truncated tRNA synthetase directs a 'translational trickle' of gene expression."

Peng Yao; Paul L. Fox.

Cell Cycle. 2012; 11: 10.

"In vivo identification of essential nucleotides in tRNALeu to its functions by using a constructed yeast tRNALeu knockout strain."

Qian Huang; Peng Yao; Gilbert Eriani; En-Duo Wang.

Nucleic Acids Research. 2012; 40: 10463-10477.

"Repression of VEGFA by CA-rich element-binding microRNAs is modulated by hnRNP L."

Faegheh Jafarifar; Peng Yao; Sandeepa M Eswarappa; Paul L Fox.

EMBO Journal. 2011; 30:: 1324-1334.

"Modular pathways for editing non-cognate amino acids by human cytoplasmic leucyl-tRNA synthetase."

Xin Chen; Jing-Jing Ma; Min Tan; Peng Yao; Qing-Hua Hu; Gilbert Eriani; En-Duo Wang.

Nucleic Acids Research. 2011; 39:: 235-247.

"The kinase activity of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 2 is essential for lipopolysaccharide-mediated cytokine and chemokine mRNA stability and translation."

Weiguo Yin, Youzhong Wan, Tae Whan Kim, Peng Yao, Hui Xiao, Hao Zhou, Jianhua Xiao, Paul Fox, Xiaoxia Li.

J Interferon Cytokine Research. 2011; 31:: 415-422.

"Sex lethal and upstream ORFs: a bait-and-trap system for ribosomes."

Peng Yao, Paul L. Fox.

Genome Biology. 2011; 12:(12).

tRNA-independent pretransfer editing by class I leucyl-tRNA synthetase.

Zhu B, Yao P, Tan M, Eriani G, Wang ED

The Journal of biological chemistry.. 2009 February 6284 (6):3418-24. Epub 12/09/2008.

"tRNA-independent pre-transfer editing by class I leucyl-tRNA synthetase."

Bin Zhu*; Peng Yao*; Min Tan*; Gilbert Eriani; En-Duo Wang (*:co-author).

Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2009; 284:: 3418-3424.

"Two non-redundant fragments in the N-terminal peptide of human cytosolic methionyl-tRNA synthetase were indispensable for the multi-synthetase complex incorporation and enzyme activity."

Ran He; Li-Dong Zu; Peng Yao; Xin Chen; En-Duo Wang.

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 2009; 1794:: 347-354.

"A unique insertion in the CP1 domain of Giardia lamblia leucyl-tRNA synthetase."

Xiao-Long Zhou; Peng Yao; Bin Zhu; Liang-Liang Ruan; En-Duo Wang.

Biochemistry. 2009; 48:: 1340-1347.

"A stress-responsive RNA switch regulates VEGFA expression."

Partho Sarothi Ray; Jie Jia; Peng Yao; Mithu Majumder; Maria Hatzoglou; Paul L. Fox.

Nature. 2008; 457:: 915-919.

"Unique residues crucial for optimal editing in the yeast cytoplasmic leucyl-tRNA synthetase revealed by a novel knockout yeast strain."

Peng Yao; Xiao-Long Zhou; Ran He; Mei-Qin Xue; Yong-Gang Zheng; Yue-Fei Wang; En-Duo Wang.

Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2008; 283:: 22591-22600.

"Recognition of tRNALeu by Aquifex aeolicus leucyl-tRNA synthetase during aminoacylation and editing steps."

Peng Yao; Bin Zhu; Sophie Jaeger; Gilbert Eriani; En-Duo Wang.

Nucleic Acids Research. 2008; 36:: 2728-2738.

Books

The Enzymes (2020)

Chapter: Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in cell signaling

Authors: Peng Yao, Paul L. Fox

Publisher: Elsevier 2020

Topics in Current Chemistry (2013)

Chapter: Non-catalytic regulation of gene expression by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Topics in Current Chemistry

Authors: Peng Yao, Kiran Poruri, Susan A. Martinis, Paul L. Fox.

Publisher: Springer 2013