Dr. Wei Liu

Staff Scientist

Cherezov-Kuhn-Stevens Laboratory
Department of Molecular Biology
The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI)
La Jolla, CA 92037

Telephone:	858-784-9422
Fax:	858-784-7020
E-mail:	weiliu@scripps.edu
Mailing Address:	The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, MailBox: GAC-1200, La Jolla, CA 92037

	BIOSKETCH:
2008-present	Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute. Cherezov-Kuhn-Stevens Lab
2002-2007	Ph.D., Biophysics Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
1998-2002	B.S., Department of Biological Pharmacology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
	Research Area:
	Membrane protein crystallization in lipidic cubic phase (LCP) Structure of G protein-coupled receptors Development of microcrystallography related technologies Phase behavior and rational design of lipids Development of robotics and automation Development of protein characterization and crystallization technologies Membrane protein stability studies High-throughput crystallization of membrane proteins Structure and functions of membrane proteins Development of protein characterization and crystallization technologies
	Publications:

Publications:

W. Liu, D. Wacker, C. Gati, G.W. Han, D. James, D. Wang, G. Nelson, U. Weierstall, V. Katritch, A. Barty, N.A. Zatsepin, D. Li, M. Messerschmidt, S. Boutet, G.J. Williams, J.E. Koglin, M.M. Seibert, C. Wang, S.T.A. Shah, S. Basu, R. Fromme, C. Kupitz, K.N. Rendek, I. Grotjohann, P. Fromme, R.A. Kirian, K.R. Beyerlein, T.A. White, H.N. Chapman, M. Caffrey, J.C.H. Spence, R.C. Stevens, V. Cherezov (2013) Serial femtosecond crystallography of G protein-coupled receptors. Science. 342: 1521-1524.
R. Lane*, P. Chubukov*, W. Liu*, M. Canals, V. Cherezov, R. Abagyan, R.C. Stevens, V. Katritch (2013) Structure-based ligand discovery targeting orthosteric and allosteric pockets of dopamine receptors. Mol Pharmacol. 84: 794-807.
C. Wang, H. Wu, V. Katritch, G.W. Han, X.-P. Huang, W. Liu, F.Y. Siu, B.L. Roth, V. Cherezov and R.C. Stevens (2013) Structure of the human smoothened receptor bound to an antitumour agent. Nature. 497: 338-343.
H. Gutierrez-de-Teran, A. Massink, D. Rodriguez, W. Liu, G.W. Han, G.S. Joseph, I. Katritch, L.H. Heitman, L. Xia, A.P. IJzerman, V. Cherezov, V. Katritch, R.C. Stevens (2013) The role of a sodium ion binding site in the allosteric modulation of the A_2A adenosine G Protein-Coupled Receptor. Structure. 21:2175-85.
F.Y. Siu, M. He, C. de Graaf, G.W. Han, D. Yang, Z. Zhang, C. Zhou, Q. Xu, D. Wacker, J.S. Joseph, W. Liu, J. Lau, V. Cherezov, V. Katritch, M.W. Wang and R.C. Stevens (2013) Structure of the human glucagon class B G-protein-coupled receptor. Nature. 499: 444-449.
D. Wacker, C. Wang, V. Katritch, G.W. Han, X.-P. Huang, E. Vardy, J.D. McCorvy, Y. Jiang, M. Chu, F.Y. Siu, W. Liu, H.E. Xu, V. Cherezov, B.L. Roth and R.C. Stevens(2013) Structural features for functional selectivity at serotonin receptors. Science. 340: 615-619.
C. Wang, Y. Jiang, J. Ma, H. Wu, D. Wacker, V. Katritch, G.W. Han, W. Liu, X.-P. Huang, E. Vardy, J.D. McCorvy, X. Gao, E.X. Zhou, K. Melcher, C. Zhang, F. Bai, H. Yang, L. Yang, H. Jiang, B.L. Roth, V. Cherezov, R.C. Stevens and H.E. Xu (2013) Structural basis for molecular recognition at serotonin receptors. Science. 340: 610-614.
J.S. Santos, G.A. Asmar-Rovira, G.W. Han, W. Liu, R. Syeda, V. Cherezov, K.A. Baker, R.C. Stevens, and M. Montal (2012) Crystal structure of a voltage-gated K⁺ channel pore module in a closed state in lipid membranes. J Biol Chem. 287: 43063-43070.
W. Liu*, E. Chun*, A.A. Thompson*, P. Chubukov, F. Xu, V. Katritch, G.W. Han, L.H. Heitman, A.P. IJzerman, V. Cherezov, and R.C. Stevens. (2012) Structural Basis for Allosteric Regulation of GPCRs by Sodium Ions. Science. 337: 232-236.
J.W. Fairman, N. Dautin, D. Wojtowicz, W. Liu, N. Noinaj, T.J. Barnard, T.M. Przytycka, V. Cherezov, and S.K. Buchanan. (2012) β-domain structures of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Intimin and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Invasin. Structure. 20:1233-1243
E. Chun*, A.A. Thompson*, W. Liu*, C.B. Roth, M.T. Griffith, V. Katritch, J. Kunken, F. Xu, V. Cherezov, L.H. Heitman, A.P. IJzerman, M.A. Hanson, and R.C. Stevens. (2012) New Fusion Partners for the Crystallization of G Protein-Coupled Receptors.Structure. 20: 967-976.
A.A. Thompson*, W. Liu*, E. Chun*, V. Katritch, H. Wu, E. Vardy, X-P Huang, C. Trapella, R. Guerrini, G. Calo, B.L. Roth, V. Cherezov, and R.C. Stevens. (2012) Structure of the Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ Receptor in Complex with a Peptide Mimetic. Nature. 485: 395-399.
H. Wu, D. Wacker, V. Katritch, M. Mileni, G.W. Han, E. Vardy, W. Liu, A.A. Thompson, X-P. Huang, F.I. Carroll, S.W. Mascarella, R.B. Westkaemper, P.D. Mosier, B.L. Roth, V. Cherezov, and R.C. Stevens. (2012) Structure of the human κ-opioid receptor in complex with JDTic. Nature. 485: 327-332.
J.S. Joseph, W. Liu, J. Kunken, T. Weiss and V. Cherezov. (2011) Characterization of lipid matrices for membrane protein crystallization by high-throughput small angle X-ray scattering. Methods. 55: 342-349.
T. Tiefenbrunn*, W. Liu*, Y. Chen, V. Katritch, D.C. Stout, J.A. Fee and V. Cherezov. (2011) High Resolution Structure of the ba3 Cytochrome c Oxidase from Thermus thermophilus in a Lipidic Environment. PLoS ONE. 6: e22348.
T. Shimamura, M. Shiroishi, S. Weyand, H. Tsujimoto, G. Winter, V. Katritch, R. Abagyan, V. Cherezov, W. Liu, G.W. Han, T. Kobayashi, R.C. Stevens and S. Iwata. (2011) Molecular basis of antihistamine specificity against Human Histamine H1 receptor. Nature. 475: 65-70.
F. Xu*, W. Liu*, M.A. Hanson, R.C. Stevens and V. Cherezov. (2011) Development of an Automated High Throughput LCP-FRAP Assay to Guide Membrane Protein Crystallization in Lipid Mesophases. Cryst. Growth Des. 11(4): 1193-1201.
W. Liu, and V. Cherezov. (2011) Crystallization of Membrane Proteins in Lipidic Mesophases. J Vis Exp. 49 (2011).
E. Chien, W. Liu, Q. Zhao, V. Katritch, G.W. Han, M.A. Hanson, L. Shi, A.H. Newman, J.A. Javitch, V. Cherezov, and R.C. Stevens. (2010) Structure of the human dopamine D3 receptor in complex with a D2/D3 selective antagonist. Science. 330(6007): 1091-1095.
B. Wu, E. Chien, C. Mol, G. Fenalti, W. Liu, V. Katritch, R. Abagyan, A. Brooun, P. Wells, F. Bi, D. Hamel, P. Kuhn, T.M. Handel, V. Cherezov, and R.C. Stevens. (2010) Structures of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor in complex with small molecule and cyclic peptide antagonists. Science. 330(6007): 1066-1071.
W. Liu, M.A. Hanson, R.C. Stevens, and V. Cherezov. (2010) LCP-Tm: an Assay to Measure and Understand Stability of Membrane Proteins in a Membrane Environment. Biophys. J. 98(8): 1539-1548.
V. Cherezov, W. Liu, J. Derrick, B. Luan, A. Aksimentiev, V. Katritch, and M. Caffrey. (2008) In meso Crystal Structure and Computer Simulations Suggest an Alternative Proteoglycan Binding Site in the OpcA Outer Membrane Adhesin. Proteins. 71: 24-34.
V. Cherezov, E. Yamashita, W. Liu, M. Zhalnina, W.A. Cramer, and M. Caffrey. (2006) In Meso Structure of the Cobalamin Transporter, BtuB, at 1.95 Å Resolution. J. Mol. Biol. 364(4): 716-734.
W. Liu and M. Caffrey. (2006) Interactions of tryptophan, tryptophan peptides and tryptophan alkyl esters at curved membrane interfaces. Biochemistry. 45(39): 11713-11726.
W. Liu and M. Caffrey. (2005) Gramicidin Structure and Disposition in Highly Curved Membranes. J. Struct. Biol. 150(1): 23-40.

*indicates equal contribution of these authors

Public Presentations:

July 22, 2013 – Invited speaker for the American Crystallographic Association Annual Meeting 2013. W. Liu. "Novel fusion partners for GPCR crystallization".
July 21, 2013 – Invited speaker for the American Crystallographic Association Annual Meeting 2013. W. Liu. "High-throughput technology advances with Lipidic Cubic Phase (LCP) technique".
May 14, 2013 – Invited speaker for the CPC series seminar at Novartis USA. W. Liu. "Novel structures and drug design with GPCRs".
April 18, 2013 – Invited speaker for the department seminar at Virginia Commonwealth University. W. Liu. "Novel Technical Developments of Lipidic Cubic Phase (LCP) Methodology".
August 28, 2012 – Invited speaker for the 9th IUPAC International Symposium on Biomolecular Chemistry & 8th International Symposium for Chinese Medicinal Chemists (ISCMC-8). W. Liu. "Structural basis and drug design with GPCRs".
June 01, 2012 – Invited speaker for the 42nd Mid-Atlantic Macromolecular Crystallography Meeting. W. Liu. "Allosteric sites in the human A_2A adenosine receptor with 1.8 Å structure".
Aug 16, 2011 – Invited speaker for the Public Forum Seminar at Novartis China. W. Liu. "New GPCR Structures and Structure Based Drug Design".
May 20, 2011 – Oral presentation at the Cold Spring Harbor Asia Conference-Membrane Proteins: Structure & Function. W. Liu, F. Xu, E. Chien, B. Wu, T. Shimamura, R.C. Stevens and Vadim Cherezov. “Structure and Function of the GPCR Family”.
Sep 16, 2010 – Oral presentation at the 13th International Conference on the Crystallization of Biological Macromolecules (ICCBM13). W. Liu, E. Chien, R.C. Stevens, and V. Cherezov. “Using LCP-FRAP to guide crystallization of GPCRs in lipidic mesophases”.

Workshops Co-Organizer:

Workshops:

September 18, 2012 – LCP Tools and Technologies Workshop at Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM). GO TO >>
August 02, 2012 – LCP Tools and Technologies Workshop at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). GO TO >>
June 02, 2012 – LCP Tools and Structure Determination Workshop at University of Virginia.
November 16, 2010 – LCP Tools and Technologies Workshop at the Scripps Research Institute.

Dr. Wei Liu

Staff Scientist

BIOSKETCH:

Research Area:

Publications:

Publications:

Public Presentations:

Workshops Co-Organizer:

Workshops: