Peer Reviewed Journal Articles 

* denotes equal contributors; # denotes corresponding author(s)

In press or under review:

31. Optoelectronic Small Molecule Detection by Coupling Chemically Induced Dimerization to Metal Nanoparticles.  MD Ashif Ikbal, Shoukai Kang, Xiahui Chen, Liangcai Gu#, and Chao Wang#, Submitted

30. A diverse network of pericoerulear neurons control arousal states.  Andrew Luskin*, Li Li*, Xiaonan Fu, Kelsey Barcomb, Taylor Blackburn, Esther Li, Akshay Rana, Rhiana Simon, Li Sun, Alexandria Murry, Sam Golden, Garret Stuber, Christopher Ford, Liangcai Gu, Michael Bruchas#, under revision; (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.30.498327v1)

28. NIH SenNet Consortium to map senescent cells throughout the human lifespan to understand physiological health, SenNet Consortium, Nature Aging, 2022, 2, 1090

27. Polony gels enable amplifiable DNA stamping and spatial transcriptomics of chronic pain.  Xiaonan Fu*, Li Sun*, Runze Dong*, Jane Y. Chen, Runglawan Silakit, Logan Condon, Yiing Lin, Shin Lin, Richard D. Palmiter, Liangcai Gu#, Cell, 2022 (doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.10.021); (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.17.435795v1).

26. Combinatorial Approaches for Efficient Design of Photoswitchable Protein-Protein Interactions as In Vivo Actuators.  Xiao Zhang, Yuxin Pan, Shoukai Kang, Liangcai Gu#, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2022, 10 (doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.844405)

25. Defining Molecular Glues with A Dual-Nanobody Cannabidiol Sensor.  Shiyun Cao, Shoukai Kang, Haibin Mao, Jiayu Yao, Liangcai Gu, Ning Zheng, Nature Communications, 2022, 815, 13 (doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28507-1)

24. Synthetic Nanobody-Functionalized Nanoparticles for Accelerated Development of Rapid, Accessible Detection of Viral Antigens.  Xiahui Chen*, Shoukai Kang*, Ashif Ikbal*, Zhi Zhao, Yuxin Pan, Jiawei Zuo, Liangcai Gu#, Chao Wang#, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2022, 202 (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2022.113971).

23. Creating Red Light-Switchable Protein Dimerization Systems as Genetically Encoded Actuators with High Specificity.  Zhimin Huang*, Zengpeng Li*, Xiao Zhang*, Runze Dong, Shoukai Kang, Li Sun, Xiaonan Fu, David Vaisar, Kurumi Watanabe, Liangcai Gu#, ACS Synthetic Biology, 2020, 9, 3322

22. Creating Highly Specific Chemically Induced Protein Dimerization Systems by Stepwise Phage Selection of a Combinatorial Single-Domain Antibody Library.  Luis Gomez-Castillo*, Kurumi Watanabe*, Huayi Jiang*, Shoukai Kang, Liangcai Gu#, Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2020, 155, e60738, doi:10.3791/60738

21. COMBINES-CID: An Efficient Method for De Novo Engineering of Highly Specific Chemically Induced Protein Dimerization Systems.  Shoukai Kang, Kristian Davidsen, Luis Gomez-Castillo, Huayi Jiang, Xiaonan Fu, Zengpeng Li, Yu Liang, Molly Jahn, Mahmoud Moussa, Frank DiMaio & Liangcai Gu#, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2019, 141, 10948

Before UW:

20. Structural Basis for Cyclopropanation by a Unique Enoyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Reductase.  Dheeraj Khare, Wendi A. Hale, Liangcai Gu, David H. Sherman, William H. Gerwick, Kristina Håkansson & Janet L. Smith, Structure, 2015, pii: S0969-2126(15)00405-0

19. Multiplex Single-Molecule Interaction Profiling of DNA Barcoded Proteins.  Liangcai Gu#, Chao Li, John Aach, David E. Hill, Marc Vidal & George M. Church#; Nature, 2014, 515(7528):554-7

18. Improved Cell-free RNA and Protein Synthesis System.  Jun Li, Liangcai Gu, John Aach & George M. Church; PLoS One, 2014, doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0106232

17. Is the mission to identify all the human proteins achievable?-Commenting on the human proteome draft maps.  Zengyi Chang & Liangcai Gu; Science China Life Sciences, 2014, doi: 10.1007/s11427-014-4738-7

16. Structure of CurN, a Marine Haloalkane Dehalogenase.  Jennifer J. Gehret, Liangcai Gu, William Clay Brown, Lena Gerwick, William H. Gerwick, David H. Sherman & Janet L. Smith; Protein Science, 2012, 21, 239

15. Characterization of Molecular Interactions between ACP and Halogenase Domains in the Curacin A Polyketide Synthase.  Alena Busche, Daniel Gottstein, Christopher Hein, Nina Ripin, Irina Pader, Liangcai Gu, Christopher T. Walsh, David H. Sherman, Frank Löhr, Peter Güntert, Volker Dötsch; ACS Chemical Biology, 2012, 7, 378

14. Tandem Acyl Carrier Proteins in the Curacin Biosynthetic Pathway Promote Consecutive Multienzyme Reactions with a Synergistic Effect.  Liangcai Gu, Eli B. Eisman, Somnath Dutta, Titus M. Franzmann, Stefan Walter, William H. Gerwick, Georgios Skiniotis & David H. Sherman; Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2011, 50, 2795.

13. Structural Insights into Terminal Alkene Formation by the Thioesterase in the Curacin A Biosynthetic Pathway.  Jennifer J. Gehret, Liangcai Gu, William H. Gerwick, Peter Wipf, David H. Sherman & Janet L. Smith; Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2011, 286, 14445.

12. Conformational switch triggered by alpha-ketoglutarate in a halogenase of curacin A Biosynthesis.  Dheeraj Khare, Bo Wang, Liangcai Gu, Jamie Razeluna, David H. Sherman, William H. Gerwick, Kristina Håkansson & Janet L. Smith; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2010, 107, 14099.

11. Polyketide decarboxylative chain termination preceded by O-sulfonation in curacin A Biosynthesis.  Liangcai Gu, Bo Wang, Amol Kulkarni, Jennifer J. Gehret, Kayla R. Lloy, Peter Wipf, Kristina Håkansson, Janet L. Smith & David H. Sherman; Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2009, 44, 16033.

10. Metamorphic Enzyme Assembly in Polyketide Diversification.  Liangcai Gu, Bo Wang, Amol Kulkarni, Todd W. Geders, Rashel V. Grindberg, Lena G. Gerwick, Janet L. Smith, Peter Wipf, William H. Gerwick, Kristina Håkansson & David H. Sherman; Nature, 2009, 459, 731.

9. New Tricks from Ancient Algae: Natural Products Biosynthesis in Marine Cyanobacteria.  Adam C. Jones, Liangcai Gu, Carla M. Sorrels, David H. Sherman & William H. Gerwick;  Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, 2009, 13, 216.

8. Phylogenetic and Chemical Diversity of Three Chemotypes of Bloom-Forming Lyngbya.  Koty Sharp, Karen E. Arthur, Liangcai Gu, Cliff Ross, Genelle Harrison, Sarath Gunasekera, Theresa Meickle, Susan Matthew, Hendrik Luesch, Robert Thacker, David H. Sherman, Valerie J. Paul; Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2009, 75, 2879.

7. GNAT-Like Strategy for Polyketide Chain Initiation.  Liangcai Gu*, Todd W. Geders*, Bo Wang, William H. Gerwick, Kristina Hakansson, Janet L. Smith & David H. Sherman; Science, 2007, 318, 970

6. Crystal Structure of the ECH2 Catalytic Domain of CurF from Lyngbya majuscula: Insights into a Decarboxylase Involved in Polyketide Chain Beta–Branching.  Todd W. Geders*, Liangcai Gu*, Jonathan C. Mowers, Haichuan Liu, William H. Gerwick, Kristina Hakansson, David H. Sherman & Janet L. Smith; Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2007, 282, 35954

5. Metabolic Coupling of Dehydration and Decarboxylation in the Curacin A Pathway:  Functional Identification of a Mechanistically Diverse Enzyme Pair. Liangcai Gu, Junyong Jia, Haichuan Liu, Kristina Håkansson, William H. Gerwick & David H. Sherman; Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2006, 128, 9014

4. Small Heat Shock Protein Hsp16.3 Modulates Its Chaperone Activity by Adjusting the Rate of Oligomeric Dissociation.  Xinmiao Fu, Chong Liu, Yang Liu, Xiuguang Feng, Liangcai Gu, Xiaoyou Chen & Zengyi Chang; Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication, 2003, 310, 412

3. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Hsp16.3 Nonamers Are Assembled and Re-assembled via Trimer and Hexamer Intermediates.  Abuduaini Abulimiti, Xinmiao Fu, Liangcai Gu, Xiuguang Feng & Zengyi Chang; Journal of Molecular Biology, 2003, 326, 1013

2. Monodisperse Hsp16.3 Nonamer Exhibits Dynamic Dissociation and Reassociation, with the Nonamer Dissociation Prerequisite for Chaperone-Like Activity.  Liangcai Gu, Abuduaini Abulimiti, Wen Li & Zengyi Chang; Journal of Molecular Biology, 2002, 319, 517

1. The Effect of Leu122 on the Subunit Interaction in the Reassembly of Hsp16.3 in vitro.  Sufang Huang, Liangcai Gu, Qilong Mao & Zengyi Chang; Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2002, 18, 99 (published in Chinese)