Biography

Non-muscle cell movements are essential for many cellular functions, to repair tissues, to fight infection and to orchestrate normal development. The actin cytoskeleton assembles into scaffolds to support the motile machinery of the cell, and the scaffolds are remodeled during cell signaling and dismantled during apoptosis.

Dr. Sun’s main research projects at UT Southwestern focus on the function of lipid kinases that synthesize PIP2 (Phosphatidylinositol Phosphate 5 Kinases and 4 Kinases ) and the regulatory proteins that respond to PIP2, and how proteins can regulate dynamic actin remodeling in response to membrane signaling. Dr. Sun is currently Co-Director of the Imaging Facility within the Department of Physiology.

Education
Graduate School
Fudan University (1977)

Research Interest
  • Membrane signaling
  • Regulation of the cell cytoskeleton

Publications

Featured Publications LegendFeatured Publications

GABARAPs regulate PI4P-dependent autophagosome:lysosome fusion.
Wang H, Sun HQ, Zhu X, Zhang L, Albanesi J, Levine B, Yin H Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2015 Jun 112 22 7015-20
Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIa is palmitoylated by Golgi-localized palmitoyltransferases in cholesterol-dependent manner.
Lu D, Sun HQ, Wang H, Barylko B, Fukata Y, Fukata M, Albanesi JP, Yin HL J. Biol. Chem. 2012 Jun 287 26 21856-65
Oxidative stress decreases phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate levels by deactivating phosphatidylinositol- 4-phosphate 5-kinase beta in a Syk-dependent manner.
Chen MZ, Zhu X, Sun HQ, Mao YS, Wei Y, Yamamoto M, Yin HL J. Biol. Chem. 2009 Aug 284 35 23743-53
PI4P promotes the recruitment of the GGA adaptor proteins to the trans-Golgi network and regulates their recognition of the ubiquitin sorting signal.
Wang J, Sun HQ, Macia E, Kirchhausen T, Watson H, Bonifacino JS, Yin HL Mol. Biol. Cell 2007 Jul 18 7 2646-55
Hypertonic Stress Increases Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate Levels by Activating PIP5KIbeta.
Yamamoto M, Chen MZ, Wang YJ, Sun HQ, Wei Y, Martinez M, Yin HL J Biol Chem October 2006 281(43) 32630-8
Phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate regulates targeting of clathrin adaptor AP-1 complexes to the Golgi.
Wang YJ, Wang J, Sun HQ, Martinez M, Sun YX, Macia E, Kirchhausen T, Albanesi JP, Roth MG, Yin HL Cell August 2003 114(3) 299-310
Type II phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase beta is a cytosolic and peripheral membrane protein that is recruited to the plasma membrane and activated by Rac-GTP.
Wei YJ, Sun HQ, Yamamoto M, Wlodarski P, Kunii K, Martinez M, Barylko B, Albanesi JP, Yin HL J Biol Chem November 2002 277(48) 46586-93
Gelsolin, a multifunctional actin regulatory protein.
Sun HQ, Yamamoto M, Mejillano M, Yin HL J. Biol. Chem. 1999 Nov 274 47 33179-82
Gelsolin modulates phospholipase C activity in vivo through phospholipid binding.
Sun H, Lin K, Yin HL J. Cell Biol. 1997 Aug 138 4 811-20
beta-Thymosins are not simple actin monomer buffering proteins. Insights from overexpression studies
Sun HQ, Kwiatkowska K, Yin HL J Biol Chem April 1996 271(16) 9223-30