Dr. Yan research interests for membranes shape changes and topological remodeling by dynamin-like proteins mediated, uncover the molecular mechanisms of cell membane dynamic changes using crystallography method. which mainly involve homotypic membrane fusion of the endoplasmic reticulum, the mitochondrial fusion and fission, and the membrane interactions between endoplasmic reticulum and plasma.

1.Liming Yan*, Yuanbo Qi*, Xiaofang Huang*, Caiting Yu*, Lan Lan, Xiangyang Guo, Zihe Rao, Junjie Hu, Zhiyong Lou. Structural basis for GTP hydrolysis and conformational change of MFN1 in mediating mitochondrial fusion,Nature Structural Molecular Biology, 2018, 25(3): 233-243.

2. Yuanbo Qi*,Liming Yan*, Caiting Yu*, Xiangyang Guo, Xin Zhou, Xiaoyu Hu, Xiaofang Huang, Zihe Rao, Zhiyong Lou, and Junjie Hu. Structures of human Mitofusin 1 provide insight into mitochondrial tethering.Journal of Cell Biology. 2016, 215(5): 621-629.

3. Yao R*, Ming Z*,Yan L*, Li S*, Wang F, Ma S, Yu C, Yang M, Chen L, Chen L, Li Y, Yan C, Miao D, Sun Z, Yan J, Sun Y, Wang L, Chu J, Fan S, He W, Deng H, Nan F, Li J, Rao Z, Lou Z, Xie D. DWARF14 is a non-canonical hormone receptor for strigolactone.Nature. 2016 Aug 25; 536(7617): 469-73.

4.Yan LM*, Sun S*, Wang W, Shi JM, Hu XY, Wang SY, Su D, Rao ZH, Hu JJ, Lou ZY.Structures of the yeast dynamin-like GTPase Sey1p provide insight into homotypic ER fusion.Journal of Cell Biology. 2015 Sep 14;210(6):961-72.

5.Yan L*, Ma Y*, Liu D*, Wei X, Sun Y, Chen X, Zhao H, Zhou J, Wang Z, Shui W, Lou Z.Structural basis for the impact of phosphorylation on the activation of plant receptor-like kinase BAK1.Cell Research. 2012 Aug; 22(8): 1304-8.

6.Yan L*, Ma Y*, Sun Y, Gao J, Chen X, Liu J, Wang C, Rao Z, Lou Z.Structural basis for mechanochemical role of Arabidopsis thaliana dynamin-related protein in membrane fission.J Mol Cell Biol. 2011 Dec; 3(6): 378-81.