.:Center for Hepatitis Research: .

KUI LI, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Microbiology & Immunology
Virus-host interactions during infections with hepatitis C virus and related viruses

Phone: (409) 772.4934 | Fax: (409) 772.5065 | E-mail: kuli@utmb.edu

"We are interested in defining the innate antiviral signaling mechanisms of hepatocytes that are triggered by HCV infection and how HCV circumvents these mechanisms and persists in infected cells. In particular, we are attempting to characterize the host factors that contribute to HCV clearance but are perturbed by HCV, as well as HCV gene products involved in this perturbation."

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Our research is aimed to understand the molecular virology of HCV and pathogenesis and persistence of HCV infection. Current Studies in my laboratory focus on (1) Defining the innate antiviral signaling pathways in hepatocytes that are triggered upon HCV infection; (2) Characterizing HCV gene products that counteract host responses and contribute to viral fitness.

We are also interested in determining whether similar strategy is utilized by other closely related viruses, GBV-B and BVDV, to circumvent host innate immune responses.

PUBLICATIONS

Devaraj SG, Wang N, Chen ZB, Chen ZH, Tseng M, Barretto N, Lin R, Peters CJ, Tseng CT, Baker SC, and Li K^#. Regulation of interferon regulatory factor-3 dependent innate immunity by the papain-like protease domain of the SARS-CoV. Journal of Biological Chemistry, published online 30 Aug, 2007, print version in press.
Chen Z, Rijnbrand R, Jangra R, Devaraj SG, Qu L, Ma YH, Lemon SM, and Li K ^#. Ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of interferon regulatory factor-3 induced by Npro from a cytopathic bovine viral diarrhea virus. Virology 2007; published online 24 May, 2007, print version in press.
Yang Y, Liang YQ, Qu L, Chen ZM, Yi M, Li K, and Lemon SM. Disruption of innate immunity due to mitochondrial targeting of a picornaviral protease precursor. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA 2007; 104:7253-7258.
Ishida H, Li K, Yi M, and Lemon SM. P21-activated Kinase 1 is activated through the mammalian target of rapamycin/p70 S6 kinase pathway and regulates the replication of hepatitis C virus in hepatoma cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2007; 282:11836-11848.
Liu P, Jamaluddin M, Li K, Garofalo RP, Casola A and Brasier AR. Retinoic acid inducible gene-I mediates early anti-viral response and Toll like receptor 3 expression in respiratory syncytial virus -infected airway epithelial cells. Journal of Virology 2007; 81: 1401-1411.
Chen Z, Benureau Y, Rijnbrand R, Yi JZ, Wang T, Walters L, Lanford RE, Weinman SA, Lemon SM, Martin A, and Li K ^#. GB virus B disrupts RIG-I signaling by NS3/4A-mediated cleavage of the adaptor protein MAVS. Journal of Virology, 2007; 81:964-976.
Loo YM, Owen DM, Li K, Erickson AK, Johnson CL, Fish PM, Carney DS, Wang T, Ishida H, Yoneyama M, Fujita T, Saito T, Lee WM, Hagedorn CH, Lau DT, Weinman SA, Lemon SM, and Gale M Jr. Viral and therapeutic control of IFN-beta promoter stimulator 1 during hepatitis C virus infection. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA 2006; 103: 6001-6006.
Munakata T, Nakamura M, Liang YQ, Li K, and Lemon SM. Down-regulation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor by the hepatitis C virus NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA 2005; 102:18159-18164.
Lemon SM, Yi M, and Li K. Strong reasons make strong actions – The antiviral efficacy of NS3/4A protease inhibitors. Hepatology 2005; 41:671-674.
Sumpter R Jr, Loo YM, Foy E, Li K, Yoneyama M, Fujita T, Lemon SM, and Gale M Jr. Regulating intracellular anti-viral defense and permissiveness to hepatitis C virus RNA replication through a cellular RNA helicase, RIG-I. Journal of Virology 2005; 79:2689-2699.
Li K ^#, Chen Z, Kato N, Gale M Jr, and Lemon SM. Distinct poly (I-C) and virus-activated signaling pathways leading to interferon-b production in hepatocytes. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2005; 280:16739-16747.
Foy E, Li K, Sumpter R Jr., Loo YM, Johnson C, Wang C, Fish P, Yoneyama M, Fujita T, Lemon SM, and Gale M Jr. Control of antiviral defenses through hepatitis C virus disruption of RIG-I signaling. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA 2005; 102: 2986-2991.
Li K, Foy E, Ferreon JC, Nakamura M, Ferreon ACM, Ikeda M, Ray S, Gale M Jr., and Lemon SM. Immune evasion by hepatitis C virus NS3/4A-mediated cleavage of the TLR3 adaptor protein TRIF. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA 2005; 102:2992-2997.
Lemon SM and Li K. Hepatitis C virus disruption of interferon signaling pathways and evasion of innate intracellular antiviral defenses. In P.E. Digard, A.A.Nash & R.E. Randall (eds). Molecular Pathogenesis of Virus Infections. Cambridge University Press, 2005, Page 215-233.
Scholle F*, Li K*, Bodola F, Ikeda M, Luxon BA, and Lemon SM. Virus-host cell interactions during hepatitis C virus RNA replication: Impact of polyprotein expression on the cellular transcriptome, and cell cycle association with viral RNA synthesis. Journal of Virology 2004; 78: 1513–1524 (*equal contribution).
Foy E, Li K, Wang C, Sumpter R Jr, Ikeda M, Lemon SM, and Gale M Jr. Regulation of interferon regulatory factor-3 by the hepatitis C virus serine protease. Science 2003; 300:1145-1148.

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