Administration Basic Sciences Clinical Sciences Centers of Excellence
 
 

Wanguo Liu, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Genetics

533 Bolivar Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504)568-5143
Fax: (504)568-8500
wliu2@lsuhsc.edu
Degrees

BS
Yunnan Agricultural University, China

MS
Yunnan University, China

PhD - Molecular Biology and Human Genetics
Wayne State University School of Medicine

Fellowship - Postdoctoral Fellow
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical Center
Bio

Dr. Liu joined the Department of Genetics in June, 2007, from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.His research is focused on cancer gene discovery using pathway-based candidacy techniques and characterization of the biological roles of such genes in cacinogenesis. The primary focus has been on the AXIN2 gene. His research previously isolated this gene, identified truncating mutations of this gene in ~25% of colorectal cancer (CRC) with defective MSI, and demonstrated that mutant AXIN2 activates TCF signaling. Recently, germline AXIN2 mutations were also reported in familial CRC families. However, the cellular function of AXIN2 and how its inactivation contributes to cancer remains unknown. He is currently using several approaches to study AXIN2 function, including 1) studies of the regulation of AXIN2 in normal and tumor tissues; 2) identification and characterization of proteins specifically binded to the C-terminus of AXIN2; 3) isolation and characterization of AXIN2 regulated genes; and 4) generation of AXIN2 knockout mouse to elucidate the role of this protein in vivo.

His laboratory is also engaged in the identification and characterization of prostate cancer susceptibility genes. Germline mutations in several DNA damage- signaling pathway genes have been identified, such as CHK2 in prostate cancer patients, and its been shown that the individuals carrying the mutant alleles of these genes have increased risk to develop prostate cancer. His research also demonstrated that cells carrying such mutant alleles either lose their abilities to respond to DNA damage or to induce apoptosis. Current efforts are aimed at identifying additional prostate cancer susceptibility genes in the same pathway and characterizing the roles of such genes in prostate cancer carcinogenesis. It is anticipated that this work will provide more information in identifying men at increased risk of prostate cancer development in whom prevention strategies might be targeted.
Research Interests Genetics and biological roles of Wnt signaling defects in GI tumor development
Genetics and functional analysis of DNA damage-response defects in prostate cancer susceptibility
Selected Publications

  

1.    Liu W, Qian C, Francke U. Silent mutation causes exon skipping of FBN1 gene in Marfan syndrome. Nat Genet1997; 16:328-329. 

2.    Liu W, James CD, Frederick L, Alderete BE, Jenkins RB. PTEN/MMAC1 mutations and EGFR amplification in glioblastomas. Cancer Res1997; 57:5254-5257. 

3.    Liu W, Smith DI, Thibodeau SN, James CD. Denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) used in the detection of germline and somatic mutations. Nucleic Acid Res1998; 26:1396-1400. 

4.    Mai M, Yokomizo A, Qian C, Yang P, Tindall DJ, Smith DI, Liu W.  Activation of p73 silent allele in lung cancer. Cancer Res1998; 58:2347-2349. 

5.    Schrijver I, Liu W (co first author), Brenn T, Furthmayr H, Francke U. Cysteine substitutions in EGF-like domains of fibrillin-1: Distinct effects on biochemical and clinical phenotypes. Am J Hum Genet1999; 65:1007-20. 

6.    Vockley J, Anderson BD, Willard J, Seelan S, Smith DI, Liu W. Exon skipping in IVD RNA processing in isovaleric acidemia caused by point mutations in the coding region of the IVD gene. Am J Hum Genet2000; 66:356-367. 

7.    Liu W, Dong X, Mai M, Seelan RS, Taniguchi K, Krishnadath KK, Halling KC, Cunningham JM, Qian C, Christensen E, Roche PC, Smith DI, Thibodeau SN. Mutations in AXIN2 cause colorectal cancer with defective mismatch repair by activating beta-catenin-Tcf signaling. Nat Genet2000; 26:146-147. 

8.    Irwin M, Marin MC, Phillips AC, Seelan RS, Smith DI, Liu W, Vousden KH, Kaelin WG. Role for the p53 homolog p73 in E2F1-induced apoptosis. Nature 2000; 407:645-648. 

9.    Schrijver I, Liu W, (co first author), Odom R, Brenn T, Furthmayr H, Francke U. Premature termination mutations in FBN1: Distinct effects on differential allelic expression, protein and clinical phenotypes. Am JHum Genet2002; 71(2):223-37. 

10. Lingle WL, Barrett SL, Negron VC, D’Assoro AB, Boeneman K, Liu W, Whitehead CM, Reynolds C, Salisbury JL. Centrosome amplification drives chromosomal instability in breast tumor development. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA2002; 99(4): 1978-83. 

11. Dong X, Wang L, Taniguchi K, Wang X, Cunningham JM, McDonnell SK, Qian C, Marks AF, Slager SL, Peterson BJ, Smith DI, Cheville JC, Blute ML, Jacobsen SJ, Schaid DJ, Tindall DJ, Thibodeau SN, Liu W.Mutations in CHEK2 associated with prostate cancer risk. Am J Hum Genet2003; 72:270-280. 

12. Wang X, Taniguchi K, Seelan RS, Wang L, McDonnell SK, Qian C, Pan K, Lu Y, Shridhar V, Couch FJ, Tindall DJ, Cooney KA, Isaacs WB, Jacobsen SJ, Schaid DJ, Thibodeau SN, and Liu W.  Germline p53AIP1 Mutations Disrupting DNA Damage-induced Apoptosisare Associated with Sporadic Prostate Cancer. Cancer Res2006, 66(21):10302-10307. 

13. Lee H, Kim D, Dan HC, Wu El, Gritsko TM, Cao C, Nicosia SV, Golemis EA, Liu W, Coppola D, Drem SS, Testa JR, and Cheng JQ. Identification and characterization of putative tumor suppressor NGB, a GTP-binding protein that interacts with the neurofibromatosis 2 protein. Mol Cell Biol. 2007, 27:2103-19. 

14. Wang X, Szabo C, Qian C, Amadio PG, Thibodeau SN, Cerhan JR, Petersen GM, Liu W, Couch FJ. Mutational analysis of thirty-two double-strand DNA break repair genes in breast and pancreatic cancers. Cancer Res.2008 15;68(4):971-5.
Additional Info

Wanguo Liu, PhD, Curriculum Vitae

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