Research Interests
Eukaryotic cells contain a diverse array of organelles with specialized functions. Organelles communicate with one another dynamically through membrane contact sites, and this crosstalk is fundamental to maintaining cellular homeostasis and supporting normal physiological metabolism. Our group focuses on the homeostatic regulation of organelle interactions and the mechanisms of metabolic disease. Combining high-throughput screening, multi-omics analysis, and three-dimensional structural reconstruction with gene editing and animal models of metabolic diseases, we investigate how organelle interactions are metabolically regulated and how their imbalance triggers metabolic disorders. Our goal is to define the pathogenic mechanisms underlying obesity, type 2 diabetes, and chronic liver disease, and to provide a solid theoretical foundation for targeted intervention and clinical therapy.

Brief Biography
2021-Present: Professor, Principal Investigator, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, CAS, Shanghai, China
2016-2021: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
2015-2016: Assistant Research Fellow，Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
2009-2015: Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS, Shanghai, China
2004-2008: B.S., Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China

Representative Publications (# first author, * corresponding author)

1. Peng Q, Wang S, Zhang Y, Luo Y, Lan B, Wang N, Jiao W, Xie Z, Yuan Y, Duan W, Sun H, Yang P, Li Z, Ji Y, Gao Y, Zhou B, Yang L, Jiang Y, Lu M, Feng Y*, Zhou Z*. Hepatocyte hnRNPK preserves mitochondrial integrity to restrain liver injury and fibrosis. Hepatology 2026, online. DOI: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000001836
2. Zhao Y#, Zhou Y#, Pan L#, Tian GG, Huang HY, Tang S, Lu M, Zhou Z, Zhang P, Chen L, Zhang L, Hu L, Ji H*. Therapy-induced cholesterol biosynthesis drives lung cancer dormancy and drug resistance. J Clin Invest 2026 Apr 15;136(8):e191735.
3. Luo Y#*, Sun M#, Chang L#, He Z, Zhou X, Yuan Y, Sun H, Luo S, Huang J, Wu H, Liu W, Zhou Z, Mao Y, Ji Y*, Liang T*. IRE1α translational suppression potentiates STING-dependent chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. Cell Death Dis 2025 Oct 6;16(1):680.
4. Zhao L, He Z, Sun Y, Sun M, Liu Z, Zhou Z, Qi L, Luo Y*, Ji Y*, Liang T*. Ubiquitination by HRD1 is essential for TLR3 trafficking and its innate immune signaling. Nat Commun 2025 Dec 10;17(1):525.
5. Liu Q#, Wu X#, Duan W, Pan X, Wabitsch M, Lu M, Li J, Huang LH, Zhou Z, Zhu Y*. ACAT1/SOAT1 maintains adipogenic ability in preadipocytes by regulating cholesterol homeostasis. J Lipid Res 2024 Dec;65(12):100680.
6. Ji Y*, Luo Y, Wu Y, Sun Y, Zhao L, Xue Z, Sun M, Wei X, He Z, Wu SA, Lin LL, Lu Y, Chang L, Chen F, Chen S, Qian W, Xu X, Chen S, Pan D, Zhou Z, Xia S, Hu CA, Liang T, Qi L*. SEL1L-HRD1 endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation controls STING-mediated innate immunity by limiting the size of the activable STING pool. Nat Cell Biol 2023 May;25(5):726-739.
7. Yoshida S#, Wei X#, Zhang G#, O'Connor CL, Torres M, Zhou Z, Lin L, Menon R, Xu X, Zheng W, Xiong Y, Otto E, Tang CA, Hua R, Verma R, Mori H, Zhang Y, Hu CA, Liu M, Garg P, Hodgin JB, Sun S, Bitzer M, Qi L*. Endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation is required for nephrin maturation and kidney glomerular filtration function. J Clin Invest 2021 Apr 1;131(7):e143988.
8. Zhou Z#, Torres M#, Sha H, Halbrook CJ, Van den Bergh F, Reinert RB, Yamada T, Wang S, Luo Y, Hunter AH, Wang C, Sanderson TH, Liu M, Taylor A, Sesaki H, Lyssiotis CA, Wu J, Kersten S, Beard DA, Qi L*. Endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation regulates mitochondrial dynamics in brown adipocytes. Science 2020 Apr 3;368(6486):54-60.
9. Zhou ZS#, Li MX#, Liu J#, Jiao H, Xia JM, Shi XJ, Zhao H, Chu L, Liu J, Qi W, Luo J, Song BL*. Competitive oxidation and ubiquitylation on the evolutionarily conserved cysteine confer tissue-specific stabilization of Insig-2. Nat Commun 2020 Jan 17;11(1):379.
10. Li N, Zhou ZS, Shen Y, Xu J, Miao HH, Xiong Y, Xu F, Li BL, Luo J, Song BL*. Inhibition of the sterol regulatory element-binding protein pathway suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma by repressing inflammation in mice. Hepatology 2017 Jun;65(6):1936-1947.
11. Xie C#, Zhou ZS#, Li N, Bian Y, Wang YJ, Wang LJ, Li BL*, Song BL*. Ezetimibe blocks the internalization of NPC1L1 and cholesterol in mouse small intestine. J Lipid Res 2012 Oct;53(10):2092-2101.