Dr. Jun Liu

Regular Member

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Medical School
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Research Interests:

• 3-D structure/function of macromolecular assemblies
• Intact bacteria and enveloped viruses
• AIDS virus
• Viral entry and antibody neutralization
• Signal transduction

Our laboratory is interested in 3-D structure/function of molecular machines in living cells. Recently, we developed two model systems (Lyme disease spirochete and E. coli minicell) to study bacterial flagellar motor, chemotaxis machinery and bacteriophage infection by using high throughput cryo-electron tomography and subvolume analysis.  Our research projects are currently funded by NIH/NIAID and Welch Foundation.

Selected Publications:

Liu J, Hu B, Morado DR, Jani S, Manson MD, Margolin W: Molecular architecture of chemoreceptor arrays revealed by cryoelectron tomography of Escherichia coli minicells. PNAS 2012, 109(23):E1381-8. PMID: 22556268

Raddi G, Morado DR, Yan J, Haake DA, Yang XF, Liu J: Three-Dimensional Structures of Pathogenic and Saprophytic Leptospira Revealed by Cryo-Electron Tomography. J Bacteriol 2012, 194(6):1299-306. PMID: 22228733

Motaleb MA, Pitzer JE, Sultan SZ, Liu J: A novel gene inactivation system reveals an altered periplasmic flagellar orientation in a Borrelia burgdorferi fliL mutant. J Bacteriol 2011, 193(13):3324-31. PMCID: PMC3133274

Liu J, Chen CY, Shiomi D, Niki H, Margolin W: Visualization of bacteriophage P1 infection by cryo-electron tomography of tiny Escherichia coli. Virology 2011, 417(2):304-11. PMCID: PMC3163801

Luther PK, Winkler H, Taylor K, Zoghbi ME, Craig R, Padron R, Squire JM, Liu J: Direct visualization of myosin-binding protein C bridging myosin and actin filaments in intact muscle. PNAS 2011, 108(28):11423-8. PMCID: PMC3136262

Liu J, Howell JK, Bradley SD, Zheng Y, Zhou ZH, Norris SJ: Cellular architecture of Treponema pallidum: novel flagellum, periplasmic cone, and cell envelope as revealed by cryo electron tomography. J Mol Biol. 2010, 403(4):546-61. PMCID: PMC2957517

Liu J, Wright ER, Winkler H: 3D visualization of HIV virions by cryoelectron tomography. Methods Enzymol. 2010, 483:267-90. PMCID: PMC3056484

Liu J, Lin T, Botkin DJ, McCrum E, Winkler H, Norris SJ: Intact Flagellar Motor of Borrelia burgdorferi Revealed by Cryo-Electron Tomography: Evidence for Stator Ring Curvature and Rotor/C Ring Assembly Flexion, J Bacteriol 2009, 191(16):5026-36. PMCID: PMC2725586

Liu J, Bartesaghi A, Borgnia M, Sapiro G, Subramaniam S: Molecular architecture of  native HIV-1 gp120 trimers. Nature 2008, 455:109-113. PMCID: PMC2610422

Liu J, Taylor DW, Krementsova EB, Trybus KM, Taylor KA (2006) Three-dimensional structure of the myosin V inhibited state by cryoelectron tomography. Nature. 442:208-211.

Departmental Website

Program Affiliation:

Program in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics