Kui Li, Ph.D.

Kui Li, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
858 Madison Ave.
Room 401
Memphis, TN 38163
Email: kli1@uthsc.edu
Phone: 901-448-2571
Fax: 901-448-7360

Research Interests

Work in my lab is focused on understanding virus-host interactions during infections of positive strand RNA viruses. We are particularly interested in innate immunity to hepatitis C virus and related flaviviruses, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus. By defining host factors/responses to these viruses that contribute to limiting viral replication and spread as well as viral mechanisms that counteract host protective responses, we hope to provide new knowledge that will help design new measures to treat and/or prevent these viral infections. Another area of interest is to characterize novel components of cellular innate antiviral pathways.

Recent Publications

  • Chen Z, Benureau  Y, Rijnbrand R, Yi JZ, Wang T, Walters L, Lanford RE, Weinman SA, Lemon SM, Martin A, Li K. GB virus B disrupts RIG-I signaling by NS3/4A-mediated cleavage of the adaptor protein MAVS. J. Virol., 2007; 81: 964-976.
  • Liu P, Jamaluddin M, Li K, Garofalo RP, Casola A, 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. J. Virol., 2007; 81: 1401-1411.
  • Ishida H, Li K, Yi M, 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. J. Biol. Chem., 2007; 282:11836-11848.
  • Yang Y, Liang YQ, Qu L, Chen ZM, Yi M, Li K, Lemon SM. Disruption of innate immunity due to mitochondrial targeting of a picornaviral protease precursor. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2007; 104:7253-7258.
  • Chen Z, Rijnbrand R, Jangra R, Devaraj SG, Qu L, Ma YH, Lemon SM, Li K. Ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of interferon regulatory factor-3 induced by Npro from a cytopathic bovine viral diarrhea virus. Virology, 2007; 366: 277-292.
  • Devaraj SG, Wang N, Chen ZB, Chen Z, Tseng M, Barretto N, Lin R, Peters CJ, Tseng CT, Baker SC, Li K. Regulation of IRF-3-dependent innate immunity by the papain-like protease domain of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. J. Biol. Chem., 2007; 282:32208-32221.
  • Bao X, Liu T, Shan Y, Li K, Garofalo RP, Casola A. Human Metapneumovirus glycoprotein G inhibits innate immune responses. PLoS Pathog., 2008; 4(5): e1000077.
  • Xin LJ, Li K, Soong L. Down-regulation of dendritic cell signaling pathways by Leishmania amazonensis amastigotes. Mol. Immunol., 2008, 45:3371-3382.
  • Liao S, Bao X, Liu T, Lai S, Li K, Garofalo RP, Casola A. Role of retinoic acid-inducible gene I in human Metapneumovirus-induced cellular signaling. J. Gen. Virol., 2008, 89:1978-1986. 
  • Liu P, Li K, Garafalo RP, Brasier AR. RSV-induces RelA release from cytoplasmic 100 kDa NF-κB2 complexes via a novel retinoic acid inducible gene-I-NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK) signaling pathway. J. Biol. Chem., 2008, 283:23169-23178.
  • Liang YQ, Ishida H, Lenz O, Lin TI, Nyanguile O, Simmen K, Pyles R, Bourne N, Yi M, Li K, Lemon SM. Antiviral suppression versus restoration of RIG-I signaling by hepatitis C protease and polymerase inhibitors. Gastroenterology, 2008, 135:1710-1718.
  • Preiss S, Thompson A, Chen XB, Rodgers S, Markovska V, Desmond P, Visvanathan K, Li K, Locarnini S, Revill P. Characterization of the innate immune signaling pathways in hepatocyte cell lines. J. Viral Hepat., 2008, 15:888-900.
  • Yoshikawa T, Hill T, Li K, Peters CJ, Tseng CT. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-induced lung epithelial cytokines exacerbate SARS pathogenesis by modulating intrinsic functions of monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells. J. Virol., 2009, 83:3039-3048.
  • Wang N, Liang Y, Devaraj SG, Wang J, Lemon SM, Li K. Toll-like receptor 3 mediates establishment of an antiviral state against hepatitis C virus in hepatoma cells. J. Virol., 2009, 83: 9824-9834.
  • Kenworthy R, Lambert D, Yang F, Wang N, Chen Z, Zhu H, Zhu F, Liu C, Li K, Tang H. Short hairpin RNAs delivered by lentiviral vector transduction trigger RIG-I-mediated IFN activation. Nucleic Acid Res., 2009, 37: 6587-6599.
  • Liu P, Lu M, Tian B, Li K, Garofalo RP, Prusak D, Wood TG, Brasier AR. Expression of an IKKγ splice variant determines IRF3 and canonical NF-κB pathway utilization in ssRNA virus infection. PLoS ONE, 2009; 4: e8079.
  • Angus AGN, Dalrymple D, Boulant S, McGivern DR, Clayton RF, Scott MJ, Adair R,  Graham S, Owsianka AM, Targett-Adams P, Li K, Wakita T, McLauchlan J, Lemon SM, Patel AH. Requirement of cellular DDX3 for hepatitis C virus replication is unrelated to its interaction with the viral core protein. J. Gen. Virol., 2010; 91: 122-132.
  • Wang N, Dong Q, Li J, Jangra RK, Fan M, Brasier AR, Lemon SM, Pfeffer LM, Li K. Viral induction of the zinc-finger antiviral protein is IRF3-dependent but NF-kB-independent. J. Biol. Chem., 2010, 285: 6080-6090.
  • Song HS, Li J, Shi S, Yan L, Zhuang H, Li K. Thermal stability and inactivation of hepatitis C virus grown in cell culture. Virol. J., 2010, 7:40.
  • Clementz MA, Chen Z, Banach BS, Wang Y, Sun L, Ratia K, Baez-Santos YM, Wang J, Takayama J, Ghosh AK, Li K, Mesecar AD, Baker SC. Deubiquitinating and interferon antagonism activities of coronavirus papain-like proteases. J. Virol., published online Feb 24, 2010.

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Education

  • Ph.D., Beijing Medical University, 1999
  • M.D., Beijing Medical University, 1994