Education

BSc: Northeast Agriculture University, China, 2004

PhD: Northeast Agriculture University, China, 2009

Biography

Dr. Liang received her PhD from Northeast Agricultural University in 2009. She completed postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Zengming Yang at Xiamen University in 2013 and started her scientific career at South China Agricultural University as an assistant professor. In 2017, Dr. Liang worked with Dr. SK Dey at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as visit researcher. She has published over 20 peer-reviewed original articles under the funding by National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Scholarship Council, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation and Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province.

Research Interests

Our lab’s goal is to reveal physiological and cellular mechanisms influence uterine biology, with special interest on the mechanism of embryo implantation and decidualization during early pregnancy. Currently, our lab focuses on the epigenetic regulation of transcription that governs implantation and decidualization. By combining a series of high throughput methods and computational algorithms “dry” work, and a variety of methods in molecular biology “wet” work, we are now exploring the gene regulatory networks in these processes.

Grants

1.Government-sponsored Visiting Scholarship from the Chinese Scholarship Council, 2017

2.National Natural Science Foundation Youth Project of China, 2016

3.Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, 2016

4.China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, 2011

Awards

Award for outstanding achievement in science and technology, Second Prize, National Population and Family Planning Commission of China, 2011

Publications

1.Liang X, Daikoku T, Terakawa J, Ogawa Y, Joshi AR, Ellenson LH, Sun X, Dey SK. The uterine epithelial loss of Pten is inefficient to induce endometrial cancer with intact stromal Pten. PLoS Genet. 2018, 14(8): e1007630. 

2.Li SY, Yan JQ, Song Z, Liu YF, Song MJ, Yang ZM, Liang XH. Molecular characterization of lysyl oxidase-mediated extracellular matrix remodeling during mouse decidualization. FEBS Lett. 2017, 591 (10): 1394-1407. 

3.Liu YF, Deng WB, Li SY, Yao MN, Liu J, Dou HT, Zhao ML, Yang ZM, Liang XH. Progesterone induces the expression of lipocalin-2 through Akt-c-Myc pathway during mouse decidualization. FEBS Lett. 2016, 590(16): 2594-602. 

4.Liang XH, Deng WB, Liu YF, Liang YX, Fan ZM, Gu XW, Liu JL, Sha AG, Diao HL, Yang ZM, 2016. Non-coding RNA LINC00473 mediates decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells in response to cAMP signaling. Sci Rep. 2016, 6: 22744. 

5.Liang XH, Deng WB, Li M, Zhao ZA, Wang TS, Feng XH, Cao YJ, Duan EK, Yang ZM. Egr1 protein acts downstream of estrogen-Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-STAT3 pathway and plays a role during implantation through targeting Wnt4. J Biol Chem. 2014, 289: 23534-23545. 

6.Liu JL*, Liang XH*(co-first author), Su RW, Lei W, Jia B, Feng XH, Li ZX, Yang ZM. The combined analysis of microRNome and 3'-UTRome reveals a species-specific regulation of progesterone receptor expression in the endometrium of rhesus monkey. J Biol Chem. 2012, 287(17): 13899-910.

7.Deng WB, Liang XH, Liu JL, Yang ZM. Regulation and function of deiodinases during decidualization in female mice. Endocrinology. 2014, 155(7): 2704-17. 

8.Rengaraj D, Liang XH, Gao F, Deng WB, Mills N, Yang ZM. Differential expression and regulation of integral membrane protein 2b in rat male reproductive tissues. Asian J Androl. 2008, 10: 503-501.

9.Rengaraj D, Hwang YS, Liang XH, Deng WB, Yang ZM, Han JY. Comparative expression and regulation of TMSB4X in male reproductive tissues of rats and chickens. J Exp Zool A Ecol Genet Physiol. 2013, 319(10): 584-95.

10.Deng WB, Tian Z, Liang XH, Wang BC, Yang F, Yang ZM. Progesterone regulation of Na/K-ATPase β1 subunit expression in the mouse uterus during the peri-implantation period. Theriogenology, 2013, 79(8): 1196-203. 

11.Zhang XH, Liang X, Liang XH, Wang TS, Qi QR, Deng WB, Sha AG, Yang ZM. The mesenchymal-epithelial transition during in vitro decidualization. Reprod Sci. 2013, 20(4): 354-60.

12.Tian Z, Zhao ZA, Liang XH, Zhang XH, Sha AG, Zhang ZR, Yu YS, Yang ZM. Expression and function of fatty acid-binding protein 4 during mouse decidualization. Fertil Steril. 2011, 95(8): 2749-2752.

13.Rengaraj D, Gao F, Liang XH, Yang ZM. Expression and regulation of type II integral membrane protein family members in mouse male reproductive tissues. Endocrine. 2007, 31: 193-201.

14.Zhang XH, Liang X, Wang TS, Liang XH, Zuo RJ, Deng WB, Zhang ZR, Qin FN, Zhao ZA, Yang ZM. Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) induction on Snail expression during mouse decidualization. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2013, 381(1-2): 272-279.

15.Liang YX, Liu L, Jin ZY, Liang XH, Fu YS, Gu XW, Yang ZM. The high concentration of progesterone is harmful for endometrial receptivity and decidualization. Sci Rep. 2018, 8(1): 712.

16.Zhang XH, Liang X, Wang TS, Liang XH, Zuo RJ, Deng WB, Zhang ZR, Qin FN, Zhao ZA, Yang ZM. Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) induction on Snail expression during mouse decidualization. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2013, 381(1-2): 272-9.

17.Li SJ, Wang TS, Qin FN, Huang Z, Liang XH, Gao F, Song Z, Yang ZM. Differential regulation of receptivity in two uterine horns of a recipient mouse following asynchronous embryo transfer. Sci Rep. 2015, 5: 15897.

18.Huang Z, Wang TS, Qi QR, Zuo RJ, Liang XH, Zhao XY, Yang ZM. Progesterone regulates secretin expression in mouse uterus during early pregnancy. Reprod Sci. 2014, 21(6): 724-32. 

19.Li Y, Kang ZL, Qiao N, Hu LM, Ma YJ, Liang XH, Liu JL, Yang ZM. Effects of Excess Copper Ions on Decidualization of Human Endometrial Stromal Cells. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2017, 177(1): 10-15. 

20.Xu X, Leng JY, Gao F, Zhao ZA, Deng WB, Liang XH, Zhang YJ, Zhang ZR, Li M, Sha AG, Yang ZM. Differential expression and anti-oxidant function of glutathione peroxidase 3 in mouse uterus during decidualization. FEBS Lett. 2014, 588(9): 1580-9. 

21.Gu XW, Yan JQ, Dou HT, Liu J, Liu L, Zhao ML, Liang XH, Yang ZM. Endoplasmic reticulum stress in mouse decidua during early pregnancy. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2016, 434: 48-56. 

22.Zhao ZA, Zhang ZR, Xu X, Deng WB, Li M, Leng JY, Liang XH, Yang ZM. Arachidonic acid regulation on cPLA2α/COX-2 pathway in mouse endometrial stromal cells. Fertility & Sterility. 2012, 97(5): 1199-1205.

23.Ma XH, Hu SJ, Ni H, Zhao YC, Tian Z, Liu JL, Ren G, Liang XH, Yu H, Wan P, Yang ZM. Serial analysis of gene expression in mouse uterus at the implantation site. 2006, J Biol Chem. 281: 9351-9360. 

24.Lei W, Feng XH, Deng WB, Ni H, Zhang ZR, Jia B, Yang XL, Wang TS, Liu JL, Su RW, Liang XH, Qi QR, Yang ZM. Progesterone and DNA damage encourage uterine cell proliferation and decidualization through upregulating ribonucleotide reductase 2 expression during early pregnancy in mice. J Biol Chem. 2012, 287(19): 15174-92.