Education

2010.09-2016.07, Ph.D., School of Life Sciences, Peking University
2006.09-2010.07, B.S., School of Life Sciences, Peking University

Professional Experience

2022.06-present, Assistant Professor, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China；
2022.06-present, Investigator, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China；
2021.10-2022.04，Postdoc research fellow, Massachusetts General hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA；
2016.09-2021.09, Postdoc fellow, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

Our research group focuses on the morphological regulation, dynamic interactions and functional mechanisms of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the largest membrane-bound organelle in cells. We conduct systematic research ranging from molecular mechanisms to physiological and pathological functions, centering on the interaction networks between the ER and other major membrane organelles including mitochondria and lysosomes.

The ER features a complex and highly dynamic membrane network. It serves as a central hub for protein synthesis, lipid metabolism and calcium homeostasis. More importantly, it acts as a core platform governing dynamic events such as long-distance transport, fission and fusion of organelles. Dysfunction of the ER is closely linked to major human diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. To date, the in-depth mechanisms by which abnormal ER morphology and function trigger diseases, as well as the molecular rules underlying ER-mediated regulation of organelle dynamics, remain largely uncharacterized and require further investigation.

Our group has made a series of original discoveries in previous studies. These include the specific response of tubular ER to DNA damage and subsequent induction of cellular apoptosis, the mechanism by which ER proteins decode microtubule molecular codes to determine the intracellular distribution and transport of organelles, and the regulatory roles of ER proteins in the assembly of organelle transport complexes. Building on these findings, we will continue our research along the following four main directions:

1) Molecular mechanisms underlying ER morphology and dynamics: To elucidate the molecular basis for the maintenance and remodeling of ER network architecture, and reveal its dynamic regulatory patterns under diverse physiological and pathological conditions.
2) ER interactions and regulation of organelle transport: Focusing on membrane contact sites between the ER and organelles such as mitochondria and lysosomes, we aim to uncover the molecular mechanisms whereby the ER controls the long-distance transport and intracellular distribution of organelles.
3) Regulatory mechanisms of organelle fission and fusion mediated by ER interactions: To explore how the ER, as a central platform for organelle dynamics, modulates the fission and fusion processes of mitochondria and other organelles.
4) Mechanisms of diseases caused by dysregulated organelle dynamics: We primarily focus on neurological rare diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. By investigating the dysfunction of the ER and associated organelles, we seek to dissect the molecular pathogenesis of these diseases, providing theoretical foundations and potential therapeutic targets for their diagnosis and treatment.

1. Chenqian Zhou, Peiyang Li, Yiru Cheng, Yingchun Hu, Jingzi Wang, Xiaoyu Tian, Xun Wang, Bei Liu#, Junlin Teng#, Pengli Zheng#, Jianguo Chen#. Acetylation of STX17 promotes its autophagosomal translocation. Nature Communications, 2026
2. Yanyi Song, Shuyi Jian, Junlin Teng, Pengli Zheng#, Zhe Zhang#. Structural basis of human VANGL-PRICKLE interaction. Nature Communications, 2025, 16:132
3. Hui Feng#, Xiao Liu, Chenqian Zhou, Qiuchen Gu, Ye Li, Jianguo Chen, Junlin Teng#, Pengli Zheng#. CCDC115 inhibits autophagy-mediated degradation of YAP to promote cell proliferation. FEBS Letters, 2023, 597: 618-630.
4. Pengli Zheng#, Christopher Obara, Ewa Szczesna, Jonathon Nixon-Abell, Kishore Mahalingan, Antonina Roll-Mecak, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Craig Blackstone#. Endoplasmic Reticulum Proteins Decipher the Tubulin Code to Regulate Organelle Distribution. Nature. 2022, 601: 132-138.
5. Birong Shen*, Pengli Zheng*, Nannan Qian*, Qingzhou Chen*, Xin Zhou, Junjie Hu, Jianguo Chen#, Junlin Teng#. Calumenin-1 Interacts with Climp63 to Cooperatively Determine the Luminal Width and Distribution of Endoplasmic Reticulum Sheets. iScience. 2019, 22: 70-80.
6. Pengli Zheng*, Qingzhou Chen*, Xiaoyu Tian*, Nannan Qian, Peiyuan Chai, Bin Liu, Junjie Hu, Craig Blackstone, Desheng Zhu, Junlin Teng#, Jianguo Chen#. DNA damage triggers tubular endoplasmic reticulum extension to promote apoptosis by facilitating ER-mitochondria signaling. Cell Research. 2018, 28: 833-854.