Our research is centered around three main areas:
1) Phospholipid metabolism
2) Effector mechanisms of methionine restriction
3) Advanced mass spectrometry-based techniques for metabolic research
Phospholipids are the primary components of cell membranes, playing a crucial role in membrane dynamics and organelle biogenesis. While phospholipid synthesis is known to shape the unique composition of biomembranes, its broader impact on cellular homeostasis remains poorly understood. Over the years, our research has shown that cells can harness phospholipid synthesis as an adaptive mechanism, coordinating with membrane regulation to influence key biological processes such as histone modification (Ye et al., Mol Cell, 2017; Ye et al., Mol Cell, 2019), adaptation to starvation (Fang et al., Cell Rep, 2022; Qiu et al., Cell Rep, 2025), nucleotide metabolism and redox capacity (Zhu., et al., Nat Chem Biol, 2024). More recently, we demonstrate that phospholipid abundance oscillates during cell division, which likely serves as an inherent cellular strategy to promote metabolic efficiency (Yang., et al., Nat Chem Biol, 2025).
We use Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism to investigate these overlooked yet fundamental aspects of phospholipid biology. Our research addresses several critical questions: How do cells select specific pathways for phospholipid synthesis? What is the temporal sequence of phospholipid production during cell division? During asymmetric cell division, are phospholipids synthesized de novo or inherited?
Key focus areas:
l Phospholipid synthesis is a major modulator of cellular metabolism
l Phospholipid pathway selection and underlying cellular and biochemical significance
l The temporal order in cell synthesis of varying phospholipids
l Biochemical inheritance of phospholipids during cell division
Methionine, a sulfur-containing amino acid, is essential in mammalian health and must be obtained from the diet to sustain life. Dietary restriction of this amino acid has been shown to extend lifespan, alleviate chronic diseases, and enhance treatment efficacy of diseases such as cancer. However, the cellular actions and mechanisms underlying the physiological benefits of methionine restriction remain incompletely understood. My laboratory has identified several downstream effectors of methionine restriction, including methylation of histones (Ye et al., Mol Cell, 2017) and PP2A (Ye et al., Mol Cell, 2019). Recently, we demonstrate that lipoylation—a short-chain fatty acid modification responsive to methionine restriction—modulates mitochondrial metabolism and the nitrogenic synthesis of amino acids (Fang et al., Nat Comm, 2023). We are currently utilizing mouse models and patient samples to investigate the physiological and pathological mechanisms that underlie the benefits of methionine restriction.
Key focus areas:
l Methionine restriction and kidney diseases
l Methionine restriction and antiviral effects
l The role of methionine metabolism in gametogenesis
The lab manages the small-metabolite mass spectrometry facility core at the Life Sciences Institute of Zhejiang University. This core is equipped with multiple high-solution, high-sensitivity mass spectrometers. We employ ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography in conjunction with mass spectrometry for metabolite detection. Our goal is to provide state-of-art service and develop techniques for the quantitative analysis of metabolism. We have assisted over fifty laboratories nationwide in this area, resulting in numerous co-authored publications (Huang et al., Immunity, 2021; Zhao et al., Nat Metab, 2022; Zhou et al., Mol Cell, 2022; Zhang et al., Nat Cell Biol, 2024; Wang et al., Nat Cell Biol, 2024).
Technique and service:
l Targeted metabolomics
l Target lipidomics
l Non-target metabolomics
l Non-target lipidomics
l Absolute quantification of metabolites
l Metabolic flux and isotopic tracing
l Compound identification
l Customized service
