Han Liu

Dr. Han Liu

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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27 June 2025 in Plants
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
HLHan Liu
Han Liu
净王净 王
净 王
WZWEN Zhao-di
WEN Zhao-di
MQMei Qin
Mei Qin
YLYing Lu
Ying Lu
ZZZhan-jiang Zhang
Zhan-jiang Zhang
Annexins (ANNs) are a family of calcium (Ca2+)-dependent and phospholipid-binding proteins, which are implicated in the regulation of plant growth and development as well as protection from biotic and abiotic stresses. Corydalis saxicola Bunting, an endangered benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA)-rich herbaceous plant, widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, is endemic to the calciphilic karst region of China. However, whether and how ANNs are involved in the biosynthesis pathway of BIAs and/or help C. saxicola plants cope with abiotic properties, such as calcareous soils, are largely unknown. Here, nine CsANN genes were identified from C. saxicola, and they were divided into three subfamilies, namely subfamilies I, II, and IV, based on the phylogenetic tree. The CsANNs clustered into the same clade, sharing similar gene structures and conserved motifs. The nine CsANN genes were located on five chromosomes, and their expansions were mainly attributed to tandem and whole-genome duplications. The CsANN transcripts displayed organ-specific and Ca2+-responsive expression patterns across various tissues. In addition, transient overexpression assays showed that CsANN1 could positively regulate the accumulation of BIA compounds in C. saxicola leaves, probably by directly interacting with key BIA-biosynthetic-pathway enzymes or by interacting with BIA-biosynthetic regulatory factors, such as MYBs. This study sheds light on the profiles and functions of the CsANN gene family and paves the way for unraveling the molecular mechanism of BIA accumulation, which is regulated by Ca2+ through CsANNs.

Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Ming LeiMing Lei
Ming Lei
CLCui Li
Cui Li
净王净 王
净 王
MQMei Qin
Mei Qin
LHLiRong Huang
LiRong Huang
ZZZhanjiang Zhang
Zhanjiang Zhang
Corydalis ophiocarpa is a medicinally valuable plant, noted for its abundant alkaloid content. Despite its significance, the mitochondrial (mt) genome of this plant has not been characterized, which impedes both the phylogenetic understanding within the Corydalis genus and the comprehension of its full genetic potential. In this research, we successfully assembled the complete mitogenome of C. ophiocarpa by employing a hybrid method that integrates Oxford Nanopore long reads with Illumina short reads. The assembled genome forms a circular structure of 600,064 bp, with a GC content of 46.49%, and includes 63 genes, comprising 40 unique protein-coding genes (PCGs), 20 tRNAs, and three rRNAs. Through assembly and coverage analysis, we identified a 6383 bp forward repeat associated with a contig having approximately double the depth, indicating a repeat-mediated multipartite structure where the main circle may coexist with two smaller subgenomic forms. We discovered 775 C-to-U RNA editing sites across the 40 PCGs, with 95.4% being non-synonymous and favoring hydrophobic amino acid substitutions, particularly in Complex I subunits. Furthermore, we identified sixteen mt plastid DNA fragments constituting 2.43% of the mitogenome, a proportion more than double that found in the closely related C. saxicola. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that C. ophiocarpa is most closely related to C. saxicola, with C. pauciovulata as another close relative. This study presents the first complete mitogenome of C. ophiocarpa, providing a genomic basis for investigating the relationships between mt genome structure, post-transcriptional regulation, and specialized metabolism in the Corydalis genus.

21 May 2025 in Preprints.org
Verified
Preprint
Open access
PDF file
HLHan Liu
Han Liu
JWJing Wang
Jing Wang
ZWZhaodi Wen
Zhaodi Wen
MQMei Qin
Mei Qin
YLYing Lu
Ying Lu
ZZZhan-jiang Zhang
Zhan-jiang Zhang
Annexins (ANNs), which are calcium (Ca2+)-dependent and phospholipid-binding protein families, are implicated in the regulation of plant growth and development as well as protection from various stresses. However, little is known about ANNs in Corydalis Saxicola, an endangered benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA)-riched herbaceous plant widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and endemic to the calciphilic karst region in China. Here, nine CsANN genes were identified from C. saxicola, and they were divided into three subfamilies based on the phylogenetic analysis. The CsANNs clustered into the same clade, sharing similar gene structures and conserved motifs. The nine CsANN genes were located on five chromosomes, and their expansions were mainly attributed to tandem duplication and segmental duplication. The CsANN transcripts showed variable organ-specific and Ca2+-responsive expression patterns. Further transient overexpression assays showed that CsANN1 could positively regulate the accumulation of BIA compounds in C. saxicola leaves, probably through directly interacting with key BIA-biosynthesis-pathway enzymes or by interacting with BIA-biosynthesis-regulating factors, such as MYBs. This study sheds light on profiles and functions of the CsANN gene family and paves the way for unraveling the molecular mechanism of BIA accumulation regulated by Ca2+ through CsANNs.

5 August 2026 in Horticulturae
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Ming LeiMing Lei
Ming Lei
净王净 王
净 王
CLCui Li
Cui Li
HLHan Liu
Han Liu
XLXiao-Mei Liu
Xiao-Mei Liu
ZZZhan-jiang Zhang
Zhan-jiang Zhang
Huperzine A (HupA) is a natural Lycopodium alkaloid known for its potent neuroprotective properties through the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. Nevertheless, the limited understanding of its biosynthesis restricts its broader application. This study integrates full-length and second-generation transcriptomes with the quantification of HupA and its precursor, huperzine B, across various tissues of Huperzia serrata, the primary source plant. By employing phylogenetic clustering, expression profiling, and correlation analysis between gene expression and metabolite abundance, we identified 71 candidate genes from seven enzyme families potentially involved in the synthesis of the HupA backbone, including lysine/ornithine decarboxylases, copper amine oxidases (CAOs), chalcone synthases, and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. Additionally, 28 genes from two families were identified for modification reactions, specifically 2-oxoglutarate/Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenases and caffeoyl shikimate esterases. Comparative analysis between young and mature leaves revealed 3801 genes with higher expression in young leaves, with 84 showing a high correlation with HupA content across seven families. Protein–protein interaction network analysis indicated possible interactions with transcription factors from the MYB, NF-YC, GRAS, ERF, BHLH, and SAP families. Functional validation of two candidate CAOs in planta confirmed their catalytic roles in amine/alkaloid metabolism. This study provides a theoretical foundation and a set of candidate genes for elucidating the biosynthetic pathway of HupA and related alkaloids in H. serrata.

Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
LKLiang Kang
Liang Kang
HLHan Liu
Han Liu
DZDan Zhu
Dan Zhu
CLCui Li
Cui Li
Ming LeiMing Lei
Ming Lei
ZZZhan-jiang Zhang
Zhan-jiang Zhang
Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are significant defensive and pharmaceutical metabolites found in medicinal plants of the Papaveraceae family. Among these, dehydrocavidine is a distinctive bioactive constituent of Corydalis saxicola Bunting, an endangered medicinal plant endemic to karst habitats, known for its definite hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral pharmacological properties. Berberine bridge enzyme-like (BBEL) proteins serve as key rate-limiting enzymes catalyzing core skeletal oxidation in BIA biosynthesis. However, their functions in C. saxicola remain uncharacterized. In this study, we performed a comprehensive functional genomic analysis of the BBEL family in C. saxicola (CsBBELs). A total of 22 CsBBEL members were identified from the genome of C. saxicola, all of which possess the conserved FAD-binding domain and BBE functional domain characteristic of the BBEL family. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the CsBBEL family formed three clades closely clustered with homologs from related Papaveraceae species, indicating high conservation. Expression profiles demonstrated significant organ specificity and Ca2+ stress response of the CsBBEL genes, with CsBBEL3, CsBBEL16, and CsBBEL17 being particularly highly expressed in roots. Protein structure prediction and molecular docking suggested that these candidates bind cavidine and tetrahydrocolumbamine. In vitro enzymatic assays confirmed that CsBBEL3/16/17 specifically catalyzed the four-electron oxidation of cavidine and tetrahydrocolumbamine to produce dehydrocavidine and columbamine, respectively, exhibiting oxidase activity in the BIA biosynthetic pathway. These findings not only contribute to germplasm conservation but also lay a foundation for the synthetic biology-based improvement of C. saxicola.

18 May 2026 in Preprints.org
Verified
Preprint
Open access
PDF file
Ming LeiMing Lei
Ming Lei
CLCui Li
Cui Li
净王净 王
净 王
MQMei Qin
Mei Qin
LHLiRong Huang
LiRong Huang
ZZZhan-jiang Zhang
Zhan-jiang Zhang

Corydalis ophiocarpa is a medicinally valuable plant, noted for its abundant alkaloid content. Despite its significance, the mitochondrial genome of this plant has not been characterized, which impedes both the phylogenetic understanding within the Corydalis genus and the comprehension of its full genetic potential. In this research, we have successfully assembled the complete mitogenome of C. ophiocarpa by employing a hybrid method that integrates Oxford Nanopore long reads with Illumina short reads. The assembled genome forms a circular structure of 600,064 bp, with a GC content of 46.49%, and includes 63 genes, comprising 40 unique protein-coding genes (PCGs), 20 tRNAs, and three rRNAs. Through assembly and coverage analysis, we identified a 6,383 bp forward repeat associated with a contig having approximately double the depth, indicating a repeat-mediated multipartite structure where the main circle may coexist with two smaller subgenomic forms. We discovered 775 C-to-U RNA editing sites across the 40 PCGs, with 95.4% being non-synonymous and favoring hydrophobic amino acid substitutions, particularly in Complex I subunits. Furthermore, we identified sixteen mt plastid DNA fragments constituting 2.43% of the mitogenome, a proportion more than double that found in the closely related C. saxicola. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that C. ophiocarpa is most closely related to C. saxicola, with C. pauciovulata as another close relative. This study presents the first complete mitogenome of C. ophiocarpa, providing a genomic basis for investigating the relationships between mt genome structure, post-transcriptional regulation, and energy-intensive specialized metabolism in the Corydalis genus.