Dr. Lei LI

Research Scientist

School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences

Peking University

Email: lei.li@pku.edu.cn 

Research Area

Plant microRNA evolution and function; copper homeostasis regulation and signaling 

Short Bio

Lei Li earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University and carried out postdoctoral reseach at Yale University. He was an assistant professor at the University of Virginia and joined the faculty at Peking University in 2014. His research interests include microRNA evolution and function and copper homeostasis regulation and signaling in plants. He has authored over 60 publications on these topics.  

Selected Publications

1.  Xu L, Tang Y, Yang Y, Wang D, Wang H, Du J, Bai Y, Su S, Zhao C*, Li L* (2023) Microspore expressed SCULP1 is required for p-coumaroylation of sporopollenin, exine integrity, and pollen development in wheat. New Phytologist, 239(1), 102-115.

2.  Gao Z, Li J, Li L, Yang Y, Li J, Fu C, Zhu D, He H, Cai H, Li L* (2022) Structural and functional analyses of hub microRNAs in an integrated gene regulatory network of Arabidopsis. Genomics Proteomics Bioinformatics, 20(4), 747-764.

3.  Guo Z, Kuang Z, Tao Y, Wang H, Wan M, Hao C, Shen F, Yang, X*, Li L* (2022) Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements drive rapid microRNA diversification in angiosperms. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 39(11), msac224.

4.  Yang Y, Hao C, Du J, Xu L, Guo Z, Li D, Cai H, Guo H, Li L* (2022) The carboxy terminal transmembrane domain of SPL7 mediates interaction with RAN1 at the endoplasmic reticulum to regulate ethylene signaling in Arabidopsis. New Phytologist, 236(3), 878-892.

5.  Hao C, Yang Y, Du J, Deng XW*, Li L* (2022) The PCY-SAG14 phytocyanin module regulated by PIFs and miR408 promotes dark-induced leaf senescence in Arabidopsis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119(3), e2116623119.

6.  Guo Z, Kuang Z, Zhao Y, Deng Y, He H, Wan M, Tao Y, Wang D, Wei J, Li L*, Yang X* (2022) PmiREN2.0: from data annotation to functional exploration of plant microRNAs. Nucleic Acids Research, 50(D1), D1475-D1482.

7.  Jiang A, Guo Z, Pan J, Zhuang Y, Zuo D, Hao C, Gao Z, Xin P, Chu J, Zhong S, Li L* (2021) The PIF1-MIR408-Plantacyanin repression cascade regulates light dependent seed germination. The Plant Cell, 33(5), 1506-1529.

8.  Zhang H, Guo Z, Zhuang Y, Suo Y, Du J, Gao Z, Pan J, Li L, Wang T, Xiao L, Qin G, Jiao Y, Cai H, Li L* (2021) MicroRNA775 promotes intrinsic leaf size and reduces cell wall pectin level via a target galactosyltransferase in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell, 33(3), 581-602.

9.  Zhuang Y, Zuo D, Tao Y, Cai H*, Li L*. (2020) Laccase3-based extracellular domain provides possible positional information for directing Casparian strip formation in Arabidopsis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 117, 15400-15402.

10. Guo Z, Kuang Z, Wang Y, Zhao Y, Tao Y, Cheng C, Yang J, Lu X, Hao C, Wang T, Cao X, Wei J, Li L*, Yang X*. (2020) PmiREN: a comprehensive encyclopedia of plant miRNAs. Nucleic Acids Research 48, D1114-D1121.