Yanchang Wang Ph.D.
Professor
Job Description
Dr. Wang's research focuses on understanding how protein SUMOylation and polySUMOylation regulate protein localization and function during the cell cycle and maintaining protein homeostasis. He teaches medical students in Medical Microbiology also instructs graduate students in Bioregulation and other courses.
Biosketch
Dr. Wang joined FSU College of Medicine in 2003 after his postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine. He earned his Ph.D. degree from the University of Virginia in 1997.
Education
Ph.D., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1993 - 1997
Postdoctoral fellow, HHMI, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 1997 - 2002
Service
FSU University Service
Member, Council on Research and Creativity (2009–present).
FSU Department Service
Faculty Tenure and Promotion Committee (2020–present).
Editorial Board Membership(s)
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2021-present)
PLoS One (2011–present)
Scientific Reports (2015-present)
Guest Reviewer for Refereed Journals
Nature Communication, EMBO Journal; EMBO reports; J. Cell Biology; Molecular Biology of the Cell; J. Cell Sci., Genetics; PLoS Biology, PLoS Genetics; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences......
Honors/Awards
1. American Cancer Society Research Scholar, 2008-2012
2. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Special Fellow, 2001-2004
3. Andrew Fleming Award for outstanding dissertation, 1997, Department of Biology, University of Virginia
4. Young Scientist Award, 1996, FASEB meeting, Snowmass, Colorado
5. The Royal Society Fellowship, 1992-1993, Cambridge University
Memberships
The American Society for Cell Biology
American Society for Genetics
Courses
Medical Students: Microbiology
Graduate Students: Bioregulation
Undergraduate students: Current Research in Biomedical Sciences
Research Focus
The role of SUMOylation in genome stability
SUMOylation is a posttranslational modification that adds SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) to proteins. Although SUMOylation have been extensively studied, the function of this modification remains largely unknown. Our recent studies demonstrate the role of polySUMOylation in controlling protein subcellular localization. We are currently investigating how SUMOylation regulates localization and function of proteins involved in genome stability, such as chromsome segregation, DNA damage repair, and mitotic exit. Our study will uncover new mechanisms critical for genome stability, which are essential to prevent cancer development.
The role of SUMOylation in misfolded protein aggregation and clearance:
Expression of misfolded proteins is associated with many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases. Using misfolded proteins associated with human diseases as model substrates, we are interested in understanding how SUMOylation and polySUMOylation regulate misfolded protein aggregation and clearance, thereby providing new insights into the cellular mechanisms cobating the cytotoxicity of misfolded proteins.
Publications
1. Folger A, Gutierrez-Morton E, Kabbaj MH, Campbell MT, Morton G, Megraw TL, Wang Y. (2025) Regulation of misfolded protein aggregation and degradation by SUMOylation in budding yeast. Mol. Biol. Cell 36:ar77
2. Gutierrez-Morton E, Haluska C, Collins L, Rizkallah R, Tomko RJ Jr, Wang Y. (2024) The polySUMOylation axis promotes nucleolar release of Tof2 for mitotic exit. Cell Reports 43, 114492.
3. Sherwin D, Gutierrez-Morton E, Bokros M, Haluska C, Wang Y. (2023) A new layer of regulation of chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) translocation in budding yeast. Mol Biol Cell 34:ar97
4. Folger A, Chen C, Kabbaj, M, Frey K, Wang Y. (2023) Neurodegenerative disease-associated inclusion bodies are cleared by selective autophagy in budding yeast. Autophagy Reports 2:1-26.
5. Sherwin D, Huetteman A, Wang Y. (2022) Yeast kinesin-5 motor protein Cin8 promotes accurate chromosome segregation. Cells 11:2144
6. Bokros M, Sherwin D, Kabbaj MH, Wang Y. (2021) Yeast Fin1-PP1 dephosphorylates an Ipl1 substrate, Ndc80, to remove Bub1-Bub3 checkpoint proteins from the kinetochore during anaphase. PLoS Genetics 17:e1009592
7. Haluska C, Jin F, Wang Y. (2021) Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) promotes anaphase entry after DNA replication stress in yeast. Mol Biol Cell 32:ar36 1-12
8. Folger A and Wang Y. (2021) The cytotoxicity and clearance of mutant Huntingtin and other misfolded proteins. Cells 10:2835. Review
9. Higgins R, Kabbaj MH, Sherwin D, Howell LA, Hatcher A, Tomko RJ, and Wang Y. (2020) The Cdc48 complex alleviates the cytotoxicity of misfolded proteins by regulating ubiquitin homeostasis. Cell Reports 32:107898
10. Higgins R, Kabbaj MH, Hatcher A, Wang Y. (2018) The absence of specific yeast heat-shock proteins leads to abnormal aggregation and compromised autophagic clearance of mutant Huntingtin proteins. PLoS One 13:e0191490
11. Jin F, Bokros M, Wang Y. (2017) The phosphorylation of a kinetochore protein Dam1 by Aurora B/Ipl1 kinase promotes chromosome bipolar attachment in yeast. Sci Rep 7:11880
12. Jin F, Bokros M, Wang Y. (2017) Premature silencing of the spindle assembly checkpoint is prevented by the Bub1-H2A-Sgo1-PP2A axis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics 205:1169-1178.
13. Chuang KH, Liang F, Higgins R and Wang Y. (2016) Ubiquilin/Dsk2 promotes inclusoin body formation and vacuole (lysosome)-mediated disposal of mutated Huntingtin. Mol Biol Cell 27:2015-36
14. Bokros M, Gravenmier C, Jin F, Richmond D, and Wang Y. (2016) Fin1-PP1 helps clear spindle assembly checkpoint protein Bub1 from kinetochores in anaphase. Cell Reports 14:1074-85
15. McKnight K, Liu H, and Wang Y. (2014) Replicative stress induces intragenic transcription of the ASE1 gene that negatively regulates Ase1 activity. Current Biology 24:1101-6.
16. Jin F. and Wang Y. (2013). The signaling network that silences the spindle assembly checkpoint upon the establishment of chromosome bipolar attachment. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110:21036-41
Dr. Wang's research focuses on understanding how protein SUMOylation and polySUMOylation regulate protein localization and function during the cell cycle and maintaining protein homeostasis. He teaches medical students in Medical Microbiology also instructs graduate students in Bioregulation and other courses.
Dr. Wang joined FSU College of Medicine in 2003 after his postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine. He earned his Ph.D. degree from the University of Virginia in 1997.
Ph.D., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1993 - 1997
Postdoctoral fellow, HHMI, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 1997 - 2002
FSU University Service
Member, Council on Research and Creativity (2009–present).
FSU Department Service
Faculty Tenure and Promotion Committee (2020–present).
Editorial Board Membership(s)
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2021-present)
PLoS One (2011–present)
Scientific Reports (2015-present)
Guest Reviewer for Refereed Journals
Nature Communication, EMBO Journal; EMBO reports; J. Cell Biology; Molecular Biology of the Cell; J. Cell Sci., Genetics; PLoS Biology, PLoS Genetics; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences......
1. American Cancer Society Research Scholar, 2008-2012
2. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Special Fellow, 2001-2004
3. Andrew Fleming Award for outstanding dissertation, 1997, Department of Biology, University of Virginia
4. Young Scientist Award, 1996, FASEB meeting, Snowmass, Colorado
5. The Royal Society Fellowship, 1992-1993, Cambridge University
The American Society for Cell Biology
American Society for Genetics
Medical Students: Microbiology
Graduate Students: Bioregulation
Undergraduate students: Current Research in Biomedical Sciences
The role of SUMOylation in genome stability
SUMOylation is a posttranslational modification that adds SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) to proteins. Although SUMOylation have been extensively studied, the function of this modification remains largely unknown. Our recent studies demonstrate the role of polySUMOylation in controlling protein subcellular localization. We are currently investigating how SUMOylation regulates localization and function of proteins involved in genome stability, such as chromsome segregation, DNA damage repair, and mitotic exit. Our study will uncover new mechanisms critical for genome stability, which are essential to prevent cancer development.
The role of SUMOylation in misfolded protein aggregation and clearance:
Expression of misfolded proteins is associated with many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases. Using misfolded proteins associated with human diseases as model substrates, we are interested in understanding how SUMOylation and polySUMOylation regulate misfolded protein aggregation and clearance, thereby providing new insights into the cellular mechanisms cobating the cytotoxicity of misfolded proteins.
1. Folger A, Gutierrez-Morton E, Kabbaj MH, Campbell MT, Morton G, Megraw TL, Wang Y. (2025) Regulation of misfolded protein aggregation and degradation by SUMOylation in budding yeast. Mol. Biol. Cell 36:ar77
2. Gutierrez-Morton E, Haluska C, Collins L, Rizkallah R, Tomko RJ Jr, Wang Y. (2024) The polySUMOylation axis promotes nucleolar release of Tof2 for mitotic exit. Cell Reports 43, 114492.
3. Sherwin D, Gutierrez-Morton E, Bokros M, Haluska C, Wang Y. (2023) A new layer of regulation of chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) translocation in budding yeast. Mol Biol Cell 34:ar97
4. Folger A, Chen C, Kabbaj, M, Frey K, Wang Y. (2023) Neurodegenerative disease-associated inclusion bodies are cleared by selective autophagy in budding yeast. Autophagy Reports 2:1-26.
5. Sherwin D, Huetteman A, Wang Y. (2022) Yeast kinesin-5 motor protein Cin8 promotes accurate chromosome segregation. Cells 11:2144
6. Bokros M, Sherwin D, Kabbaj MH, Wang Y. (2021) Yeast Fin1-PP1 dephosphorylates an Ipl1 substrate, Ndc80, to remove Bub1-Bub3 checkpoint proteins from the kinetochore during anaphase. PLoS Genetics 17:e1009592
7. Haluska C, Jin F, Wang Y. (2021) Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) promotes anaphase entry after DNA replication stress in yeast. Mol Biol Cell 32:ar36 1-12
8. Folger A and Wang Y. (2021) The cytotoxicity and clearance of mutant Huntingtin and other misfolded proteins. Cells 10:2835. Review
9. Higgins R, Kabbaj MH, Sherwin D, Howell LA, Hatcher A, Tomko RJ, and Wang Y. (2020) The Cdc48 complex alleviates the cytotoxicity of misfolded proteins by regulating ubiquitin homeostasis. Cell Reports 32:107898
10. Higgins R, Kabbaj MH, Hatcher A, Wang Y. (2018) The absence of specific yeast heat-shock proteins leads to abnormal aggregation and compromised autophagic clearance of mutant Huntingtin proteins. PLoS One 13:e0191490
11. Jin F, Bokros M, Wang Y. (2017) The phosphorylation of a kinetochore protein Dam1 by Aurora B/Ipl1 kinase promotes chromosome bipolar attachment in yeast. Sci Rep 7:11880
12. Jin F, Bokros M, Wang Y. (2017) Premature silencing of the spindle assembly checkpoint is prevented by the Bub1-H2A-Sgo1-PP2A axis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics 205:1169-1178.
13. Chuang KH, Liang F, Higgins R and Wang Y. (2016) Ubiquilin/Dsk2 promotes inclusoin body formation and vacuole (lysosome)-mediated disposal of mutated Huntingtin. Mol Biol Cell 27:2015-36
14. Bokros M, Gravenmier C, Jin F, Richmond D, and Wang Y. (2016) Fin1-PP1 helps clear spindle assembly checkpoint protein Bub1 from kinetochores in anaphase. Cell Reports 14:1074-85
15. McKnight K, Liu H, and Wang Y. (2014) Replicative stress induces intragenic transcription of the ASE1 gene that negatively regulates Ase1 activity. Current Biology 24:1101-6.
16. Jin F. and Wang Y. (2013). The signaling network that silences the spindle assembly checkpoint upon the establishment of chromosome bipolar attachment. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110:21036-41