My research interests focus on structural and biological significances of key epigenetic regulators, especially the histone reader proteins and novel histone modifications. Meanwhile, I try to do structure-based drug discovery and expand it to potential therapeutic applications.

[1] Liling Wan*, Hong Wen*, Yuanyuan Li*, Jie Lyu, Takayuki Hoshii, Julia Joseph, Xiaolu Wang, Yong-Hwee E. Loh, Michael A. Erb, Amanda L.Souza, James E. Bradner, Li Shen, Wei Li, Haitao Li, C.David Allis, Scott A.Armstrong, Xiaobing Shi. ENL links histone acetylation to oncogenic gene expression in AML. Nature 2017, doi:10.1038/nature21687. (*co-first author, online published, print on Mar 9th, 2017)

[2] Xiaozhe Xiong, Tatyana Panchenko, Shuang Yang, Shuai Zhao, Peiqiang Yan, Wenhao Zhang, Wei Xie, Yuanyuan Li*, Yingming Zhao, C. David Allis, Haitao Li. Selective recognition of histone crotonylation by double PHD fingers of MOZ and DPF2. Nat Chem Biol 2016,12(12): 1111-1118. (*senior author, discovered the activity of DPF in recognition of histone lysine crotonylation)

[3] Yuanyuan Li*, Dan Zhao, Zhonglei Chen, Haitao Li. YEATS domain: Linking histone crotonylation to gene regulation. Transcription 2017,8(1): 9-14. (invited review, *first author).

[4] Na Li*, Yuanyuan Li*, Jie Lv*, Xiangdong Zheng, Hong Wen, Hongjie Shen, Guangjing Zhu, Tsai-Yu Chen, Shilpa S. Dhar, Pu-Yeh Kan, Zhibin Wang, Ramin Shiekhattar, Xiaobing Shi, Fei Lan, Kaifu Chen, Wei Li, Haitao Li, and Min Gyu Lee. ZMYND8 Reads the Dual Histone Mark H3K4me1-H3K14ac to Antagonize the Expression of Metastasis-Linked Genes. Mol Cell 2016,63: 470-484. (*co-first author)

[5] Dan Zhao, Haipeng Guan, Shuai Zhao, Wenyi Mi, Hong Wen, Yuanyuan Li, Yingming Zhao, C David Allis, Xiaobing Shi, Haitao Li. YEATS2 is a selective histone crotonylation reader. Cell Research 2016,26: 629-632.

[6] Yuanyuan Li*, Benjamin R. Sabari*, Tatyana Panchenko*, Hong Wen, Dan Zhao, Haipeng Guan, Liling Wan, He Huang, Zhanyun Tang, Yingming Zhao, Robert G. Roeder, Xiaobing Shi, C. David Allis, Haitao Li. Molecular Coupling of Histone Crotonylation and Active Transcription by AF9 YEATS Domain. Mol Cell 2016,62: 181-193. (*co-first author)

[7] Shuai Zhao, Xiaonan Su, Yuanyuan Li, Haitao Li.Research advances in the mechanism of histone methylation recognition by reader modules [J]. Science and Technology Review 2015,33(8): 94-100. (invited review)

[8] Yuanyuan Li*, Hong Wen, Xiaobing Shi and Haitao Li. Determination of Protein-DNA (ZMYND11-DNA) Interaction by a Label-Free Biolayer Interferometry Assay. www.bio-protocol.org, 2015. (invited technical report, *first author)

[9] Yuanyuan Li*, Hong Wen*, Yuanxin Xi, Kaori Tanaka, Haibo Wang, Danni Peng, Yongfeng Ren, Qihuang Jin, Sharon Y.R. Dent, Wei Li, Haitao Li, Xiaobing Shi. AF9 YEATS Domain Links Histone Acetylation to DOT1L-Mediated H3K79 Methylation. Cell 2014,159(3): 558-71. (* co-first author)

[10] Hong Wen, Yuanyuan Li, Haitao Li, Xiaobing Shi. ZMYND11: An H3.3-specific reader of H3K36me3. Cell cycle 2014,13(14):2153-2154.

[11] Jiabin Li*, Yuanyuan Li*, Qiaoqiao He, Yiming Li, Haitao Li, Lei Liu. One-pot native chemical ligation of peptide hydrazides enables total synthesis of modified histones. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 2014,12,5435-5441. (*co-first author)

[12] Hong Wen*, Yuanyuan Li*, Yuanxin Xi*, Shiming Jiang, Sabrina Stratton, Danni Peng, Kaori Tanaka, Yongfeng Ren, Zheng Xia, Jun Wu, Bing Li, Michelle C Barton, Wei Li, Haitao Li, Xiaobing Shi. ZMYND11 links histone H3.3K36me3 to transcription elongation and tumour suppression. Nature 2014,508,263-268. (*co-first author)

[13] Yuanyuan Li*, Haitao Li. Many keys to push: diversifying the 'readership' of plant homeodomain fingers. Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica 2012,44(1): 28-39. (invited review, *first author)