Personal Profile

  • ​Position and Affiliation:
    • Professor,Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, from 2025 to present.
    • Associate Professor, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, from 2015 to 2024.
  • ​Work Experience:
    • Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, USA, from June 2011 to December 2014.
    • Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, USA, from June 2009 to May 2011.
    • Doctoral Candidate, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, from September 2003 to May 2009.
    • Bachelor of Science, Department of Biological Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China, from September 1999 to July 2003.

Research Interests

The mechanism of post-transcriptional regulation in gene expression of eukaryotic complex cell types, such as stem cells and immune cells, has attracted increasing attention from researchers. Compared with transcriptional regulation (histone modification, DNA modification, transcription factors, etc.), post-transcriptional regulation (RNA processing, stability regulation, etc.) consumes less energy and is more conducive to precise cellular regulation, meeting the needs of complex cells to respond to external signals such as development, differentiation, and anti-inflammatory emergencies. Recently, our research group has explored the following scientific questions around the mechanism and biological significance of mRNA alternative polyadenylation (APA):

  1. The mechanism by which non-coding RNAs regulate mRNA 3' end processing and APA.
  2. Whether mRNA 3' end processing factors or APA regulatory factors are involved in the stem cell fate determination process.
  3. Whether mRNA 3' end processing factors or APA regulatory factors are involved in certain pathological processes.

Academic Achievements

Major Academic Research Achievements and Contributions

(1) For the first time, it was discovered that U4/U6/U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs) have a function similar to that of U1 in inhibiting premature cleavage and polyadenylation (PCPA) and premature transcription termination (PTT) of pre-mRNA. Thus, a universal model was proposed in the field of co-transcriptional processing mechanisms: pre-mRNA splicing can prevent PCPA/PTT at the transcriptome scale, thereby positively regulating transcription. The relevant results were published as the last corresponding author in the international authoritative journals PNAS in 2024 and Cell Reports in 2025.
(2) In 2023, a paper on the molecular mechanism of U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) telescripting was published as the last corresponding author in the authoritative biochemical journal Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC), providing the latest insights into U1's inhibition of pre-mRNA PCPA and PTT.
(3) In 2017, a study on the breakthrough progress in the concept and function of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) was published as the last corresponding author in the internationally renowned journal Nucleic Acids Research (NAR). The article was rated as a Breakthrough Article in NAR. For the first time, it was revealed that snoRNAs may play a role in eukaryotic mRNA 3' end processing.

Academic Works and Textbooks

  1. Qiumin Feng, Zejin Lin, Danhui Zhao, Mengzhao Li, Sheng Yang, Andy Peng Xiang, Congting Ye*, Chengguo Yao* (2025) Functional inhibition of core spliceosomal machinery activates intronic premature cleavage and polyadenylation of pre-mRNAs. Cell Reports. Mar 25. 
  2. Qiumin Feng, Danhui Zhao, Zejin Lin, Mengzhao Li, Andy Peng Xiang, Congting Ye*, Chengguo Yao* (2024) U4 snRNP inhibits premature cleavage and polyadenylation of pre-mRNAs. PNAS. June 25.
  3. Qiumin Feng, Zejin Lin, Yanhui Deng, Yi Ran, Rui Yu, Andy Peng Xiang, Congting Ye*, Chengguo Yao* (2023) The U1 antisense morpholino oligonucleotide (AMO) disrupts U1 snRNP structure to promote intronic PCPA modification of pre-mRNAs. JBC. Available online 22 May 2023, 104854.
  4. Ran, Yi; Huang, Shanshan; Shi,Junjie; Feng, Qiumin; Deng,Yanhui; Xiang AP; Yao, Chengguo* (2022) CFIm25 regulates human stem cell function independently of its role in mRNA alternative polyadenylation. RNA Biology 19(1):686-702.
  5. Yixian Cun, Sanqi An, Haiqing Zheng, Jing Lan, Wenfang Chen, Wanjun Luo, Chengguo Yao, Xincheng Li, Xiang Huang, Xiang Sun, Zehong Wu, Yameng Hu, Ziwen Li, Shuxia Zhang, Geyan Wu, Meisongzhu Yang, Miaoling Tang, Ruyuan Yu, Xinyi Liao, Guicheng Gao, Wei Zhao, Jinkai Wang, Jun Li (2021）Specific Regulation of m 6 A by SRSF7 Promotes the Progression of Glioblastoma. Genomics Proteomics Bioinformatics . S1672-0229(21)00252-7.
  6. Ran, Yi; Deng, Yanhui; Chengguo Yao*(2021) U1 snRNP telescripting: molecular mechanisms and beyond. RNA Biology 18(11):1512-1523.
  7. Deng, Yanhui, Shi, Junjie; Ran, Yi; Xiang AP*; Yao, Chengguo* (2020) A potential mechanism underlying U1 snRNP inhibition of the cleavage step of mRNA 3' processing. BBRC 2020, Sep 2. 196-202.
  8. Shi, Junjie; Deng, Yanhui; Huang, Shanshan; Huang Chunliu; Wang jinkai; Xiang AP*; Yao, Chengguo* (2019) Suboptimal RNA-RNA interaction limits U1 snRNP inhibition of canonical mRNA 3' processing. RNA Biology 2019 Oct;16(10):1448-1460.
  9. Chang, Jae-Woong; Zhang, Wei;Yeh, Hsin Sung; Park, Meeyeon; Yao, Chengguo; Shi, Yongsheng; Kuang, Rui; Yong, Jeongsik.(2018)An integrative model for alternative polyadenylation, IntMAP, delineates mTOR-modulated endoplasmic reticulum stress response.Nucleic Acids Research 2018 doi: 10.1093/nar/gky340
  10. Shi,Junjie;Huang, Chunliu;Huang,Shanshan; Yao Chengguo* (2018) snoRNAs associated with mRNA 3' processing complex: new wine in old bottle. RNA Biology doi: 10.1080/15476286.2017.1416278 
  11. Huang, Chunliu; Shi, Junjie; Guo, Yibin; Huang, Weijun; Huang, Shanshan; Ming, Siqi; Wu, Xingui; Zhang, Rui; Ding, Junjun; Zhao, Wei; Jia, Jie; Huang, Xi; Xiang, Peng; Shi, Yongsheng*; Yao, Chengguo* (2017) A snoRNA modulates mRNA 3’ end processing and regulates the expression of a subset of mRNAs. Nucleic Acids Research 2017(NAR Breakthrough Article) 
  12. Maliheh Movassat, Tara L. Crabb, Anke Busch, Chengguo Yao, Derrick J. Reynolds, Yongsheng Shi & Klemens J. Hertel (2016) Coupling between alternative polyadenylation and alternative splicing is limited to terminal introns. RNA Biology. DOI:10.1080/15476286.2016.1191727
  13. Serena L. Chan, Ina Huppertz, Chenguo Yao, James J. Moresco, John R. Yates III, Jernej Ule, Yongsheng Shi (2014) CPSF30 and Wdr33 directly bind to AAUAAA in mammalian mRNA 3’ processing. Genes & Dev. 28(21):2370-80.
  14. Brad Lackford *, Chengguo Yao*, Georgette M. Charles *, Lingjie Weng, Xiaofeng Zheng, Eun-A Choi, Xiaohui Xie, Ji Wan, Yi Xing, Johannes M, Freudenberg, Raja Jothi, Guang Hu,Yongsheng Shi (*contributed equally). Fip1 regulates mRNA alternative polyadenylation to promote stem cell selfrenewal. EMBO J. 2014 16;33(8):878-89.
  15. Chengguo Yao, Lingjie Weng, Yongsheng Shi. Global protein-RNA interaction mapping at single nucleotide resolution by iCLIP-seq. Methods Mol Biol. 2014, 1126: 399-410.
  16. Chengguo Yao, Yongsheng Shi. Global RNA polyadenylation mapping by PAS-seq. Methods Mol Biol. 2014, 1125:179-85.
  17. Li Wang, Yi-liang Miao, Xiaofeng Zheng, Brad Lackford, Bingying Zhou, Leng Han, Chengguo Yao, James Ward, Adam Burkholder, Inna Lipchina, David C. Fargo, Konrad Hochedlinger, Yongsheng Shi, Carmen J. Williams, and Guang Hu. The THO Complex Regulates Pluripotency Gene mRNA Export and Controls Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Somatic Cell Reprogramming. Cell Stem Cell. 2013 13(6):676-90.
  18. Chengguo Yao, Eun-A Choi, Lingjie Weng, Xiaohui Xie, Ji Wan, Yi Xing, James J. Moresco, Patricia G. Tu, John R. Yates, Yongsheng Shi. Overlapping and distinct functions of CstF64 and CstF64t in mammalian mRNA 3’ processing. RNA. 2013 19(12):1781-90.
  19. Chengguo Yao, Jacob Biesinger, Ji Wan, Lingjie Weng, Yi Xing, Xiaohui Xie, Yongsheng Shi. Transcriptome-wide analyses of CstF64–RNA interactions in global regulation of mRNA alternative polyadenylation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012, 109 (46): 18773-8.
  20. Chengguo Yao, Janina E. Moretti, Peter E. Struss, Junaid A. Spall, Ulrich F. Muller. Arginine Cofactors on the Polymerase Ribozyme. PLoS One. 2011; 6(9): e25030.
  21. Chengguo Yao, Ulrich F Muller. Polymerase Ribozyme efficiency increased by G/T-rich DNA oligonucleotides. RNA. 2011, 17(7):1274-81.