Hailin Tu, PhD

PhD, Tsinghua University, 2022

During my PhD, I focused on investigating the role of post-translational modifications in RIPK1, regulating programmed cell death, inflammation and antitumor immunity. By utilizing biochemical, genetic and immunological approaches, I demonstrated that K63-linked ubiquitination, linear ubiquitination and tyrosine phosphorylation of RIPK1 are essential in preventing RIPK1 kinase-mediated cell death during embryogenesis, inflammation and tumorigenesis.

In the Littman Lab, I am interested in studying the mechanistic regulation of T cell differentiation by various commensal microbiota and host effectors. I plan on utilizing different tools such as scRNA-seq, CRISPR, mass spectrum and functional approaches to provide insights into microbiota-T cell interaction during homeostasis, inflammation and antitumor immunity.

Selected Publications

  1. Zhang, J.#, Tu, H.#, Zheng, Z., Zhao, X., & Lin, X. (2023). RNF31 promotes tumorigenesis via inhibiting RIPK1 kinase-dependent apoptosis. Oncogene, 42(19), 1585-1596. (#equal contribution)

  2. Chi, X.#, Huang, M.#, Tu, H.#, Zhang, B.#, Lin, X., Xu, H., ... & Hu, X. (2023). Innate and adaptive immune abnormalities underlying autoimmune diseases: the genetic connections. Science China Life Sciences, 1-36. (#equal contribution)

  3. Tu, H., Xiong, W., Zhang, J., Zhao, X., & Lin, X. (2022). Tyrosine phosphorylation regulates RIPK1 activity to limit cell death and inflammation. Nature Communications, 13(1), 6603.

  4. Tu, H.#, Tang, Y.#, Zhang, J.#, Cheng, L., Joo, D., Zhao, X., & Lin, X. (2021). Linear ubiquitination of RIPK1 on Lys612 regulates systemic inflammation via preventing cell death. The Journal of Immunology, 207(2), 602-612. (#equal contribution)

  5. Tang, Y.#, Tu, H.#, Zhang, J., Zhao, X., Wang, Y., Qin, J., & Lin, X. (2019). K63-linked ubiquitination regulates RIPK1 kinase activity to prevent cell death during embryogenesis and inflammation. Nature communications, 10(1), 4157. (#equal contribution)

  6. Tang, Y., Tu, H., Liu, G., Zheng, G., Wang, M., Li, L., ... & Lin, X. (2018). RNF31 regulates skin homeostasis by protecting epidermal keratinocytes from cell death. The Journal of Immunology, 200(12), 4117-4124.

  7. Tang, Y., Joo, D., Liu, G., Tu, H., You, J., Jin, J., ... & Lin, X. (2018). Linear ubiquitination of cFLIP induced by LUBAC contributes to TNFα-induced apoptosis. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 293(52), 20062-20072.