Disorder of lipid metabolism, UV irradiation induced aging and severed axon regeneration are critical for animals’ development and health. Previous studies in C.elegans have proven that CED-3, which is the sole caspase in C.elegans, plays important functions in regulating those processes. However, the mechanisms of CED-3/caspase in mediating those physiology phenomenons are unclear. Our lab are majorly using C.elegans as a model organism and try to unravel differential roles of CED-3/caspase in regulation the above mentioned non-apoptotic developmental processes (Figure1a, 1b), which are summarized as below:

1. Mechanism of CED-3/caspase in response to lipotoxic stress, as well as unravel other key regulators in response to lipotoxicity.

2. Mechanism of CED-3/caspase in regulation of UV-induced aging process, and discover other key regulators in response to UV irradiation.

3. Mechanism of CED-3/caspase in regulation of severed axon regeneration.

Figure 1. Unravel mechanisms of CED-3/caspase, or other key parallel factors, in the regulation of lipotoxicity, UV irradiation and severed axon regeneration non-apoptotic developmental processes.

Opening positions: Post-doc. positions are available, welcome to join Wei’s lab! Please reach out  to Hai’s email: hai.wei@mail.sioc.ac.cn