Publications

#Co-first author *Corresponding/co-corresponding author Bold names denote LOOP members

Click on the journal covers to view the full articles on the journals' website. Click on the paper list to access PDF files.

2026

2.Han X#, Zhang MH#, Rong NK#, Zhu KK#, Pei Y#, Ge XY#, Liu Q, Lu H, Liu J, Zhang LJ, Bao HQ, Pi JH, Fan L, Fu Y, Shao XH, Yan WQ, Gao XH, Zhang MY, Guo LL, Lu Y, Ning SL, Zhang H, Xu YF, Feng XY, Cheng J, Xia M*, Li Q*, Yu X*, Yang F*, Sun JP*. Mechanistic insights into fatty acid odor detection mediated by class II olfactory receptors. Cell. 2026 Mar 5;189(5):1465-1480.e19. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.12.018. Epub 2026 Jan 21. PMID: 41570821.

3.Ge XY#, Cheng J#, Zhang LJ#, Guo LL#, Xiang R#, Lu Y#, Ning SL#, Wang KY#, Zhu KK, Gao MX, Li Y, Zhang YS, Rong NK, Han X, Zhang MH, Fang L, Xu YF, Zhao SW, Li Q, Yang F, Hao Y*, Chai RJ*, Yu X*, Yang JC*, Sun JP*. Identification of Or5v1/Olfr110 as an oxylipin receptor and anti-obesity target. Cell. 2026 Mar 5;189(5):1481-1498.e22. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.12.016. Epub 2026 Jan 21. PMID: 41570820.

1.Wu YJ#, Gu X#, Kong YL#, Yang S#, Wang H, Xu M, Wang Q, Yi X, Lin ZJ, Jiao ZH, Cheung H, Zhao XY, Bian X, Jiang Q, Li Y, Zhu MX, Wang LY, Li Y, Huang J, Li Q, Li WG*, Xu TL*. Neuropeptide Y co-opts neuronal ensembles for memory lability and stability. Nature Neuroscience. 2026 Mar 31. doi: 10.1038/s41593-026-02235-x. PMID: 41917464.

2025

1. Bao HQ#, Liu R#, Kong YL#, Liu PL#, Kahiapo J#, Qian KY, Li AA*, Tan LZ*, Li Q*. “An epigenetic repressor TRIM66 dictates monogenic olfactory receptor expression, neural activity, and olfactory behavior." Nature Communications. 2025 Dec 12;16(1):11091. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-66051-w. PMID: 41387398.

2. Li Q*, Pan YF*, Tong XJ*. “Sexual dimorphism in pheromone perception across worms, flies, and rodents.” Trends in Neurosciences. 2025 Dec;48(12):1009-1022. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.10.007. Epub 2025 Nov 6. PMID: 41203509.

3. Qian KY#, Hao Y#, Wang Z*, Li Q*. “Ligand Recognition and Function of TAARs.” Sensory Neuroscience (Cover). 2025 Sep 1: e70016. https://doi.org/10.1002/sen2.70016

2024

1. Hao Y, Wang Z*, Li Q*. “Modulation of olfactory bulb activity by serotoninergic inputs in odor-associative learning." Acta Physiologica. 2024 Aug 27:e14222. doi: 10.1111/apha.14222.

2. Hao Y#, Qian KY#, Li Q*. “A noncoding role of coding mRNA in monogenic olfactory receptor choice." Trends in Neurosciences. 2024 Feb 19:S0166-2236(24)00020-1. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.02.004.

2023

1. Shang P#, Rong NK#, Jiang JJ#, Cheng J#, Zhang MH#, Kang D#, Qi L#, Guo L, Yang GM, Liu Q, Zhou Z, Li XB, Zhu KK, Meng QB, Han X, Yan W, Kong YL, Yang L, Wang X, Lei D, Feng X, Liu X, Yu X, Wang Y*, Li Q*, Shao ZH*, Yang F*, Sun JP*. “Structural and signaling mechanisms of TAAR1 enabled preferential agonist design." Cell. 2023 Nov 9:S0092-8674(23)01131-5. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.014. Epub 2023 Nov 13. PMID: 37963465.

2. Guo LL#, Cheng J#, Lian S#, Liu Q#, Lu Y#, Zheng Y#, Zhu K#, Zhang M, Kong YL, Zhang C, Rong N, Zhuang Y, Fang G, Jiang J, Zhang T, Han X, Liu Z, Xia M, Liu S, Zhang L, Liberles SD, Yu X, Xu Y*, Yang F*, Li Q*, Sun JP*. “Structural basis of amine odorant perception by a mammal olfactory receptor." Nature. 2023 Jun;618(7963):193-200. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06106-4. Epub 2023 May 24. PMID: 37225986.

2022

1.Song CX, Zeng XT, Zeng WX, Liu R, Tong XJ*, Li Q*. “A WDR47 homolog facilitates ciliogenesis by modulating intraflagellar transport.” Journal of Cell Science. 2022 Dec 15;135(24):jcs260303. doi: 10.1242/jcs.260303. Epub 2022 Dec 19. PMID: 36453135.

2. Guo LN#, Dai WX#, Xu ZR#, Liang QY, Miller ET, Li SJ, Gao X, Baldwin MW, Chai RJ*, Li Q*. “Evolution of Brain-Expressed Biogenic Amine Receptors into Olfactory Trace Amine-Associated Receptors.” Molecular Biology and Evolution. 2022 Mar 2;39(3):msac006. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msac006. PMID: 35021231; PMCID: PMC8890504.

3. Zhou HQ#, Zhuang LJ#, Bao HQ#, Li SJ, Dai FY, Wang P, Li Q*, Yin DM*. “Olfactory regulation by dopamine and DRD2 receptor in the nose.” PNAS. 2022 Mar 15;119(11):e2118570119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2118570119. Epub 2022 Mar 9. PMID: 35263227; PMCID: PMC8931335.

4. Zhang QW#, Ding Y#, Feng B, Tang Y, Chen Y, Wang Y, Chang G, Liu S, Wang J, Li Q*, Fu L*, Wang XM*. “Molecular and Phenotypic Expansion of Alström Syndrome in Chinese Patients.” Frontiers in Genetics. 2022 Feb 8;13:808919. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.808919. PMID: 35211159; PMCID: PMC8861322.

5. Xu ZR#, Guo LN#, Qian X#, Yu C#, Li SJ, Zhu C, Ma X, Li H, Zhu G, Zhou H, Dai WX*, Li Q*, Gao X*. “Two entry tunnels in mouse TAAR9 suggest the possibility of multi-entry tunnels in olfactory receptors.” Scientific Reports. 2022 Feb 17;12(1):2691. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-06591-z. PMID: 35177711; PMCID: PMC8854740.

2021

1. Fei AM#, Wu WQ#, Tan LZ#, Tang C#, Xu ZR, Huo X, Bao HQ, Kong YL, Johnson M, Hartmann G, Talay M, Yang C, Riegler C, Herrera KJ, Engert F, Xie XS, Barnea G, Liberles SD, Yang H, Li Q*. “Coordination of two enhancers drives expression of olfactory trace amine-associated receptors.” Nature Communications. 2021 Jun 18;12(1):3798. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23823-4. PMID: 34145235; PMCID: PMC8213717.

2. Jia L#, Li SJ#, Dai WX, Guo LN, Xu ZR, Scott AM, Zhang Z, Ren J, Zhang Q, Dexheimer TS, Chung-Davidson YW, Neubig RR*, Li Q*, Li WM*. “Convergent olfactory trace amine-associated receptors detect biogenic polyamines with distinct motifs via a conserved binding site.” Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2021 Nov;297(5):101268. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101268. Epub 2021 Sep 30. PMID: 34600890; PMCID: PMC8546428.

3. Qian KY, Zeng WX, Hao Y, Zeng XT, Liu H, Li L, Chen L, Tian FM, Chang C, Hall Q, Song CX, Gao S, Hu Z, Kaplan JM, Li Q*, Tong XJ*. “Male pheromones modulate synaptic transmission at the C. elegans neuromuscular junction in a sexually dimorphic manner.” eLlife. 2021 Mar 31;10:e67170. doi: 10.7554/eLife.67170. PMID: 33787493; PMCID: PMC8051947.

2020

1. Gan L#, Sun J#, Yang S, Zhang X, Chen W, Sun Y, Wu X, Cheng C, Yuan J, Li A, Corbett MA, Dixon MP, Thomas T, Voss AK, Gécz J, Wang GZ, Bonni A, Li Q*, Huang J*. “Chromatin-Binding Protein PHF6 Regulates Activity-Dependent Transcriptional Networks to Promote Hunger Response.” Cell Reports. 2020 Mar 17;30(11):3717-3728.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.085. PMID: 32187544.

2. Xu ZR, Li Q*. “TAAR Agonists.” Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology. 2020 Mar;40(2):257-272. doi: 10.1007/s10571-019-00774-5. Epub 2019 Dec 17. PMID: 31848873.

2015

1. Tan LZ#, Li Q#, Xie XS*. “Olfactory sensory neurons transiently express multiple olfactory receptors during development.” Molecular Systems Biology. 2015 Dec 8;11(12):844. doi: 10.15252/msb.20156639. PMID: 26646940; PMCID: PMC4704490.

2. Li Q, Tachie-Baffour Y, Liu Z, Baldwin MW, Kruse AC, Liberles SD*. “Non-classical amine recognition evolved in a large clade of olfactory receptors.” eLife. 2015 Oct 31;4:e10441. doi: 10.7554/eLife.10441. PMID: 26519734; PMCID: PMC4695389.

3. Li Q, Liberles SD*. “Aversion and attraction through olfaction.” Current Biology. 2015;25(3):R120-R129. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.11.044

2013

1. Li Q, Korzan WJ, Ferrero DM, Chang RB, Roy DS, Buchi M, Lemon JK, Kaur AW, Stowers L, Fendt M, Liberles SD*. “Synchronous evolution of an odor biosynthesis pathway and behavioral response.” Current Biology. 2013;23(1):11-20. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.10.047

2010

1. Li Q, Su YY, Wang H, Li L, Wang Q, Bao L*. “Transmembrane segments prevent surface expression of sodium channel Nav1.8 and promote calnexin-dependent channel degradation.” Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2010;285(43):32977-32987. doi:10.1074/jbc.M110.143024

2008

1. Zhang ZN#, Li Q#, Liu C, Wang HB, Wang Q, Bao L*. “The voltage-gated Na+ channel Nav1.8 contains an ER-retention/retrieval signal antagonized by the beta3 subunit.” Journal of Cell Science. 2008;121(Pt 19):3243-3252. doi:10.1242/jcs.026856