CONGYING WU,  Assistant Professor

Institute of Systems Biomedicine

School of Basic Medical Sciences  Peking University

Contact Information

T:  +86 15010838990

E: congyingwu@hsc.pku.edu.cn

CURRENT POSITION

2015-present Assistant Professor, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Peking University

EDUCATION

2008-2013 Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC. Advisor: James E. Bear.

2004-2008 B.S. in Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

2012 Summer course: "Physiology: Cell and Molecular Biology.”  Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA.  Director: Clare Waterman and Dyche Mullins.

2003  Excellent Student in Jiangsu Province, China

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

2015-present Assistant Professor, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Peking University, Beijing, China

2013-2015  Post-doctoral research fellow under James E. Bear, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC, USA

2008-2013  Ph.D. candidate under James E. Bear, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC, USA

2007-2008  Research Assistant under Zihe Rao, Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Research Focus

The primary research focus is on the impact of the cytoskeleton on cell migration and tumor metastasis.

The research group investigates the response of the cytoskeleton and cell adhesion structures to mechanical force signals, as well as their effects on cell migration and tumor metastasis. Utilizing atomic force microscopy (AFM), microfluidic systems, in vitro reconstitution of phase separation, high spatiotemporal resolution live-cell imaging, image analysis, and multi-omics platforms, along with extensive clinical collaborations, the team conducts multi-level, interdisciplinary research on mechanical force signals—protein phase separation—composition and function of cell adhesion structures—cell migration and energy metabolism—tumor development and progression.

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

^#   denotes co-first author, *  denotes co-correspondence

1. Wang Y#, Shi P, Liu G, Chen W, Wang YJ, Hu Y, Yang A, Wei T, Chen YC, Liang L, Liu Z, Liu YJ, Wu C*. Espin enhances confined cell migration by promoting filopodia formation and contributes to cancer metastasis. EMBO Rep. 2025 May;26(10):2574-2596. doi: 10.1038/s44319-025-00437-1. Epub 2025 Apr 4. PMID: 40185977; PMCID: PMC12117036.

2. Yang W#, Wang Y, Liu G, Wang Y, Wu C* TPM4 condensates glycolytic enzymes and facilitates actin reorganization under hyperosmotic stress. Cell Discov. 2024 Dec 3;10(1):120. doi: 10.1038/s41421-024-00744-2. PMID: 39622827; PMCID: PMC11612400.

3. Kang C#, Chen P, Yi X, Li D, Hu Y, Yang Y, Cai H, Li B, Wu C*. Amoeboid cells undergo durotaxis with soft end polarized NMIIA. Elife. 2024 Dec 13;13:RP96821. doi: 10.7554/eLife.96821. PMID: 39671466; PMCID: PMC11643633.

4. Ren X#, Shi P#, Su J, Wei T, Li J, Hu Y, Wu C*. Loss of Myo19 increases metastasis by enhancing microenvironmental ROS gradient and chemotaxis. EMBO Rep. 2024 Jan 26. doi: 10.1038/s44319-023-00052-y. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38279020.

5. Zhang C#, Wang Y#, Zhen Z, Li J, Su J, Wu C*. mTORC1 Mediates Biphasic Mechano-Response to Orchestrate Adhesion-Dependent Cell Growth and Anoikis Resistance. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2024 Feb;11(6):e2307206. doi: 10.1002/advs.202307206. Epub 2023 Dec 2. PMID: 38041494; PMCID: PMC10853740.

6. Shi P#, Ren X#, Meng J, Kang C, Wu Y*, Rong Y, Zhao S, Jiang Z, Liang L, He W, Yin Y, Li X, Liu Y, Huang X, Sun Y, Li B, Wu C. Mechanical instability generated by Myosin 19 contributes to mitochondria cristae architecture and OXPHOS. Nat Commun. 2022 May 13;13(1):2673. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-30431-3. PMID: 35562374; PMCID: PMC9106661.

7. Huang Y, Su J, Liu J, Yi X, Zhou F, Zhang J, Wang J, Meng X, Si L, Wu C*. YAP Activation in Promoting Negative Durotaxis and Acral Melanoma Progression. Cells. 2022 Nov 9;11(22):3543. doi: 10.3390/cells11223543. PMID: 36428972; PMCID: PMC9688430.

8. Rong Y.#, Yang W.#, Hao H., Wang W., Lin S., Shi P., Huang Y., Li B., Sun Y., Liu Z., and Wu C.*, The Golgi microtubules regulate single cell durotaxis. EMBO Rep, 2021. 22(3): p. e51094..

9. Wang Y.#, Zhang C.#, Yang W., Shao S., Xu X., Sun Y., Li P., Liang L.*, and Wu C.*, LIMD1 phase separation contributes to cellular mechanics and durotaxis by regulating focal adhesion dynamics in response to force. Dev Cell, 2021. 56(9): p. 1313-1325 e7. y .

10. Dandan Wang, Congying Wu*, Congying Liu*. Loss of 4.1N in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Results in EMT and Matrix-detached Cell Death Resistance.  Protein and Cell  2020.

11. Huiwen Hao, Jiahao Niu, Boxin Xue, Qian Peter Su, Menghan Liu, Jinshan Qin, Shujuan Zhao, Congying Wu*, Yujie Sun*. Golgi-associated microtubules are fast cargo tracks and required for persistent cell migration.  EMBO reports  2020.

12. Yuxing Huang, Xin Yi, Chenlu Kang, Congying Wu. Arp2/3-branched actin maintains an active pool of GTP-RhoA and controls RhoA abundance.  Cells  2019.

13. Jing Du, Fan Y, Guo Z, Wang Y, Zheng X, Huang C, Liang B, Gao L, Cao Y, Chen Y, Zhang X, Li L, Xu L, Congying Wu, Weitz DA, Xiqiao Feng. Compression Generated by a 3D Supracellular Actomyosin Cortex Promotes Embryonic Stem Cell Colony Growth and Expression of Nanog and Oct4.  Cell   Systems  2019

14. Peng Shi^#, Yuan Wang^#, Yuxing Huang, Chunlei Zhang, Ying Li, Yaoping Liu, Tingting Li, Wei Wang, Xin Liang, Congying Wu. Arp2/3-branched actin regulates microtubule acetylation level and affects mitochondrial distribution.  Journal of Cell Science  2019 .

15. Jian Gao, Yingxue Rong, Yuxing Huang, Peng Shi, Xitao Wang, Xuan Meng, Jiahong dong, Congying Wu. Cirrhotic stiffness affects the migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and induces sorafenib resistance through YAP,  J  ournal of   Cellular Physio  logy  2018 .

16. Dan He, Mingming Zhao, Congying Wu, Wenjing Zhang, Chenguang Niu, Baoqi Yu, Jingru Jin, Liang Ji, Belinda Willard, Anna V. Mathew, Y. Eugene Chen, Subramaniam Pennathure, Huiyong Yin, Yuan He, Bing Pan, Lemin Zheng. Apolipoprotein A-1 mimetic peptide 4F promotes endothelial repairing and compromises reendothelialization impaired by oxidized HDL through SR-B1,  Redox Biology  2018.

17. David S. Paul^#, Caterina Casari^#, Congying Wu, Raymond Piatt, Swetha Pasala, Robert A. Campbell, Kathryn O. Poe, Dorsaf Ghalloussi, Robert H. Lee, Jeremy D. Rotty, Brian C. Cooley, Kellie R. Machlus, Joseph E. Italiano, Jr, Andrew S. Weyrich, James E. Bear, and Wolfgang Bergmeier. Deletion of the Arp2/3 complex in megakaryocytes leads to microthrombocytopenia in mice,  Blood Advance  2017 .

18. Xuan Meng^#, Nicole R. Tackmann^#, Shijie Liu, Jing Yang, Jiahong Dong, Congying Wu, Adrienne D. Cox, and Yanping Zhang. RPL23 Links Oncogenic RAS Signaling to p53-Mediated Tumor Suppression,  Cancer Research  2016 .

19. Jeremy D. Rotty^#, Congying Wu^#, Elizabeth M. Haynes, Cristian Suarez, Jonathan D. Winkelman, Heath E. Johnson, Jason M. Haugh, David R. Kovar, and James E. Bear. Profilin-1 Serves as a Gatekeeper for Actin Assembly by Arp2/3-Dependent and -Independent Pathways,  Developmental Cell  2015 .

20. Congying Wu, Elizabeth M. Haynes, Sreeja B. Asokan, Jeremy M. Simon, Norman E. Sharpless, Albert S. Baldwin, Ian J. Davis, Gary L. Johnson, and James E. Bear. Loss of Arp2/3 induces an NF-κB–dependent, nonautonomous effect on chemotactic signaling,  Journal of Cell Biology  2013 .

21. Jeremy D. Rotty, Congying Wu and James E. Bear. New insights into the regulation and cellular functions of the ARP2/3 complex,  Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology  2013 .

22. Congying Wu^#, Sreeja B. Asokan^#, Matthew E. Berginski, Elizabeth M. Haynes, Norman E. Sharpless, Jack D. Griffith, Shawn M. Gomez, and James E. Bear (2012). Arp2/3 Is Critical for Lamellipodia and Response to Extracellular Matrix Cues but Is Dispensable for Chemotaxis,  Cell  2012 .