We are interested in bacterial cell growth and division that are fundamental to bacterial life. We use genetic and imaging methods to investigate these processes in the cellular context, and the biochemical reconstitution approaches to dissect the underlying mechanisms. The current research topics are introduced below.

(1) Metabolic regulation of cell growth and division
Cell morphology, which is determined through the processes of growth and division, is regulated by the metabolic state of a cell. We investigate functional coupling between metabolism and cell growth and division. This is likely inherent in cell physiology to increase the environmental fitness especially under nutrient limitation.

(2) Revisit bacterial cell wall synthesis and remodeling
This project aims at exploring complexity of the peptidoglycan (PG)-synthesizing proteins in the native membrane environment. A combinatorial approach involving mass spectrometry, label-free quantitation, and membrane protein biochemistry are used to tackle this challenging problem. The effort will allow us to visualize interactomes of the target proteins in the PG synthesis complexes and to identify the significantly enriched functions and proteins.

(3) Cell surface modification during intracellular infection
In this newly initiated project, we study the surface glycosylation of Listeria monocytogenes with a focus on identifying targets of the cytosolic galactose-binding lectin and how such modification may influence the host-pathogen interaction.

Positions Held

• 2014 – present   Associate Research Fellow, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica
• 2006 – 2014   Assistant Research Fellow, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica
• 2004 – 2006   Instructor, Department of Molecular, Microbial and Structural Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, USA
• 1999 – 2003   Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Molecular, Microbial and Structural Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, USA

Degrees

• 1996 – 1999   Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK
• 1992 – 1994   M.Sc., Department of Plant Pathology and Entomology, National Taiwan University
• 1988 – 1992   B.Sc., Department of Plant Pathology and Entomology, National Taiwan University

1. Hsieh PY, Meng FC, Guo CW, Hu KH, (Shih YL)*, Cheng WC*  (2021-12)  CHEMBIOCHEM  22(24), 3462-3468  "Harnessing fluorescent moenomycin A antibiotics for bacterial cell wall imaging studies."
   
2. Sun YJ, Bai F, Luo AC, Zhuang XY, Lin TS, (Shih YL), Lo CJ*  (2021-04)  NATURE COMMUNICATIONS  12(1), 2160  "Probing bacterial cell wall growth by tracing wall-anchored protein complexes"
   
3. Huang WC, Hashimoto M, (Shih YL), Wu CC, Lee MF, Chen YL, Wu JJ, Wang MC, Lin WH, Hong MY, Teng CH*  (2020-12)  FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY  11, 3234  "Peptidoglycan endopeptidase Spr of uropathogenic E. coli contributes to kidney infections and competitive fitness during bladder colonization"
   
4. Wu CF, Lien YW, Bondage D, Lin JS, Pilhofer M, (Shih YL), Chang JH, Lai EM*  (2020-01)  EMBO Reports  21(1), e47961  "Effector loading onto the VgrG carrier activates type VI secretion system assembly."
   
5. (Shih YL)*, Huang LT, Tu YM, Lee BF, Bau YC, Hong CY, Lee HL, Shih YP, Hsu MF, Lu ZX, Chen JS, Chao L*  (2019-04)  BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL  116(8), 1469-1482  "Active Transport of Membrane Components by Self-Organization of the Min Proteins."
   
6. Chen WJ, Kuo TY, Hsieh FC, Chen PY, Wang CS, (Shih YL), Lai YM, Liu JR, Yang YL, and Shih MC*  (2016-09)  Scientific Reports  6, 32950  "Involvement of type VI secretion system in secretion of iron chelator pyoverdine in Pseudomonas taiwanensis"
   
7. Liang SY, Lin SY, Chiang IC, (Shih YL*)  (2016-05)  Data in Brief  8, 304-307  "Quantitative inner membrane proteome datasets of the wild-type and the Δmin mutant of Escherichia coli"
   
8. Liao JH, Chien CT, Wu, HY, Huang KF, Wang I, Ho MR, Tu IF, Lee IM, Li W, (Shih YL), Wu CY, Lukyanov P, Hsu STD, Wu SH*  (2016-04)  J Am Chem Soc  138(14), 4787-4795  "A multivalent marine lectin from Crenomytilus grayanus possesses anti-cancer activity through recognizing globotriose Gb3"
   
9. Lee HL, Chiang IC, Liang SY, Lee DY, Chang GD, KY Wang, Lin SY, (Shih YL*)  (2016-02)  MOLECULAR & CELLULAR PROTEOMICS  15, 1572-1583  "Quantitative proteomics analysis reveals the Min system of Escherichia coli modulates reversible protein association with the inner membrane"
   
10. Chiang YL, Chang YC, Chiang IC, Mak HM, Hwang IS*, (Shih YL)*  (2015-11)  PloS one  10(11), e0142506  "Atomic Force Microscopy Characterization of Protein Fibrils Formed by the Amyloidogenic Region of the Bacterial Protein MinE on Mica and a Supported Lipid Bilayer."
    
11. Rujiviphat J, Wong MK, Won A, (Shih YL), Yip CM and McQuibban AG*  (2015-03)  J Mol Biol  427(16), 2595-2598  "Mitochondrial Genome Maintenance 1 (Mgm1) Protein alters membrane topology and promotes local membrane bending"
    
12. Zheng M, Chiang YL, Lee HL, Kong LR, Hsu ST, Hwang IS, Rothfield LI, (Shih YL)*   (2014-08)  J Biol Chem  289(31), 21252-21266  "Self-Assembly of MinE on the Membrane Underlies Formation of the MinE-Ring to Sustain Function of the E. coli Min System"
    
13. (Shih YL)*, Zheng M  (2013-12)  Environmental Microbiology  15(12), 3229-3239  "Spatial control of the cell division site by the Min system in E. coli"
    
14. (Shih YL)＊, Huang KF, Lai HM, Liao JH, Lee CS, Chang CM, Mak HM, Hsieh CW & Lin CC  (2011)  PLoS One  6(6), e21425  "The N-terminal amphipathic helix of the topological specificity factor MinE is associated with shaping membrane curvature"
    
15. Hsieh CW, Lai HM, Lin CC, Lin TY, Hsieh TS, (Shih YL)＊  (2010)  MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY  75(2), 499-512  "Direct MinE-membrane interaction contributes to the proper localization of MinDE in E. coli"
    
16. Vats P, Shih YL, Rothfield L  (2009)  Molecular microbiology  72(1), 170-182  "Assembly of the MreB-associated cytoskeletal ring of Escherichia coli."
    
17. Pradel N, Santini CL, Bernadac A, Shih YL, Goldberg MB, Wu LF  (2007)  Biochemical and biophysical research communications  353(2), 493-500  "Polar positional information in Escherichia coli spherical cells."
    
18. Y-L Shih, LI Rothfield  (2006)  Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews  70, 729-754  "The bacterial cytoskeleton"
    
19. LI Rothfield, A Taghbalout and Y-L Shih  (2005)  Nat Rev Microbiol  3, 959-968  "Spatial control of bacterial division-site placement"
    
20. Y-L Shih, I Kawagishi and LI Rothfield  (2005)  Mol Microbiol  58, 917-928  "The MreB and Min cytoskeletal-like systems play independent roles in prokaryotic polar differentiation"
    
21. Shih YL, Le T, Rothfield L  (2003)  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America  100(13), 7865-7870  "Division site selection in Escherichia coli involves dynamic redistribution of Min proteins within coiled structures that extend between the two cell poles."
    
22. Y-L Shih, X Fu, GF King , T Le and LI Rothfield  (2002)  EMBO J  21, 3347-3357  "Division site placement in E.coli: mutations that prevent formation of the MinE ring lead to loss of the normal midcell arrest of growth of polar MinD membrane domains"
    
23. Rothfield LI, Shih YL, King G  (2001)  Cell  106(1), 13-16  "Polar explorers: membrane proteins that determine division site placement."
    
24. Fu X, Shih YL, Zhang Y, Rothfield LI  (2001)  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America  98(3), 980-985  "The MinE ring required for proper placement of the division site is a mobile structure that changes its cellular location during the Escherichia coli division cycle."
    
25. King GF, Shih YL, Maciejewski MW, Bains NP, Pan B, Rowland SL, Mullen GP, Rothfield LI  (2000)  Nature Structural Biology  7(11), 1013-1017  "Structural basis for the topological specificity function of MinE."
    
26. Shih YL, Harris SJ, Borner G, Rivet MM, Salmond GP  (1999)  Environmental microbiology  1(6), 535-547  "The hexY genes of Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora and ssp. atroseptica encode novel proteins that regulate virulence and motility co-ordinately."
    
27. Harris SJ, Shih YL, Bentley SD, Salmond GP  (1998)  Molecular microbiology  28(4), 705-717  "The hexA gene of Erwinia carotovora encodes a LysR homologue and regulates motility and the expression of multiple virulence determinants."
    
28. Toth I, Mulholland V, Copper V, Bentley S, Shih Y-L, Perombelon M, and Salmond GPC  (1997)  Microbiology  143, 2433-2438  "Generalized transduction in the potato blackleg pathogen Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica by bacteriophage φM1"