Xin Tong
University of Michigan Medical School
2800 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
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Qualifications
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M.D.Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Ph.D.University of Connecticut, Storrs, United States
Center Memberships
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Center MemberCaswell Diabetes Institute
Research Overview
My long-term goal is to identify key regulators of liver lipid metabolism and their roles in fatty liver disease. At the University of Michigan, I have been focusing on the metabolic actions of E4BP4 in liver metabolism. Our team has contributed to the original findings of how hepatic E4BP4 regulates metabolism in the liver, supporting the critical role of E4BP4 in the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease. We uncovered that E4BP4 represses hepatic hormone Fgf21 expression via histone methyl-transferase G9a in the liver. We reported that insulin potently induces E4bp4 to promote de novo lipogenesis via the classical AKT-mTORC1-SREBP-1c pathway in hepatocytes. Furthermore, we successfully generated an E4bp4 conditional knockout mouse line to study its tissue-specific functions in regulating metabolism. Our most study highlighted how ER stress-induced E4BP4 contributes to lipid accumulation in the liver using the liver-specific E4bp4 knockout mouse model.
Recent Publications
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Zhao Y, Wang S, Zhang J, Cooke S, Zhang G, Zhao Z, Oh J, Tong X, Yin L. FASEB J, 2026 May 15; 40 (9): e71830Journal ArticleThe E3 Ligase RNF8 Promotes Ubiquitination and Degradation of ChREBPα During Liver Stress Response.
DOI:10.1096/fj.202600106R PMID: 42051137 -
Kim H, Thepsuwan P, Wei J, Ju D, Chen Q, Zhang X, Li L, Xu J, Tong X, Sun S, He C, Yin L, Fang D, Zhang K. Science Signaling, 2026 Jan 6; 19 (919):Journal ArticleThe ubiquitin E3 ligase HRD1 restricts hepatic lipid metabolism by suppressing PPARα-driven m6A RNA modification
DOI:10.1126/scisignal.adx8300 PMID: 41493974 -
Zhang J, Zhao Y, Pulivendala G, Zhang Q, Rui L, Gao J, Wang H, Zhang G, Nuotio-Antar A, Tong X, Yin L. Advanced Science, 2025 Aug 7; 12 (29):Journal ArticleThe Non-Canonical ChREBPα Activity Suppresses the Activation of Hepatic Stellate Cells and Liver Fibrosis by Antagonizing TGF-β-E2F1 Axis
DOI:10.1002/advs.202415032 PMID: 40548862 -
Yin L, Tong X, Wang SJ, Gao JS, Yang MC, Zhang D, Cook SC. Advanced Science, 2024 Oct 21;Journal ArticleOPN-mediated crosstalk between hepatocyte E4BP4 and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) promotes liver fibrosis.
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Zhang D, Zhao Y, Zhang G, Lank D, Cooke S, Wang S, Nuotio-Antar A, Tong X, Yin L. Molecular Metabolism, 2024 Jul 1; 85:Journal ArticleSuppression of hepatic ChREBP⍺-CYP2C50 axis-driven fatty acid oxidation sensitizes mice to diet-induced MASLD/MASH
DOI:10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101957 PMID: 38740087 -
Alkhoury C, Henneman NF, Petrenko V, Shibayama Y, Segaloni A, Gadault A, Nemazanyy I, Le Guillou E, Wolide AD, Antoniadou K, Tong X, Tamaru T, Ozawa T, Girard M, Hnia K, Lutter D, Dibner C, Panasyuk G. Nature Cell Biology, 2023 Jul 1; 25 (7): 975 - 988.Journal ArticleClass 3 PI3K coactivates the circadian clock to promote rhythmic de novo purine synthesis
DOI:10.1038/s41556-023-01171-3 PMID: 37414850 -
Wang S, Yang M, Li P, Sit J, Wong A, Rodrigues K, Lank D, Zhang D, Zhang K, Yin L, Tong X. Diabetes, 2023 Mar 1; 72 (3): 348 - 361.Journal ArticleHigh-Fat Diet–Induced DeSUMOylation of E4BP4 Promotes Lipid Droplet Biogenesis and Liver Steatosis in Mice
DOI:10.2337/db22-0332 PMID: 36508222 -
Rodrigues K, Hussain R, Cooke S, Zhang G, Zhang D, Yin L, Tong X. Metabolism and Target Organ Damage, 2023 Jan 1; 3 (4):Journal ArticleFructose as a novel nutraceutical for acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatotoxicity
DOI:10.20517/mtod.2023.28
