Robert Yu-Lin Tsai

TAMHSC Arrows IBT Arrows Faculty Arrows Robert Yu-Lin Tsai

Robert Yu-Lin Tsai, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Biology
Member of the GSBS Faculty

2121 W. Holcombe Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: 713-677-7690
Email: rtsai@ibt.tamhsc.edu
Lab Webpage: http://www.ibt.tamhsc.edu/labs/ccscb/

Education and Post-Graduate Training

Dr. Tsai received his undergraduate and MD degrees at National Taiwan University and an internship and residency in Neurology at the National Taiwan University Hospital. He received a Ph.D. in Neurosciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1996 and was a Research Fellow at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health (1997-2003). In 2003 he was appointed an Assistant Professor in the Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, The Texas A&M Health Science Center in the Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas and promoted to tenured Associate Professor in 2008. He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center.

Teaching Interests

Graduate and Specialized Research Training in Stem Cell Biology

Research Interests

The research interest of my laboratory is focused on the molecular mechanism that drives the self-renewing proliferation of stem cells, with the hope that we can use this knowledge to enhance the endogenous regenerative process to repair damaged tissues caused by diseases or injuries, particularly in the central nervous system, and, on the flip side, to reduce the uncontrolled proliferation seen in metastatic and high-grade tumors. The biological systems we use are ES, primary neural stem cell culture, and cancer cell lines, as well as mouse genetic models. The molecular target of our present studies is a family of nucleolar GTPases, one of which, nucleostemin (NS), confers a unique nucleolar state in the stem cells. NS was previously identified as enriched in the stem cell population, and shown to play important roles in keeping the neural stem cells and cancer cells in the cell cycle. The activity of NS is regulated by a small molecule in the cells (GTP) that serves as a molecular switch controlling the on and off states. Our work suggests a model in which continuously dividing cells use NS as a sensor to control their rate of division in response to changes that take place in their microenvironment. The mechanism by which NS and NS-related genes control tissue homeostasis in adult animals is being addressed in the following directions: 1) defining the unique nucleolar state in stem cells; 2) determining the signaling pathway that regulates the expression and activity of nucleostemin (NS) in stem cells and during adult tissue regeneration; and 3) establishing the role of NS-expressing cells in the tumorigenic process, with an emphasis on the brain, breast, and prostate tumors.

Selected Publications

Five Most Significant Publications Prior to 2010

Tsai RYL, McKay, RDG (2002) A Nucleolar Mechanism Controlling Cell Proliferation in Stem Cells and Cancer Cells. Genes Dev ol 16(23):2991-3003

Tsai RYL, McKay RDG (2005) A Multistep, GTP-driven Mechanism Controlling the Dynamic Cycling of Nucleostemin. J Cell Biol. 168(1):179-184

Zhu Q, Yasumoto H, Tsai RYL (2006) Nucleostemin Delays Cellular Senescence and Negatively Regulates TRF1 Protein Stability. Mol Cell Biol. 24(26):9279-9290

Meng L, Lin T, Tsai RYL (2008) Nucleoplasmic Mobilization of Nucleostemin Stabilizes MDM2 and Promotes G2-M Progression and Cell Survival. J Cell Sci. 121(24):4037-4046

Zhu Q, Meng L, Hsu JK, Lin T, Teishima J, Tsai RYL (2009) GNL3L Stabilizes the TRF1 Complex and Promotes Mitotic Transition. J Cell Biol. 185(5):827-839

Publications 2010

Lin, T., Meng, L., Li, Y., and Tsai, R.YL. (2010) Tumor-Initiating Function of Nucleostemin-Enriched Mammary Tumor Cells. Cancer Res. 70: 9444-9452.

Publications 2011

Meng L, Hsu JK, Tsai, RYL (2011) GNL3L Depletion Destabilizes MDM2 and Induces p53-Dependent G2/M Arrest. Oncogene 30(14): 1716-1726.

Tsai, Y.L. (2011) Chapter 13: New Frontiers in The Nucleolar Research: Nucleostemin and Related Proteins. The Nucleolus (Protein Reviews 15). Edited by Mark O. Olson and M. Zouhair Atassi. Springer pg 301-320.

Meng L, Hsu JK, Zhu Q, Lin T,Tsai RYL. (2011) Nucleostemin Inhibits TRF1 Dimerization and Shortens Its Dynamic Association with The Telomere. J Cell Sci 124(21): 3706-3714.

Lin T, Meng L, Tsai RYL. (2011) GTP Depletion Synergizes the Anti-Proliferative Activity of Chemotherapeutic Agents in a Cell Type-Dependent Manner. Biochem Bioph Res Commun 414(2): 403-408.

Publications 2012

Peng G, Dai H, Zhang W, Hsieh HJ, Pan MR, Park YY, Tsai RYL. Bedrosian, I., Lee, J-S., Ira, G, and Lin, S-Y. (2012) Human Nuclease/Helicase DNA2 Alleviates Replication Stress by Promoting DNA End Resection. Cancer Res (in press)