General Lab Information

Chang-Jun Liu

Senior Scientist, Plant Science Group, Biology Department

Chang-Jun Liu

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Biology Department
Bldg. 463
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-2966
cliu@bnl.gov

Chang-Jun Liu earned his Ph.D. in 1999 at the Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology, Chinese Academy of Science. In 2005, Chang-Jun Liu joined Brookhaven National Laboratory Biology Department working on research projects centered on phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, protein structure-function and engineering, cell wall lignocellulosic biogenesis and modification funded by DOE.

Expertise | Research | Appointments | Publications | Highlights | Awards

Expertise

Chang-Jun Liu's research group integrates approaches from biochemistry, molecular genetics, biophysics, protein engineering, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology approaches to investigate the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids and lignin, and to uncover the regulatory mechanisms that govern metabolic activity in plants. A central aim of the lab is to optimize plant feedstocks for efficient lignocellulosic biomass utilization. The group's research addresses three fundamental questions: 1) How are lignin and the related simple phenolics synthesized and incorporated into cell walls? 2) how regulatory networks, both transcriptional and post-translational, govern the synthesis, deposition and assembly of these compounds? 3) how does lignification influence the structure and function of the cell walls. Ultimately, the insights gained from these studies are applied toward strategically manipulating the lignification process, either to reduce biomass recalcitrance or to engineer process-advantaged lignins. These advances aim to enable the cost-effective production of advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals, contributing to sustainable bioeconomy.

Research Activities

Phenylpropanoid Metabolism: Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Metabolic Engineering

Phenylpropanoid metabolism generates a diverse suite of aromatic compounds, including methanol-soluble small-molecule metabolites such as benzenoids, flavonoids/anthocyanins, stilbenoids, coumarins, simple phenolics, and lignans, as well as recalcitrant biopolymers like lignin, suberin, and proanthocyanidins. These aromatic molecules play essential roles in plant growth, development, defense, and environmental interactions.

Among them, lignin—a major structural component of plant secondary cell walls—confers mechanical strength, structural integrity, and hydrophobicity to vascular tissues. Lignified cell walls represent the largest portion of terrestrial biomass, serving as a renewable feedstock for the production of bio-based chemicals and advanced biofuels. However, lignin also poses a major challenge: its presence in the cell wall impedes enzymatic access to polysaccharides, thereby reducing the efficiency of cellulosic biofuel production. On the other hand, lignin is the most abundant renewable source of aromatic carbon, offering significant potential for upgrading into high-value bioproducts.

To unlock this potential, tailoring lignin biosynthesis is essential. As an irreversible and tightly regulated process, lignin formation is highly sensitive to cellular carbon flux. A deeper understanding of the biochemical and regulatory mechanisms that direct carbon into the phenylpropanoid-lignin pathway is critical for effective metabolic engineering.

Dr. Liu’s group is focused on elucidating the posttranslational regulation and macromolecular organization of lignin biosynthesis, with an emphasis on how carbon allocation and reducing power (electron flow) dynamically support pathway activity. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Research Centers, the group is also actively involved in lignin engineering and genetic optimization of dedicated bioenergy crops. Their overarching goal is to develop designer lignins and reduce biomass recalcitrance, paving the way for the economically viable production of sustainable biofuels and bio-based chemicals.

Professional Appointments

  • Associate Editor: Plant Cell & Environment (2024-Present) 
  • Associate Editor: Frontiers in Plant Sciences, Plant Metabolism and Chemodiversity section (2015-present)
  • Editorial Board Member: Journal of Biological Chemistry (2020-present)
  • Editorial Board Member: PNAS Nexus  (2024-Present)
  • Editorial Board Member: Plant Physiology Journal (2025-)
  • Scientific Lead, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Feedstocks Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  • Project Lead, the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Adjunct Professor, Biochemistry & Cell Biology Department, Stony Brook University
  • Member of American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • Member of American Society of Plant Biologists
  • Member of Phytochemical Society of North America
  • Biochemistry and Structural Biology Graduate Program, Stony Brook University (2006-present)

Selected Publications

  • Zhao X, Zhao Y, Zeng Q, Liu C-J* (2024) Cytochrome b5 diversity in green lineages preceded the evolution of syringyl lignin biosynthesis. The Plant Cell 36:2709–2728. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae120
  • Dwivedi N, Yamamoto S, Zhao Y, Hou G, Bowling F, Tobimatsu, Y, Liu C-J* (2023) Simultaneous suppression of lignin, tricin and wall-bound phenolic biosynthesis via the expression of monolignol 4-O-methyltransferases in rice. Plant Biotechnology Journal 22:330–346. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14186
  • Zhao X, Zhao Y, Gou M, Liu C-J (2023) Tissue-preferential recruitment of electron transfer chains for cytochrome P450-catalyzed phenolic biosynthesis. Science Advances 9:. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ade4389
  • Zhao Y, Yu X, Lam P-Y, Zhang K, Tobimatsu Y, and Liu C-J* (2021) Monolignol acyltransferase for lignin p-hydroxybenzoylation in Populus. Nature Plants 7:1288–1300. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-021-00975-1
  • Wang B, Zhao X, Zhao Y, Shanklin J, Zhao Q and Liu C-J* (2020) Arabidopsis SnRK1 negatively regulates phenylpropanoid metabolism via Kelch domain-containing F-box proteins. New Phytologist 229:3345–3359. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17121
  • Gou M, Yang X, Zhao Y, Ran X, Song S, Liu, C-J* (2019) Cytochrome b5 Is an Obligate Electron Shuttle Protein for Syringyl Lignin Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell 31:1344–1366. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00778
  • Gou M, Ran X, Martin DW, Liu C-J* (2018) The scaffold proteins of lignin biosynthetic cytochrome P450 enzymes. Nature Plants 4:299–310. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-018-0142-9
  • Zhang X, Abrahan C, Colquhoun TA, Liu C-J* (2017) A Proteolytic Regulator Controlling Chalcone Synthase Stability and Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell 29:1157–1174. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.16.00855
  • Cai Y, Zhang K, Kim H, Hou G, Zhang X, Yang H, Feng H, Miller L, Ralph J and Liu C-J* (2016) Enhancing digestibility and ethanol yield of Populus wood via expression of an engineered monolignol 4-O-methyltransferase. Nature Communications 7. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11989
  • Cheng A, Zhang X, Han X, Zhang Y-Y, Gao S, Liu C-J*, Lou H-X * (2017) Identification of chalcone isomerase in the basal land plants reveals an ancient evolution of enzymatic cyclization activity for synthesis of flavonoids. New Phytologist 217:909–924. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14852
  • Gou M, Hou G, Yang H, Zhang X, Cai Y, Kai G and Liu C-J* (2016) The MYB107 Transcription Factor Positively Regulates Suberin Biosynthesis. Plant Physiology 173:1045–1058. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.16.01614
  • Zhang X, Liu C-J* (2015) Multifaceted Regulations of Gateway Enzyme Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase in the Biosynthesis of Phenylpropanoids. Molecular Plant 8:17–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2014.11.001
  • Zhang X, Gou M, Guo C, Yang H and Liu C-J* (2014) Down-Regulation of Kelch Domain-Containing F-Box Protein in Arabidopsis Enhances the Production of (Poly)phenols and Tolerance to Ultraviolet Radiation. Plant Physiology 167:337–350. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.114.249136
  • Liu C-J*, Cai Y, Zhang X, et al (2014) Tailoring lignin biosynthesis for efficient and sustainable biofuel production. Plant Biotechnology Journal 12:1154–1162. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.12250
  • Zhang K, Novak O, Wei Z, Gou M, Zhang X, Yu Y, Yang H, Cai Y, Strnad M, and Liu C-J* (2014) Arabidopsis ABCG14 protein controls the acropetal translocation of root-synthesized cytokinins. Nature Communications 5. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4274
  • Zhang X, Gou M, Liu C-J* (2013) Arabidopsis Kelch Repeat F-Box Proteins Regulate Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis via Controlling the Turnover of Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase. The Plant Cell 25:4994–5010. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.113.119644
  • Cheng A-X, Gou J-Y, Yu X-H, Yang H, Fang X, Chen X-Y, and Liu C-J* (2013) Characterization and Ectopic Expression of a Populus Hydroxyacid Hydroxycinnamoyltransferase. Molecular Plant 6:1889–1903. https://doi.org/10.1093/mp/sst085
  • Zhang K, Bhuiya M-W, Pazo JR, Miao Y, Kim H, Ralph J, and Liu C-J* (2012) An Engineered Monolignol 4-O-Methyltransferase Depresses Lignin Biosynthesis and Confers Novel Metabolic Capability in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell 24:3135–3152. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.112.101287
  • Liu C-J (2012) Deciphering the Enigma of Lignification: Precursor Transport, Oxidation, and the Topochemistry of Lignin Assembly. Molecular Plant 5:304–317. https://doi.org/10.1093/mp/ssr121
  • Gou J-Y, Miller LM, Hou G, Yu X-H, Chen X-Y and Liu C-J* (2012) Acetylesterase-Mediated Deacetylation of Pectin Impairs Cell Elongation, Pollen Germination, and Plant Reproduction. The Plant Cell 24:50–65. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.111.092411

Research Highlights

Awards & Recognition

  • Brookhaven National Laboratory Science and Technology Award (2018)
Chang-Jun Liu

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Biology Department
Bldg. 463
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-2966
cliu@bnl.gov

Chang-Jun's Links