主要从事植物大分子复合物的结构、功能与进化研究。包括：

    1）植物受体激酶相关复合物；

    受体激酶是一类定位于细胞膜上的单次跨膜受体超家族。受体激酶及相关受体（受体蛋白、糖磷脂酰肌醇膜锚定蛋白、分泌蛋白）通过识别质外体环境中来自体内外、高度多样化的信号分子，调控植物生殖、生长、共生和免疫等几乎所有重要生命活动。目前已明确配体识别功能的植物受体仅是冰山一角，绝大部分植物受体的功能仍有待进一步探索。

    2）植物细胞壁相关复合物；

    植物细胞壁是地球上最丰富的生物质储存库，植物光合作用合成的有机物质有70%最终被转化为聚合物储存在细胞壁之中。Science此前将植物形成细胞壁的分子机制及其生物质改造利用列为人类面临的125个重要科学前沿问题之一。我们拟对各类型细胞壁多糖合成酶大分子机器和各类型细胞壁寡糖调控植物免疫等生理过程的机制进行深入研究。

    相关研究结果曾以第一或通讯作者（含共同）发表在Nature（x2）、Science、Nature Plants、Nature Communications、Molecular Cell、Developmental Cell、Nucleic Acids Research上。

2025

[1]Zhou K^#, Wu F^#, Deng L^# *, Xiao Y^#, Yang W, Zhao J, Wang Q, Chang Z, Zhai H, Sun C, Han H, Du M, Chen Q, Yan J, Xin P, Chu J, Han Z, Chai J, Howe GA, Li CB*, Li C*. Antagonistic systemin receptors integrate the activation and attenuation of systemic wound signaling in tomato. Dev Cell. 2025; 60(4):535-550.e8.

[2]Huang S^#, Wang J^#, Song R^#, Jia A^#, Xiao Y, Sun Y, Wang L, Mahr D, Wu Z, Han Z, Li X, Parker JE*, Chai J*. Balanced plant helper NLR activation by a modified host protein complex. Nature. 2025; 639(8054):447-455.

2024

[3]Jia F^#, Xiao Y^# *, Feng Y^#, Yan J, Fan M, Sun Y, Huang S, Li W, Zhao T, Han Z*, Hou S*, Chai J*. N-glycosylation facilitates the activation of a plant cell-surface receptor. Nat Plants. 2024;10(12):2014-2026.

[4]Li D^#,Xiao Y^#, Fedorova I^#, Xiong W^#, Wang Y^#, Liu X^#, Huiting E, Ren J, Gao Z, Zhao X, Cao X, Zhang Y, Bondy-Denomy J*, Feng Y*. Single phage proteins sequester signals from TIR and cGAS-like enzymes.Nature. 2024;635(8039):719-727.

[5]Zhang Y^#, Xu Z^#, Xiao Y^#, Jiang H^#, Zuo X, Li X^*, Fang X^*. Structural mechanisms for binding and activation of a contact-quenched fluorophore by RhoBAST. Nat Commun. 2024;15(1):4206.

[6]Xiao Y^#, Sun G^#, Yu Q^#, Gao T, Zhu Q, Wang R, Huang S, Han Z, Cervone F, Yin H, Qi T, Wang Y^*, Chai J^*. A plant mechanism of hijacking pathogen virulence factors to trigger innate immunity. Science. 2024;383(6684):732-739.

Highlighted by Thynne E, Kobe B. Mixed-organism enzyme in plant defense. Science. 2024;383(6684):707-708.

Highlighted by Yuan J, Li Q, Li X, Su C. AI-based protein engineering: A novel strategy for enhancing broad-spectrum plant resistance. Mol Plant. 2024;17(11):1648-1650.

[7]Cao X^#, Xiao Y^#, Huiting E^#, Cao X, Li D, Ren J, Guan L, Wang Y, Li L, Bondy-Denomy J^*, Feng Y^*. Phage anti-CBASS protein simultaneously sequesters cyclic trinucleotides and dinucleotides. Mol Cell. 2024;84(2):375-385.e7.

2023

[8]Xu L^#, Xiao Y^#, Zhang J, Fang X^*. Structural insights into translation regulation by the THF-II riboswitch. Nucleic Acids Res. 2023;51(2):952-965.

[9]Xu L, Wang J,Xiao Y, Han Z^*, Chai J^*. Structural insight into chitin perception by chitin elicitor receptor kinase 1 of Oryza sativa.J Integr Plant Biol. 2023;65(1):235-248.

2022

[10]Sun Y^#, Wang Y^{# *}, Zhang X^#, Chen Z, Xia Y, Wang L, Sun Y, Zhang M, Xiao Y, Han Z, Wang Y^*, Chai J^*. Plant receptor-like protein activation by a microbial glycoside hydrolase. Nature. 2022;610(7931):335-342.

[11]Huang S^#, Jia A^#, Song W^#, Hessler G^#, Meng Y^#, Sun Y, Xu L, Laessle H, Jirschitzka J, Ma S,Xiao Y, Yu D, Hou J, Liu R, Sun H, Liu X, Han Z^*, Chang J^*, Parker JE^*, Chai J^*. Identification and receptor mechanism of TIR-catalyzed small molecules in plant immunity. Science. 2022;377(6605):eabq3297.

[12]Zhou J, Xiao Y, Ren Y, Ge J, Wang X^*. Structural basis of the IL-1 receptor TIR domain-mediated IL-1 signaling. iScience. 2022;25(7):104508.

[13]Yang L^#, Zhang L^#, Yin P^#, Ding H^#, Xiao Y, Zeng J, Wang W, Zhou H, Wang Q, Zhang Y, Chen Z, Yang M, Feng Y^*. Insights into the inhibition of type I-F CRISPR-Cas system by a multifunctional anti-CRISPR protein AcrIF24. Nat Commun. 2022;13(1):1931.

[14]Wang H^#, Gao T^#, Zhou Y, Ren J, Guo J, Zeng J, Xiao Y, Zhang Y, Feng Y^*. Mechanistic insights into the inhibition of the CRISPR-Cas surveillance complex by anti-CRISPR protein AcrIF13. J Biol Chem. 2022;298(3):101636.

2021

[15]Liu C, Shen L,Xiao Y, Vyshedsky D, Peng C, Sun X, Liu Z, Cheng L, Zhang H, Han Z, Chai J, Wu HM, Cheung AY, Li C^*. Pollen PCP-B peptides unlock a stigma peptide-receptor kinase gating mechanism for pollination.Science. 2021;372(6538):171-175.

2020

[16]Jiang N^#, Cui J^#, Hou X, Yang G,Xiao Y, Han L, Meng J^*, Luan Y^*. Sl-lncRNA15492 interacts with Sl-miR482a and affects Solanum lycopersicum immunity against Phytophthora infestans. Plant J. 2020;103(4):1561-1574.

2019

[17]Xiao Y^#, Stegmann M^#, Han Z^#, DeFalco TA, Parys K, Xu L, Belkhadir Y, Zipfel C^*, Chai J^*. Mechanisms of RALF peptide perception by a heterotypic receptor complex. Nature. 2019;572(7768):270-274.

Highlighted by Ge Z, Dresselhaus T, Qu LJ. How CrRLK1L Receptor Complexes Perceive RALF Signals. Trends Plant Sci. 2019;24(11):978-981.

Highlighted by Blackburn MR, Haruta M, Moura DS. Twenty Years of Progress in Physiological and Biochemical Investigation of RALF Peptides. Plant Physiol. 2020;182(4):1657-1666.