Author: ccmbbds

Zhang W, Zhang M, Ma L, Jariyasakulroj S, Chang Q, Lin Z, Lu Z, Chen JF. (2024) Recapitulating and reversing human brain ribosomopathy defects via the maladaptive integrated stress response. Science Advances. Accepted.

Pei F, Ma L, Guo T, Zhang M, Jing J, Wen Q, Feng J, Lei J, He J, Janečková E, Ho TV, Chen JF, Chai Y. Sensory nerve regulates progenitor cells via FGF-SHH axis in tooth root morphogenesis. Development. 2024 Jan 15;151(2):dev202043. doi: 10.1242/dev.202043. Epub 2024 Jan 11. PMID: 38108472.

Ma L, Wang F, Li Y, Wang J, Chang Q, Du Y, Sadan J, Zhao Z, Fan G, Yao B, Chen JF. (2023) Brain methylome remodeling selectively regulates neuronal activity genes linking to emotional behaviors in mice exposed to maternal immune activation. Nat Commun. 2023 Nov 29;14(1):7829. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43497-4. PMID: 38030616; PMCID: PMC10687003

Jariyasakulroj S, Zhang W, Bai J, Zhang M, Lu Z, Chen JF. (2023) Ribosome biogenesis controls cranial suture MSC fate via the complement pathway in mouse and human iPSC models. Stem Cell Reports. 2023 Dec 12;18(12):2370-2385. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.10.015. Epub 2023 Nov 16. PMID: 37977145; PMCID: PMC10724072

Ma L, Wang J, Ge JL, Wang Y, Zhang W, Du YN, Luo J, Li YP, Wang F, Fan GP, Chen R, Yao B, Zhao Z, Guo ML, Kim WK, Chai Y, Chen JF. (2021)
Reversing neural circuit and behavior deficit in mice exposed to maternal inflammation by Zika virus.
EMBO Rep. (Accepted).

A postdoc position is available in Chen Lab. The lab uses genetically modified mice and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)/brain organoids to model developmental brain disorders (DBDs) and neurodegenerative diseases followed by mechanistic studies at molecular, cellular, circuit, and behavioral levels (Nat. Commun., 2019, PMID: 31197141; Genes Dev., 2020, PMID: 32115408). We also investigate craniofacial biology and skull-brain interaction using mouse genetics and human iPSC models (Cell., 2021, PMID: 33417861). We aim to develop novel therapeutic strategies to treat neurological and craniofacial disorders. Interested individuals should send a CV and the contact of three referees by email to Jian-Fu (Jeff) Chen, Ph.D via Jianfu@usc.edu.

Zhang W, Ma L, Yang M, Shao Q, Xu J, Lu Z, Zhao Z, Chen R, Chai Y, Chen J. Cerebral organoid and mouse models reveal a RAB39b-PI3K-mTOR pathway dependent dysregulation of cortical development leading to macrocephaly/autism phenotypes. Genes & Development.

Smcr8 deficiency disrupts axonal transport-dependent lysosomal function and promotes axonal swellings and gain of toxicity in C9ALS/FTD mouse models. Accepted, Human Molecular Genetics.

Chen Liang1,2, Qiang Shao1, Wei Zhang1, Mei Yang1, Qing Chang1, Rong Chen3, and Jian-Fu Chen1,*

1. Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA 90033
2. Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602
3. Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 100 N. Greene Street, Baltimore,MD 21205, USA

Shao Q#, Yang M#, Liang C, Ma L, Zhang W, Jiang Z, Luo J, Lee JK, Liang C, Chen JF. (2019) C9orf72 and Smcr8 mutant mice reveal MTORC1 activation due to impaired lysosomal degradation and exocytosis. Autophagy, in press.

Wei Zhang, Si-Lu Yang, Mei Yang, Stephanie Herrlinger, Qiang Shao, John L. Collar, Edgar Fierro, Yanhong Shi, Aimin Liu, Hui Lu, Bruce E. Herring, Ming-Lei Guo, Shilpa Buch, Zhen Zhao, Jian Xu, Zhipeng Lu, and Jian-Fu Chen (2019) Modeling microcephaly with cerebral organoids reveals a WDR62-CEP170-KIF2A pathway promoting cilium disassembly in neural progenitors. Nature Communications.

Stephanie Herrlinger, Qiang Shao, Mei Yang, Qing Chang, Yang Liu, Xiaohan Pan, Hang Yin, Li-Wei Xie, and Jian-Fu Chen (2019) Lin28-mediated promotion of protein synthesis is critical for neural progenitor cell maintenance and brain development in mice. Development.

Shao Q, Liang C, Chang Q, Zhang W, Yang M, & Chen J-F (2019) C9orf72 deficiency promotes motor deficits of a C9ALS/FTD mouse model in a dose-dependent manner. Acta Neuropathologica Communications 7:32. doi: 10.1186/s40478-019-0685-7

The Node recently interviewed Chen Lab members about our recent work on African and Asian strains of Zika virus. The text of the interview is available here.

Qiang Shao, Stephanie Herrlinger, Ya-Nan Zhu, Mei Yang, Forrest Goodfellow, Steven L Stice, Xiao-Peng Qi, Melinda A Brindley, and Jian-Fu Chen. The African Zika Virus MR-766 is More Virulent and Causes More Severe Brain Damage than Current Asian Lineage and Dengue Virus. Development 2017, in press.