Jau-nian Chen
email: chenjn@mcdb.ucla.edu
phone: (310) 206-4513
office: 450C Biomedical Sciences Research Building
lab: 454
homepage: http://www.mcdb.ucla.edu/Research/jnchen
Research Interests
The cardiovascular system is the first functioning organ during development. Abnormalities in the formation and/or function of the heart and vessels often lead to embryonic lethality or cause severe health issues in the adult. Our laboratory uses a multidisciplinary approach and the zebrafish model to understand the genetic, molecular and cellular basis of the cardiovascular system during normal development and in diseases. Several unique features make zebrafish ideal for genetic and embryological studies. For instance, the transparent nature of zebrafish embryos provides easy access to observe and study organ development in live embryos. From classic and chemical genetic screens, we have identified mutations and compounds that affect proper patterning or function of the heart and vessels in the zebrafish. We are now using these mutants and compounds as points of entry to study questions about (1) the differential regulation of the arteries and veins during vessel formation and in the development of vascular diseases; (2) molecular hierarchies and cellular mechanisms guiding cardiac precursors to grow from the two-dimensional cardiac epithelium to a three-dimensional tubular structure; (3) molecular and physiological mechanisms by which rhythmic cardiac contraction is established and maintained and by which cardiac arrhythmia occurs; and (4) how the embryonic left-right asymmetry is established and how the heart develops with respect to the embryonic left-right axis.
Selected Publications
Colantonio, J.R., Vermot, J., Wu, D., Langenbacher, A.D., Fraser, S., Chen, J.N. and Hill, K.L.. 2009. The dynein regulatory complex is required for ciliary motility and otolith biogenesis in the inner ear 457: 205-209 .
Xie, Y., Ottolia, M., John, S., Chen, J.N. and Philipson, K.D.. 2008. Conformational changes of a Ca2+-binding domain of the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger monitored by FRET in transgenic zebrafish heart Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 295: C388-C393 .
Langenbacher, A.D. and Chen, J.N.. 2008. Regulation of Vertebrate Left-Right Axis Development by Calcium The Handbook of Cell Signaling : - .
Langenbacher, A.D. and Chen, J.N.. 2008. Calcium signaling: A common thread in vertebrate left-right axis development Developmental Dynamics 237: 3491-3496 .
Choi, J., Dong, Y., Ahn, J., Dao, D. Hammerschmidt, M. and Chen, J.N.. 2007. FoxH1 negatively modulates flkl gene expression and vascular formation in zebrafish Developmental Biology 304: 735-744 .
Lu, G., Ren, S., Korge, P., Choi, J., Dong, Y., Weiss, J., Koehler, C., Chen, J.N. and Wang, Y.. 2007. A novel mitochondrial matrix serine/threonine protein phosphatase regulates the mitochondria permeability transition pore and is essential for cellular survival and development Genes and Development 21: 784-796 .
Shu, X., Huang, J., Dong, Y., Choi, J., Langenbacher, A. and Chen, J.N.. 2007. Na,K-ATPase alpha 2 and NCX4a regulate zebrafish left-right patterning Development 134: 1921-1930 .
Liu, J., Fraser, S.D., Faloon, P.W., Rollins, E.L., Vom Berg, J., Starovic-Subota, O., Laliberte, A.L., Chen, J.N., Serluca, F.C. and Childs, S.. 2007. A beta Pix-Pak2a signaling pathway regulates cerebral vascular stability in zebrafish PNAS 104: 13990-13995 .
Kim, H.J., Sumanas, S., Desai, S., Dong, Y., Chen, J-N. and Lin, S.. 2006. Genetic analysis of early endocrine pancreas formation in zebrafish Molecular Endocrinology 20: 194-203 .
Malby, J.D., Chuang, L.P., Serluca, F.C., Mohideen, M.A.P.K., Chen J-N. and Fishman, M.C.. 2006. Santa and valentine pattern concentric growht of cardiac myocardium in the zebrafish Development 133: 3139-3146 .