Address

380 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108

Education

• Ph.D.  Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghai Institute of Plant Physiology & Ecology joint East China Normal University, China, 1999, Plant Biology (Plant Molecular Genetics)
• M.S.  East China Normal University, China, 1992, Plant Biology (Plant Systematics & Diversity)
• B.S.  Hubei University, China, 1989, Biology

Research Interests:  Plant molecular genetics; cellular, molecular, and environmental biology related to the regulation of plant reproductive development.

Basic plant biology: Cell division and differentiation are the dynamic of plant growth and development. Meiotic cell division (meiosis) is essential for sexual reproduction in eukaryotes. The process of meiosis that reduces the number of chromosomes in reproductive cells from diploid to haploid, leads to the production of microspores and megaspores in plants. Although meiosis uses some of the same biochemical mechanisms employed during mitosis to accomplish the redistribution of chromosomes, the homologous chromosome pairing and recombination are the unique in meiosis.

Why plant meiosis: Flowering plants are becoming excellent models for studying meiosis, because the formation of male and female gametophytes differs from each other. The double fertilization and the formation of endosperm in plants further assure the normal vegetative development of homozygous meiotic mutants, which become embryo lethal in mammalians. The diversity of reproductive mechanisms is far greater in plants, including as it does systems of self-fertilization, which are rarely found in animals, and hermaphroditism on a much more extensive scale. In addition, individual anther from flowering plant bears highly synchronized meiocytes that usually form cell clusters (informally called “worm”) during meiosis I and make them easy to be isolated and studied. 

Research focuses: Our focuses are to understand: 1) the mechanisms of plant homologous chromosome paring, recombination and segregation during meiosis; 2) how the environmental factors impact the process of meiotic recombination; and 3) alterations of plant growth and development by chromosome rearrangement. The materials we use in our study including Arabidopsis, rice, tomato, and potato.  

Approaches: 1) Looking for more genes involved in meiosis: Using the lab newly developed meiocyte collection method—Capillary Collection of Meiocytes (CCM)—to collect meiocytes and extract meiocyte total RNAs with no sporophyte RNAs. The CCM allows us to obtain up to 10µg of total meiocyte RNAs within 10 days of meiocyte collection. Those meiocyte total RNAs would then be sequenced by using Solexa/Illumina sequence system for detecting all mRNAs presented in meiosis, and a Digital Gene Expression (DGE) would also apply to analyze meiotic transcript profiles. cDNA converted from meiocyte total RNAs would also be applied for Arabidopsis ATH1 genome arrays to detect the mRNA accumulation level in comparison with anthers and seedlings. These approaches plus bioinformatics analysis allow us to identify genes involved in meiosis of multicellular organisms that would miss by using bioinformatics approach only. 2) Genetic analysis: The interested genes identified from above approaches would be further analyzed using mutants or RNAi knock-outs. For example, the Arabidopsis GALAXY, a recent identified gene functioning in meiotic recombination is being characterized. Chromosome behaviors and protein localization would be examined to reveal gene function during meiosis. Techniques such as light and fluorescence microscopy, confocal and electronic microscopy are very important in our daily research.

Collaborators:
Dr. Alan G. Smith, University of Minnesota, Department of Horticultural Science, and the Plant Reproductive Development Lab.  Dr. Smith is the senior faculty mentor for Dr. Chen during the new lab setting up.

Dr. Ernest F. Retzel, National Center for Genome Resources.

Dr. Christian Thill, University of Minnesota, Department of Horticultural Science.

We welcome interactions from members of the Horticultural Science and Biology communities about topics of mutual interests, including collaborations of various extents. Work opportunities on different levels are available.

Work study positions:
A lab assistant position is available for managing our data generated from microarray and Solexa sequencing.

References:
Chen C*, Smith AG, Ma H (2007). Plant meiocyte collection for genome research. (Manuscript; * correspondence for material distribution)

Chen C, Liang Y, Xu Y, Zhao D, Kong H, Zhao Y, Xu Z, Ma H, Chong K* (2007).  OSK1, encoding a yeast SKP1 homologue, regulates the cell polarity during rice male gametophyte development. (Manuscript; *correspondence for material distribution).

Sun Y,  Hord C, Chen C, Ma H (2007). Regulation of Arabidopsis early anther development by putative cell-cell signaling molecules and transcriptional regulators. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology. 49 (1), 60-68.

Zhang W*, Sun Y*, Timofejeva L, Chen C, Grossniklaus U, Ma H (2006).  Regulation of Arabidopsis tapetum development and function by DYSFUNCTIONAL TAPETUM1 (DYT1) encoding a putative bHLH transcription factor. Development. 133, 3085-3095. (* These authors contributed equally to this work)

Hord C*, Chen C*, DeYoung B, Clark S,  Ma H (2006).The BAM1/BAM2 Receptor-Like Kinases are important regulators of Arabidopsis early anther development.  Plant Cell. 18, 1667-1680. (* These authors contributed equally to this work)

Su Y,  Kwon C, Bezhani S, Huvermann B, Chen C,  Peragine A, Kennedy J,  Wagner D (2006). The N-terminal ATPase AT-hook-containing region of the

Arabidopsis chromatin-remodeling protein SPLAYED is sufficient for biological activity. Plant Journal. 46, 685-699.

Wijeratne A*, Chen C*, Zhang W*, Timofejeva L, Ma H (2006). The Arabidopsis thaliana PARTING DANCERS gene encoding a novel protein is required for normal meiotic homologous recombination. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 17, 1331-1343. . (* These authors contributed equally to this work)

Li C, Liang Y, Chen C, Li J,  Xu Y, Xu Z, Ma H, Chong K (2006). Cloning and expression analysis of TSK1, a wheat SKP1 homologue, and functional comparison with Arabidopsis ASK1 in male meiosis and auxin signaling. Functional Plant Biology. 33, 381-390.

Chen C*, Zhang W*, Timofejeva L, Gerardin Y, Ma H (2005). The Arabidopsis ROCK-N­-ROLLERS gene encodes a homolog of the yeast ATP-dependent DNA helicase MER3 and is required for normal meiotic crossover formation. Plant Journal. 43, 321-334. (* These authors contributed equally to this work)

Kwon C, Chen C, Wagner D (2005). WUSCHEL is a primary target for transcriptional regulation by SPLAYED in dynamic control of stem cell fate in Arabidopsis. Genes & Development. 19, 992-1003.

Wang Z, Liang Y, Li C, Xu Y, Lan L, Zhao D, Chen C, Xu Z, Xue Y*, Chong K*  (2005). Microarray analysis of gene expression involved in anther development in rice (Oryza sativa L.) Plant Molecular Biology. 58, 721-737. (* Correspondence authors)

Chen C, Xu Y, Ma H, Chong K (2005). Cell biological characterization of male meiosis and microspore development in rice (Oryza sativa). Journal of Integrative Plant Biology. 47, 734-744 (cover).

Wang Z*, Chen C*, Xu Y, Jiang R, Han Y, Xu Z, Chong K (2004). A practical vector for efficient knockdown of gene expression in rice (Oryza sativa). Plant Molecular Biology Reporter. 22, 409-417. (* These authors contributed equally to this work).

Li W, Chen C, Markmann-Mulisch U, Timofejeva L, Schmelzer E, Ma H*, Reiss B* (2004). The Arabidopsis RAD51 gene is dispensable for vegetative growth but required for meiosis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 101, 10596-10601.(*Correspondence authors)

Wang X, Han Y, Chen C, Chong K, Xu Z (2004). Wheat RANi affects microtubules integrity and nucleocytoplasmic transport in fission yeast system. Acta Botanica Sinica. 46, 940-947.

Chen C, Marcus A, Li W, Hu Y, Vielle Calzada J, Grossniklaus U, Cyr R, Ma H (2002). The Arabidopsis ATK1 gene is required for spindle morphogenesis in male meiosis. Development. 129, 2401-2409 (cover).

Chen C*, Xu Y*, Zeng M, Huang H (2001). Genetic control by Arabidopsis genes LEUNIG and FILAMENTOUS FLOWER in gynoecium. Journal of Plant Research. 114,465-469. (* These authors contributed equally to this work).

Zhao D, Yu Q, Chen C, Ma H (2001). Genetic control of reproductive meristem. In:  Meristematic tissues in plant growth and development (editors: McManus M and Veit B), pp 89-142. Sheffield Academic Press Ltd., Sheffield, England.

Chen C, Wang S, Huang H (2000). LEUNIG has multiple functions in gynoecium development in Arabidopsis. Genesis. 26, 42-54.

Ma W, Chen C, Li H (1998). Higher plants and diversity. China High Education Press, Beijing & Springer-Verlag Inc, Heidelburg.