Botany - UBC

photo: Elaine Simons	Jin-Gui Chen Research \| Teaching \| Team \| Publications e-mail: jingui@interchange.ubc.ca office phone: (604) 822-2823 lab phone: (604)822-9242 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Botany Ph.D. Plant Physiology (1997) Nanjing Agricultural University (China); Royal Fellowship (1997-1998), Horticulture Research International (UK); Postdoctoral Research Fellow (1998-2001), Senior Research Associate (2001-2004), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA).
Research Interests: We study the signal transduction networks in plant cells. We are particularly interested in elucidating the molecular mechanism of actions of heterotrimeric G-proteins and RACK1 scaffold proteins in plant hormone signalling, and the regulation of plant development by transcription factors. Signal molecules, such as plant hormones, regulate diverse processes in plant growth and development. Genetic screens have yielded various signalling components. However, it remains unclear how these components interact with each other, how signals are integrated, how the specificity and fidelity are achieved, and the mechanism of signal transduction at the molecular level. One mechanism by which eukaryotic cells are able to integrate multiple signals is through the organized proximity of signalling components using scaffold proteins. The ß propeller motif has emerged as a common platform for integrating various signals. ß propeller proteins are diverse; one member of this large family of proteins is designated as Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1). We are taking biochemical, molecular and genetic approaches to answer the following questions: (i) With what proteins does RACK1 interact? (ii) In what physiological pathways is RACK1 playing a regulatory role? (iii) Which signals regulate others via the scaffolding properties of RACK1? We are also investigating the relationship between RACK1 and the heterotrimeric G-protein complex in plants. We are examining if RACK1 and the heterotrimeric G-proteins could constitute a signalling complex to regulate diverse signal transduction pathways in plant cells. This requires a better understanding of the signals coupled by the heterotrimeric G-protein complex and its downstream components.

Courses Taught: BIOL 352 - Plant Physiology BIOL 362 - Cellular Physiology BIOL 448 - Directed Studies in Biology BOTA 501 - Seminar in Botany

Research Team: Jim Guo (PhD candidate) Qingning Zeng (PhD candidate) Junbi Wang (Visiting PhD student) Shucai Wang (postdoctoral research fellow) Lijun (Lucy) Gan (Visiting Scientist) Ying Chang (Visiting Professor) Lab Alumni: Graduate student(s): Jia Cheng (2006-2009, MSc student) Undergraduate researchers: Mandy Alamwala (2009), Asal Ghazal (2008), Mohammad Emami (2008), Hyun-Kung Lee (2007-2008), Sarah Mak (2007), Cameron Grisdale (2007), Vanessa Lee (2007, 2008), Angela Yu (2007), Sophia Zhao (2007), Sherry Liu (2006-2007), Linda Lin (2006-2007), Candy Luk (2006-2007), Carol Tsang (2006), Phoebe Lee (2006) Visiting professors/scientists: Ying Chang (2006-2007), Yajun Gao (2005-2007)

Selected Publications: 1. Guo J, Wang S, Wang J, Huang WD, Liang J, Chen JG (2009) Dissection of the relationship between RACK1 and heterotrimeric G-proteins in Arabidopsis. Plant & Cell Physiology 50: 1681-1694. 2. Guo J, Wang J, Xi L, Huang WD, Liang J, Chen JG (2009) RACK1 is a negative regulator of ABA responses in Arabidopsis. Journal of Experimental Botany 60: 3819-3833. 3. Sack FD, Chen JG (2009) Pores in place. Science 323: 592-593. 4. Guo J, Chen JG (2008) RACK1 genes regulate plant development with unequal genetic redundancy in Arabidopsis. BMC Plant Biology 8: 108. 5. Wang S, Chen JG (2008) Arabidopsis transient expression analysis reveals that activation of GLABRA2 may require concurrent bindings of GLABRA1 and GLABRA3 to the Promoter of GLABRA2. Plant & Cell Physiology 49: 1792-1804. 6. Guo J, Zeng Q, Emami M, Ellis BE, Chen JG (2008) The GCR2 gene family is not required for ABA control of seed germination and early seedling development in Arabidopsis. PLoS ONE 3: e2982. 7. Wang S, Hubbard L, Chang Y, Guo J, Schiefelbein J, Chen JG (2008) Comprehensive analysis of single-repeat R3 MYB proteins in epidermal cell patterning and their transcriptional regulation in Arabidopsis. BMC Plant Biology 8: 81. 8. Gao Y, Wang S, Asami T, Chen JG (2008) Loss-of-function mutations in the Arabidopsis heterotrimeric G-protein a subunit enhance the developmental defects of brassinosteroid signaling and biosynthesis mutants. Plant & Cell Physiology 49: 1013-1024. 9. Chen JG (2008) Heterotrimeric G proteins in plant development. Frontiers in Bioscience 13: 3321-3333. 10. Wang S, Kwak SH, Zeng Q, Ellis BE, Chen XY, Schiefelbein J, Chen JG (2007) TRICHOMELESS1 regulates trichome patterning by suppressing GLABRA1 in Arabidopsis. Development 134: 3873-3882. 11. Wang S, Chang Y, Guo J, Chen JG (2007) Arabidopsis Ovate Family Protein 1 is a transcriptional repressor that suppresses cell elongation. Plant Journal 50: 858-872. 12. Gao Y, Zeng Q, Guo J, Cheng J, Ellis BE, Chen JG (2007) Genetic characterization reveals no role for the reported ABA receptor, GCR2, in ABA control of seed germination and early seedling development in Arabidopsis. Plant Journal 52: 1001-1013. 13. Chen JG (2007) Sweet sensor, surprising partners. Science’s STKE 2007, pe7. 14. Chen JG, Gao Y, Jones AM (2006) Differential roles of Arabidopsis heterotrimeric G-protein subunits in modulating cell division in roots. Plant Physiology 141: 887-897 (on the cover). 15. Chen JG, Ullah H, Temple B, Liang J, Guo J, Alonso JM, Ecker JR, Jones AM (2006) RACK1 mediates multiple hormone responsiveness and developmental processes in Arabidopsis. Journal of Experimental Botany 57: 2697-2708. 16. Pandey S, Chen JG, Jones AM, Assmann SM (2006) G-protein complex mutants are hypersensitive to ABA-regulation of germination and post-germination development. Plant Physiology 141: 243-256 (contributed equally). 17. Chen JG, Pandey S, Huang J, Alonso JM, Ecker JR, Assmann SM, Jones AM (2004) GCR1 can act independently of heterotrimeric G protein in response to brassinosteroids and gibberellins in Arabidopsis seed germination. Plant Physiology* 135: 907-915. 18. Chen JG, Willard FS, Huang J, Liang J, Chasse SA, Jones AM, Siderovski DP (2003) A seven-transmembrane RGS protein that modulates plant cell proliferation. Science 301: 1728-1731. 19. Ullah H, Chen JG, Temple B, Boyes DC, Alonso JM, Davis KR, Ecker JR, Jones AM (2003) The ?-subunit of the Arabidopsis G protein negatively regulates auxin-induced cell division and affects multiple developmental processes. Plant Cell 15: 393-409 (contributed equally). 20. Ullah H, Chen JG, Wang S, Jones AM (2002) Role of a heterotrimeric G protein in regulation of Arabidopsis seed germination. Plant Physiology* 129: 897-907 (contributed equally). 21. Ullah H, Chen JG, Young JC, Im KH, Sussman MR, Jones AM (2001) Modulation of cell proliferation by heterotrimeric G protein in Arabidopsis. Science* 292: 2066-2069. 22. Chen JG, Ullah H, Young JC, Sussman MR, Jones AM (2001) ABP1 is required for organized cell elongation and division in Arabidopsis embryogenesis. Genes & Development 15: 902-911 (on the cover). 23. Chen JG, Shimomura S, Sitbon F, Sandberg G, Jones AM (2001) The role of auxin-binding protein 1 in the expansion of tobacco leaf cells. Plant Journal 28: 607-617.


Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 3529-6270 University Blvd. Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 \| Phone: 604-822-2133 Fax: 604-822-6089 © 2007 UBC Department of Botany \| Feedback \| Privacy statement \| Terms of Use