Publications

Ruan, Z-R., Yu, Z., Xing, C., and Chen, E.H. (2024)
Inter-organ steroid hormone signaling promotes myoblast fusion via direct transcriptional regulation of a single key effector gene.
Curr Biol. Online ahead of print. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.056.

Lu, Y., Walji, T., Ravaux, B., Pandey, P., Li, B., Lam, K. H., ... & Chen, E. H. (2023)  
Molecular Regulation of Invasive Protrusion Formation at the Mammalian Fusogenic Synapse 
bioRxiv, 2023-11.

Cornelius, S., Colonetta, M., Lake, K., Smith, C., Zhang, Y. A., Roussos-Torres, E., Reddy, S., Chen, E., Chan, I. (2022) 
Generating and Imaging Mouse and Human Epithelial Organoids from Normal and Tumor Mammary Tissue Without Passaging 
Journal of Visualized Experiments: Jove, (189).

Wang, L., Choi, K., Su, T., Li, B., Wu, X., Zhang, R., Driskill, J., Li, H., Lei, H., Guo, P., Chen, E. H., & Pan, D. (2022)
Multiphase coalescence mediates Hippo pathway activation
Cell 185, 4376-4393.

Wu, P., Yong, P., Zhang, Z., Xu, R., Shang, R., Shi, J., Zhang, J., Bi, P., Chen, E.H., Du, S. (2022)
Loss of Myomixer results in defective myoblast fusion, impaired muscle growth, and severe myopathy in zebrafish
Mar Biotechnol 24(5), 1023-1038.

Chen, E.H. (2022)
To fuse or divide, that was the question
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. doi: 10.1038/s41580-022-00533-3

Wu, B. K., Mei, S. C., Chen, E. H., Zheng, Y., & Pan, D. (2022)
Yap induces an oncogenic transcriptional program through TET1-mediated epigenetic remodeling in liver growth and tumorigenesis
Nat Genet 54, 1202-13.

*Luo, Z., Shi, J., Pandey, P., Ruan, Z., Lu, Y., Sevdali, M., Bu, Y., Du, S., and Chen E.H. (2022) 
The cellular architecture and molecular determinants of the zebrafish fusogenic synapse
Dev Cell 13, 1582-97 (featured article).

Zheng, C., Hu, Y., Sakurai, M., Pinzon-Arteaga, C.A., Li, J., Wie, Y., Okamura, D,. Ravaux, B., Barlow, H.R., Yu, L., Sun, H.X., Chen, E.H., Gu, Y., Wu, J. (2021)
Cell competition constitutes a barrier for interspecies chimerism
Nature 592, 272-276.

*Zhang, R., Lee, D.M., Jimah, J.R., Gerassimov, N., Yang, C., Kim, S., Luvsanjav, D., Winkelman, J., Metteln, M., Abrams, M.E., Kalia, R., Keene, P., Pandey, P., Ravaux, B., Kim, J.H., Ditlev, J.A., Zhang, G., Rosen, M.K., Frost, A., Alto, N.M., Gardel, M., Schmid, S.L., Svitkina, T.M., Hinshaw, J.E., and Chen, E.H. (2020)
Dynamin regulates the dynamics and mechanical strength of the actin cytoskeleton as a multifilament actin-binding protein
Nat. Cell Biol. 22, 674-688. (cover article).
Faculty Opinions
UT Southwestern Medical Center news release

Kim, J.H. and Chen, E.H. (2019)
The fusogenic synapse at a glance 
J Cell Sci. 132(18).

Lee, D.M. and Chen, E.H. (2019)
Drosophila Myoblast Fusion: Invasion and Resistance for the Ultimate Union
Annu. Rev. Genet. 53, 67-91.

Andrew, D.J., Chen, E.H., Manoli, D.S., Ryner, L.C., and Arbeitman, M.N. (2019)
Sex and the single fly: A perspective on the career of Bruce S. Baker 
Genetics 212, 365-376.

*Duan, R., Kim, J.H., Shilagardi, K., Schiffhauer, E., Lee, D.M., Son, S., Li, S., Thomas, C., Luo, T., Fletcher, D.A., Robinson, D.N., and Chen, E.H. (2018)
Spectrin is a mechanoresponsive protein shaping fusogenic synapse architecture during myoblast fusion
Nat. Cell Biol. 20, 688-698.

Shi, J., Bi, P., Pei, J., Li, H., Grishin, N.V., Bassel-Duby, R., Chen, E.H.#, and Olson, E.N.# (2017)
Requirement of the fusogenic micropeptide myomixer for muscle formation in zebrafish
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A 114, 11950-11955.

Antonny, B., Burd, C., De Camilli, P., Chen, E.H., Daumke, O., Faelber, K. Ford, M., Frolov, V.A., Frost, A., Hinshaw, J.E., Kirchhausen, T., Kozlov, M.M., Lenz, M., Low, H.H., McMahon, H., Merrifield, C., Pollard, T.D., Robinson, P.J., Roux, A., Schmid, S.
Membrane fission by dynamin: what we know and what we need to know 
EMBO J. 35(21):2270-2284

*Kim, J.H., Jin, P., Duan, R., and Chen, E.H. (2015)
Mechanisms of myoblast fusion during muscle development
Curr Opin Genet Dev.32:162-70.

Kim, J.H., Ren, Y, Ng, W.P., Li, S., Kee, Y.S., Son, S., Zhang, S., Zhang, G., Fletcher, D.A., Robinson, D.N., and Chen, E.H. (2015)
Mechanical tension drives cell membrane fusion
Dev. Cell 32, 561-573. (Featured article)
NIH Biomedical Beat
Developmental Cell Preview

Chen, E. and Sedwick, C. (2014)
Elizabeth Chen: Fusing cells press closer
J. Cell Biol. 206, 576-577.

*Shilagardi, K., Li, S., Luo, F., Marikar, F., Duan, R., Jin, P., Kim, J., Murnen, K., and Chen, E.H. (2013)
Actin-propelled invasive membrane protrusions promote fusogenic protein engagement during cell-cell fusion 
Science 340, 359-363.
Nature Research Highlight
Johns Hopkins University news release

Duan, R., Jin, P., Luo, F., Zhang, G., Anderson, N., Chen, E.H. (2012)
Group I PAKs function downstream of Rac to promote podosome invasion during myoblast fusion in vivo 
J. Cell Biol. 199, 169-185.

Chen, E.H. (2011)
Invasive podosomes and myoblast fusion
In Membrane Fusion, L. V. hernomordik and M. M. Kozlov, eds. (Elsevier, USA), 235-258

*Jin, P., Duan, R., Luo, F., Zhang, G., Hong, N., and Chen, E.H. (2011)
Competition between Blown fuse and WASP for WIP binding regulates the dynamics of WASP-dependent actin polymerization in vivo
Dev. Cell 20, 623-638.

*Sens, K.L., Zhang, S., Jin, P., Duan, R., Zhang, G., Luo, F., Parachini, L., and Chen, E.H. (2010)
An invasive podosome-like structure promotes fusion pore formation during myoblast fusion 
J. Cell Biol. 191, 1013-1027.
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology Research Highlight
Journal of Cell Biology news release
Current Biology Dispatch
Johns Hopkins University news release

Zhang, S., and Chen, E.H. (2008)
Ultrastructural analysis of myoblast fusion in Drosophila
In Cell Fusion, E. H. Chen ed. (the Humana Press Inc., New Jersey), 275-297.

Kim, S., Shilagardi, K., Zhang, S., Hong, S.N., Sens, K.L., Bo, J., Gonzalez, G.A., and Chen, E.H. (2007)
A critical function for the actin cytoskeleton in targeted exocytosis of prefusion vesicles during myoblast fusion 
Dev. Cell 12, 571-586.
Developmental Cell Preview

Chen, E.H., Grote, E., Mohler, W.A., and Vignery, A. (2007)
Cell-cell fusion 
FEBS Letters 581, 2181-2193.

Chen, E.H., and Olson, E.N. (2005)
Unveiling the mechanisms of cell-cell fusion 
Science 308, 369-373

Chen, E.H., and Olson, E.N. (2004)
Towards a molecular pathway of myoblast fusion in Drosophila 
Trends in Cell Biology 14, 452-460.

Chen, E.H., Pryce, B.A., Tzeng J.A., Gonzalez, G.A., and Olson, E.N. (2003)
Control of myoblast fusion by a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Loner, and its effector ARF6 
Cell 114, 751-762.
Developmental Cell Preview

Chen, E.H., and Olson, E.N. (2001)
Antisocial, an intracellular adaptor protein, is required for myoblast fusion in Drosophila
Dev. Cell 1, 705-715.

 

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Positions are available for highly motivated and creative postdoctoral fellows and graduate students who are interested in cell-cell fusion, muscle development, actin cytoskeleton, mechanobiology, and membrane biology.