Recognizing Plant Physiology first authors: Wenqian Chen

First author of Histone deacetylase HDA19 affects root cortical cell fate by interacting with SCARECROW

Name: Wenqian Chen

Current Position: Post-doc at laboratory of RDP (Reproduction and Development of Plants) in ENS-Lyon

Education: PHD and BA in College of Life Science, Peking University, Beijing;

Non-scientific Interests: reading fictions, swimming, traveling and cooking

Brief bio: In my initiate research stage, I was interested in pattern formation during biological development. Under the supervision of Prof. Shu-Nong Bai and Zhi-Hong Xu, we took Arabidopsis root epidermal differentiation as working system because of its simplicity, although after further study we found this differentiation pattern is under complicated regulation. Through a genetic screening, I found 3 HDACs and 2 HATs genes that could affect epidermal cellular patterning. In this article, we elucidated how HDA19 controls epidermal cell fate through regulating the differentiation of cortical cells. Besides, I also took part in the work of HDA6 and HDA18, each affecting different targets to control root epidermis patterning.

Currently, I work with Jan Traas as a postdoc to study the pattern formation on shoot apical meristem. We try to decipher how mechanical force and feedbacks, combining with biochemical factors, control the organ initiation order on the meristem.

Wenqian CHEN (陈文倩), First author of Histone deacetylase HDA19 affects Arabidopsis root cortical cell fate by interacting with SCARECROW

我刚进入研究领域时，对于生物发育中的模式形成很感兴趣：生命体中一个个有序的组织结构是如何形成的呢？硕博期间，在我的导师白书农教授和许智宏教授的指导下，选用了拟南芥根表皮细胞的分化系统作为对象来探索模式形成的规律。虽然这个系统看上去非常简单，但是深入研究表明它内在的调控机理还是相当复杂多样的。我从突变体筛选入手，找到了3个HDACs和2个HATs基因参与根表皮细胞的分化。在这篇Plant Physiology文章中，我们揭示其中一个HDAC：HDA19能够通过调控里层的皮层组织中的基因表达来对外层的表皮细胞分化施加影响。另外，我也协同参与了其它2个HDACs：HDA6和HDA18的调控机制研究，发现它们的调控对象各有不同。

目前，拟南芥根表皮细胞分化的工作暂时告一段落。我以博士后的身份加入里昂高师Jan Traas的研究组，以茎端分生组织为研究对象。我们希望解析细胞壁的机械力和细胞反馈机制是如何对于茎端上器官产生的顺序和位置造成影响，以及这种影响和生长素等其它生化因子之间存在怎样的相互作用。