Lab Member Since: May, 2011

Educational Background:

Ph.D., Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.
M.S., Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
B.S., Horticulture, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China.

Current Research Focus:

My research focuses on:

1) building the soybean genomic resource through the isolation of transcription factor (TF) full-length open reading frames (ORFs), particularly focusing on factors likely involved in regulation of genes associated with drought response and seed development, and

2) functional analysis of a subset of  TFs controlling drought resistance. The goal of this research is to establish the primary regulatory network by studying TF-DNA interactions using techniques including ChIP-Seq, and to provide candidate genes for generating transgenic soybean lines with increased yield under drought conditions. 

Publications:

1. Kong Q, Pattanaik S, Feller A, Werkman J, Chai C, Xie H, Naik S , Grotewold E, Yuan L.  A regulatory switch enforced by bHLH and ACT domain-mediated dimerizations of the maize transcription factor R. PNAS (In preparation)
2. Wang Y, Chai C, Grotewold E Mu1 regulation of A1 gene expression in maize (Zea mays L.). (In preparation)
3. Chai C, Xie Z, Grotewold E (2011) SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential Enrichment), as a powerful tool for deciphering the protein-DNA interaction space. In Methods Mol Biol. Yuan L and Perry S (ed) Humana Press, NJ. 754:249-5
4. Chai C, Fang J, Liu Y, Tong H, Gong Y, Wang Y, Liu M, Wang Y, Qian Q, Cheng Z, Chu C. (2011) ZEBRA2, encoding a carotenoid isomerase, is involved in photoprotection in rice. Plant Mol Biol, 75(3):211-21
5. Fornalé S, Shi X, Chai C, Encina A, Irar S, Capellades M, Fuguet E, Torres J-L, Rovira P, Puigdomènech P, Rigau J, Grotewold E, Gray J, Caparrós-Ruiz, D (2010) ZmMYB31 directly represses the maize COMT gene and redirects the phenylpropanoid metabolic flux. Plant J, 64(4):633-44
6. Chai C, Feller A, Morohashi K, Schmidt R, Gray J, Grotewold E (2009) Finding Direct Targets of Maize Transcription Factors. Poster presented in 51st Annual Maize Genetics Conference, St. Charles, Illinois, USA March 12-15, 2009.
7. Wang Y, Xiao Y, Zhang Y, Chai C, Wei G, Wei X, Xu H, Ouwerkerk PBF, Wang M, Zhu Z. (2008) Molecular cloning, functional characterization and expression analysis of a novel monosaccharide transporter gene OsMST6 from rice (Oryza sativa L.). Planta, 228(4):525-35
8. Fang J*, Chai C*, Qian Q*, (*: co-first author) Li C, Tang J, Sun L, Huang Z, Guo X, Liu M, Lu Q, Wang Y, Lu C, Han B, Chen F, Cheng Z, Chu C. (2008) Mutations of genes in synthesis of the carotenoid precursors of ABA lead to preharvest sprouting and photo-oxidation in rice. Plant J, 54(2):177-189.
9. Wang YQ, Wei XL, Xu HL, Chai CL, Meng K, Zhai HL, Sun AJ, Peng YG, Wu B, Xiao GF, Zhu Z (2008) Cell-wall invertases from rice are differentially expressed in caryopsis during the grain filling stage. J Integr Plant Biol, 50 (4): 466–474.
10. Wang Y, Xu H, Wei X, Chai C, Xiao Y, Zhang Y, Chen B, Xiao G, Ouwerkerk PBF, Wang M, Zhu Z (2007) Molecular cloning and expression analysis of a monosaccharide transporter gene OsMST4 from rice (Oryza sativa L.). Plant Mol Biol, 65:439-451.
11. Chai C, Li S, Xu Y, Song W (2004) Assimilates distribution in young peach plants during water stress and after removing water stress. Acta Hortic Sinica, 31(5): 574-578.
12. Chai C, Li S, Xu Y (2001) Carbohydrate metabolism in peach leaves during water stress and after stress relief. Plant Physiol Commun, 37: 495-498.
13. Xu Y, Li S, Chai C, Liu G, Chen S (2001) Carbohydrate metabolism in source leaves of Jonagold apple tree under water stress and after water stress relief. J Fruit Sci, 18 (1): 1-6.