# positions[].organizations[].parent[].label
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

# overview
Our laboratory focuses on systemic analysis of biochemical, molecular and biological functions of AGO family proteins (AGOs-mics) in genetically tractable Arabidopsis and economically important crops (i.e. rice). We'd like to identify the small RNAs, mRNA targets and protein components which associate with these AGOs. We will study protein/RNA and protein/protein interactions in these RISC assembly events. Our goal is to understand how these AGOs are functionally specialized or redundant corresponding to endogenous development cues and external environmental stimuli. Particularly, we'd like to learn how plants reprogram their gene expression through the small RNAs and AGOs to construct a new cellular niche in responses to environmental challenges and biotic stresses.

Another aspect of our research involves host/virus interaction. Plants take advantage of RNA silencing pathways to defend themselves from exogenous nucleic acid invaders (i.e. viruses). As an anti-host defense mechanism, viruses encode suppressors that can block RNA silencing responses. We have recently demonstrated that CMV 2b disables AGO1 cleavage activity to inhibit RNA silencing and to counter host defense. We are now extending our study to suppressors of several other viruses and the molecular mechanisms of their suppression.

# keywords[]
Thermostable Group Ii Intron Reverse Transcriptase

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
Cornell University - (Ithaca, New York, United States)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
Rockefeller University - (New York, New York, United States)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
Auburn University - (Auburn, Alabama, United States)

# awardsAndHonors[].label
Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program

# publications[].label
Lack of endoplasmic reticulum quality control (ERQC) promotes tonoplast (TP) targeting of KORRIGAN 1 (KOR1).

# publications[].label
From Suicide Enzyme to Catalyst: The Iron-Dependent Sulfide Transfer in Methanococcus jannaschii Thiamin Thiazole Biosynthesis.

# publications[].label
Deep sequencing of small RNAs specifically associated with Arabidopsis AGO1 and AGO4 uncovers new AGO functions.

# publications[].label
PRP4KA phosphorylates SERRATE for degradation via 20S proteasome to fine-tune miRNA production in Arabidopsis.

# publications[].publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

# publications[].label
Actions of plant Argonautes: predictable or unpredictable?

# publications[].label
Multiple Quality Control Mechanisms in the ER and TGN Determine Subcellular Dynamics and Salt-Stress Tolerance Function of KORRIGAN1.

# publications[].label
The functions of plant small RNAs in development and in stress responses.

# publications[].label
Argonautes compete for miR165/166 to regulate shoot apical meristem development.

# publications[].label
Arabidopsis AGO3 predominantly recruits 24-nt small RNAs to regulate epigenetic silencing.

# publications[].label
Identification and Quantification of Small RNAs.

# publications[].label
Trehalose Accumulation Triggers Autophagy during Plant Desiccation.

# publications[].label
Arabidopsis Argonaute10 specifically sequesters miR166/165 to regulate shoot apical meristem development.

# publications[].label
The AIP2 E3 ligase acts as a novel negative regulator of ABA signaling by promoting ABI3 degradation

# publications[].label
Small RNA-Sequencing Links Physiological Changes and RdDM Process to Vegetative-to-Floral Transition in Apple.

# publications[].label
Damage-tolerant nanotwinned metals with nanovoids under radiation environments.

# publications[].label
H3.1K27me1 loss confers Arabidopsis resistance to Geminivirus by sequestering DNA repair proteins onto host genome.

# publications[].label
The Arabidopsis E3 SUMO Ligase SIZ1 Regulates Plant Growth and Drought Responses

# publications[].label
Bidirectional processing of pri-miRNAs with branched terminal loops by Arabidopsis Dicer-like1.

# publications[].label
Bean Yellow Dwarf Virus replicons for high‐level transgene expression in transgenic plants and cell cultures

# publications[].label
Tomato leaf curl Yunnan virus-encoded C4 induces cell division through enhancing stability of Cyclin D 1.1 via impairing NbSK -mediated phosphorylation in Nicotiana benthamiana.

# publications[].label
HASTY moves to chromatin for miRNA production.

# publications[].label
The R-loop influences miRNA birth place.

# publications[].label
RISC-interacting clearing 3'- 5' exoribonucleases (RICEs) degrade uridylated cleavage fragments to maintain functional RISC in Arabidopsis thaliana.

# publications[].label
Degradation of SERRATE via ubiquitin-independent 20S proteasome to survey RNA metabolism.

# publications[].label
Functions and mechanisms of RNA helicases in plants.

# publications[].label
Arabidopsis Serrate Coordinates Histone Methyltransferases ATXR5/6 and RNA Processing Factor RDR6 to Regulate Transposon Expression.

# publications[].label
Spatiotemporal sequestration of miR165/166 by Arabidopsis Argonaute10 promotes shoot apical meristem maintenance.

# publications[].label
Genome-wide probing RNA structure with the modified DMS-MaPseq in Arabidopsis.

# publications[].label
KETCH1 imports HYL1 to nucleus for miRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis.

# publications[].publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

# publications[].label
Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition).

# publications[].label
C1 protein encoded in geminivirus satellite concertedly targets MKK2 and MPK4 to counter host defense.

# publications[].label
Transactivator: A New Face of Arabidopsis AGO1.

# publications[].label
Salt Stress and CTD PHOSPHATASE-LIKE4 Mediate the Switch between Production of Small Nuclear RNAs and mRNAs.

# publications[].label
The epigenetic factor FVE orchestrates cytoplasmic SGS3-DRB4-DCL4 activities to promote transgene silencing in Arabidopsis.

# publications[].publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

# publications[].label
Geminivirus-encoded TrAP suppressor inhibits the histone methyltransferase SUVH4/KYP to counter host defense.

# publications[].label
Cucumber mosaic virus-encoded 2b suppressor inhibits Arabidopsis Argonaute1 cleavage activity to counter plant defense

# publications[].label
MCUR1 Is a Scaffold Factor for the MCU Complex Function and Promotes Mitochondrial Bioenergetics.

# publications[].label
Genome-Wide Investigation of the Role of MicroRNAs in Desiccation Tolerance in the Resurrection Grass Tripogon loliiformis.

# publications[].label
Tomato is a highly effective vehicle for expression and oral immunization with Norwalk virus capsid protein

# publications[].label
Structured 3' UTRs destabilize mRNAs in plants.

# publications[].label
SWI2/SNF2 ATPase CHR2 remodels pri-miRNAs via Serrate to impede miRNA production.

# publications[].label
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana using the floral dip method.

# researcherOn[].label
Suppression mechanism of Geminivirus-encoded TrAP protein

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of General Medical Science

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Science Foundation - (Arlington, Virginia, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Role of the SERRATE protein in regulation of miRNA biogenesis and transposable element silencing in Arabidopsis thaliana

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Science Foundation - (Arlington, Virginia, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Roles of SWI/SNF complexes in posttranscriptional processing of RNA

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of General Medical Science

# researcherOn[].label
Exploring Geminivirus-encoded suppressor of histone methyltransferases as an anti-cancer drug

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas - (Austin, Texas, United States)

# streetAddress
Texas A&M University; Biochemistry & Biophysics; 2128 TAMU

# schools[]
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

# inTheNews[].label
President's Excellence Fund Hosts Virtual Symposium

# etdChairOf[].label
Hu, Fuqu (2014-08). Functional and Mechanistic  Insights of Arabidopsis thaliana Argonaute10 and Its Cofactor RICE1 in RNA Silencing. Doctoral Dissertation.