# overview
My research interests are focused on the signaling regulation of bone and tooth development. Currently, my lab is focused on two kinases on the secretory pathway that are critical for bone and tooth development, Fam20B and Fam20C. I am also interested in mapping the pathogenic genes for bone and tooth diseases in mutant mice/humans. We characterize the gene function using multidisciplinary methods, including genetically engineered animal models, tissue/organ culture/transplantation, Single Cell RNA-Seq, ISH, IHC, and proteomic approaches.

Key words: bone, cartilage, tooth, dentin, enamel, chondrocytes, transgenic, genetics, signaling, FAM20C, FAM20B, kinase, mineralization, FGF23

# keywords[]
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

# keywords[]
Phex Phosphate Regulating Neutral Endopeptidase

# keywords[]
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

# keywords[]
Suppressor Of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein

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Suppressor Of Cytokine Signaling Proteins

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Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
The Ohio State University - (Columbus, Ohio, United States)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
Texas A&M Health Science Center - (College Station, Texas, United States)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
Fourth Military Medical University - (Xi'an, Shaanxi, China)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
Fourth Military Medical University - (Xi'an, Shaanxi, China)

# awardsAndHonors[].label
Harold M. Frost Young Investigator Award

# publications[].label
Inactivation of Fam20b in the neural crest-derived mesenchyme of mouse causes multiple craniofacial defects.

# publications[].label
Key proteolytic cleavage site and full-length form of DSPP.

# publications[].label
Long Noncoding RNA Lnc-SEMT Modulates IGF2 Expression by Sponging miR-125b to Promote Sheep Muscle Development and Growth.

# publications[].label
Mutation analysis of MEPE and IBSP genes in two DGI-II families

# publications[].label
Proteoglycans and Glycosaminoglycans in Stem Cell Homeostasis and Bone Tissue Regeneration.

# publications[].label
Isolation of SIBLING Proteins from Bone and Dentin Matrices.

# publications[].label
Inactivation of Fam20B in the dental epithelium of mice leads to supernumerary incisors.

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Characterization of Fam20C expression in odontogenesis and osteogenesis using transgenic mice.

# publications[].label
EZH2 and Endometrial Cancer Development: Insights from a Mouse Model.

# publications[].label
The importance of a potential phosphorylation site in enamelin on enamel formation.

# publications[].label
Detection and Quantitation of Label-Retaining Cells in Mouse Incisors using a 3D Reconstruction Approach after Tissue Clearing.

# publications[].label
Abrogation of Fam20c altered cell behaviors and BMP signaling of immortalized dental mesenchymal cells.

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Immortalized Mouse Floxed Fam20c Dental Papillar Mesenchymal and Osteoblast Cell Lines Retain Their Primary Characteristics.

# publications[].label
The phosphorylation of serine55 in enamelin is essential for murine amelogenesis.

# publications[].label
Failure to process dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) into fragments leads to its loss of function in osteogenesis.

# publications[].label
Differential expression and localization of dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) fragments in mouse submandibular glands.

# publications[].label
Dentinal mineralization is not limited in the mineralization front but occurs along with the entire odontoblast process.

# publications[].label
Inactivation of a novel FGF23 regulator, FAM20C, leads to hypophosphatemic rickets in mice.

# publications[].label
FAM20C regulates osteoblast behaviors and intracellular signaling pathways in a cell-autonomous manner.

# publications[].label
Transgenic expression of Dspp partially rescued the long bone defects of Dmp1-null mice.

# publications[].label
Expression of FAM20C in the osteogenesis and odontogenesis of mouse.

# publications[].label
FAM20C plays an essential role in the formation of murine teeth.

# publications[].label
The spatiotemporal expression pattern of Syndecans in murine embryonic teeth.

# publications[].label
The rescue of dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1)-deficient tooth defects by the transgenic expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) indicates that DSPP is a downstream effector molecule of DMP1 in dentinogenesis.

# publications[].label
Inactivation of Fam20C in cells expressing type I collagen causes periodontal disease in mice.

# publications[].label
Whole-Mount In Situ Hybridization of Mouse Embryos Using DIG-Labeled RNA Probes.

# publications[].label
The specific role of FAM20C in dentinogenesis.

# publications[].label
Family with sequence similarity member 20C is the primary but not the only kinase for the small-integrin-binding ligand N-linked glycoproteins in bone.

# publications[].label
[IRF6 gene mutation analysis in a van Der Woude syndrome family in Henan province].

# publications[].label
Failure to process dentin sialophosphoprotein into fragments leads to periodontal defects in mice.

# publications[].label
Partial Blocking of Mouse DSPP Processing by Substitution of Gly451–Asp452 Bond Suggests the Presence of Secondary Cleavage Site(s)

# publications[].label
Distribution of small integrin-binding ligand, N-linked glycoproteins (SIBLING) in the condylar cartilage of rat mandible.

# publications[].label
Novel mutations in the IRF6 gene for Van der Woude syndrome.

# publications[].label
Abrogation of epithelial BMP2 and BMP4 causes Amelogenesis Imperfecta by reducing MMP20 and KLK4 expression.

# publications[].label
An in situ hybridization study of syndecan family during the late stages of developing mouse molar tooth germ.

# publications[].label
The Importance of Serine Phosphorylation of Ameloblastin on Enamel Formation.

# publications[].label
Role of the NH2 -terminal fragment of dentin sialophosphoprotein in dentinogenesis.

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In Situ Hybridization on Mouse Paraffin Sections Using DIG-Labeled RNA Probes.

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Expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein in non-mineralized tissues.

# publications[].label
Endurance exercise is a leptin signaling mimetic in hypothalamus of Wistar rats.

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Axin2+-Mesenchymal PDL Cells, Instead of K14+ Epithelial Cells, Play a Key Role in Rapid Cementum Growth.

# publications[].label
Glycosaminoglycan chain of dentin sialoprotein proteoglycan.

# publications[].label
Overexpressing the NH2-terminal fragment of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) aggravates the periodontal defects in Dspp knockout mice.

# publications[].label
The specific role of FAM20C in amelogenesis.

# publications[].label
FAM20B-catalyzed glycosaminoglycans control murine tooth number by restricting FGFR2b signaling.

# publications[].label
Overexpression of Dmp1 fails to rescue the bone and dentin defects in Fam20C knockout mice.

# publications[].label
A genetic analysis of Van Der Woude syndrome families

# publications[].label
Twist1 Is Essential for Tooth Morphogenesis and Odontoblast Differentiation.

# publications[].label
Proteolytic processing of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) is essential to dentinogenesis.

# publications[].label
Inactivation of Fam20B in Joint Cartilage Leads to Chondrosarcoma and Postnatal Ossification Defects.

# researcherOn[].label
The Role of FAM20B-Catalyzed Proteoglycans in Tooth Development

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

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

# researcherOn[].label
Role of FAM20C in the Phosphorylation of SIBLING Protein

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

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

# researcherOn[].label
The Role of FAM20B-Catalyzed Proteoglycans in Tooth Development

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

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

# streetAddress
Texas A&M University College of Dentistry; Biomedical Sciences; 3302 Gaston Avenue