# 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

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Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

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Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

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Stem Cell Research - Nonembryonic - Non-human

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1.1 Normal Biological Development And Functioning

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Phex Phosphate Regulating Neutral Endopeptidase

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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
Fourth Military Medical University - (Xi'an, Shaanxi, China)

# 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)

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

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

# 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
Expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein in non-mineralized tissues.

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Inactivation of Fam20B in Joint Cartilage Leads to Chondrosarcoma and Postnatal Ossification Defects.

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FAM20C plays an essential role in the formation of murine teeth.

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Din Oversees Mesenchymal Stem Cell Homeostasis in Mouse Incisors.

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

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Proteolytic processing of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) is essential to dentinogenesis.

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

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

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Whole-Mount In Situ Hybridization of Mouse Embryos Using DIG-Labeled RNA Probes.

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

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Abrogation of Fam20c altered cell behaviors and BMP signaling of immortalized dental mesenchymal cells.

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The spatiotemporal expression pattern of Syndecans in murine embryonic teeth.

# 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
Mutation analysis of MEPE and IBSP genes in two DGI-II families

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

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Proteoglycans and Glycosaminoglycans in Stem Cell Homeostasis and Bone Tissue Regeneration.

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

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

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Partial Blocking of Mouse DSPP Processing by Substitution of Gly451–Asp452 Bond Suggests the Presence of Secondary Cleavage Site(s)

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

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Transgenic expression of Dspp partially rescued the long bone defects of Dmp1-null mice.

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EZH2 and Endometrial Cancer Development: Insights from a Mouse Model.

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

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Inactivation of Fam20C in cells expressing type I collagen causes periodontal disease in mice.

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

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Inactivation of a novel FGF23 regulator, FAM20C, leads to hypophosphatemic rickets in mice.

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

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Inactivation of Fam20B in the dental epithelium of mice leads to supernumerary incisors.

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Differential expression and localization of dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) fragments in mouse submandibular glands.

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

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Twist1 Is Essential for Tooth Morphogenesis and Odontoblast Differentiation.

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

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

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

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Inactivation of Fam20b in the neural crest-derived mesenchyme of mouse causes multiple craniofacial defects.

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A genetic analysis of Van Der Woude syndrome families

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Overexpression of Dmp1 fails to rescue the bone and dentin defects in Fam20C knockout mice.

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

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Dentinal mineralization is not limited in the mineralization front but occurs along with the entire odontoblast process.

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

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

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

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

# publications[].label
Characterization of Fam20C expression in odontogenesis and osteogenesis using transgenic mice.

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

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FAM20B-catalyzed glycosaminoglycans control murine tooth number by restricting FGFR2b signaling.

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

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

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

# 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
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

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