Introduction

　　Cuijun Zhang, Principle Investigator, Doctoral Advisor, “Outstanding Young Talent” of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science (CAAS). He mainly focuses on epigenetic regulation of gene expression in plant. He has published several papers in Nature Communications, The EMBO Journal, Cell Research, PLoS Genetics, Plant Physiology, Journal of Proteomics, etc.

　　Working Experience

　　2019.10–Present             Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen-CAAS              Professor    

　　2019.5–2019.9                Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences                 Professor          

　　2015.8–2019.4                Purdue University                                                                    Postdoctoral researcher                                        

　　2015.4–2015.8                Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biologyassociate                 Professor         

　　2010.7–2015.4                National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing                   Research Associate         

　　Education Experience

　　2005.9–2010.6                Hebei Normal University              Ph.D& Master         

　　2001.9–2005.6                Hebei Normal University              Bachelor         

　　Research Interest

　　We use model plants and important crops as our research materials. We integrated the use of DNA methylome, histone-modification maps, transcriptome, proteome, and gene editing approaches to study: 1) the fundamental mechanisms of chromatin-based gene regulation; 2) the biological roles of epigenetic regulation in plant development and environmental adaptation. In addition, we focus on the development of new epigenetic tools for crop precise design.

　　Major Achievements

　　Through genetic mutant screening and proteomics studies, we identified several new genes which involved in regulating DNA methylation level and transposon silencing. Our findings improved the understanding of RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) and revealed the dynamic control of transcriptional silencing. In addition, through affinity purification and mass spectrometry analysis, we identified a plant specific heterochromatin binding protein that regulates heterochromatic DNA methylation. We revealed the molecular basis for the specific recognition of H3K9me2 mark and established an additional linkage between H3K9me2 and heterochromatic DNA methylation.

　　Selected Publication

　　1.   Zhang CJ *, Du X*, Tang K*, Yang ZL, Pan L, Zhu PP, Luo JY, Jiang YW, Zhang H, Wan HF, Wang XG, Wu FK, Tao WA, He XJ, Du JM, Zhu JK. (2018) Arabidopsis AGDP1 links H3K9me2 to DNA methylation in heterochromatin. Nature Communications, 9, 4547 (* equal contribution)   

　　2.   Tan LM*, Zhang CJ*, Hou XM, Shao CR, Li YQ, Li L, Cai T, Chen S, He XJ. (2018) The PEAT protein complexes are required for histone deacetylation and heterochromatin silencing. EMBO Journal, 37, e100573 (* equal contribution)     

　　3.   Zhang CJ*, Hou XM*, Tan LM, Shao CR, Huang HW, Li YQ, Li L, Cai T, Chen S, He XJ. (2016) The Arabidopsis acetylated histone-binding protein BRAT1 forms a complex with BRP1 and prevents transcriptional silencing. Nature Communications, 7,11715 (* equal contribution)

　　4.   Zhang CJ*, Zhou JX*, Liu J*, Ma ZY, Zhang SW, Dou K, Huang HW, Cai T, Zhu JK, He XJ. (2013) The splicing machinery promotes RNA-directed DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing in Arabidopsis. EMBO Journal, 32, 1128-40. (* equal contribution)

　　5.   Zhang CJ, Ning YQ, Zhang SW, Chen Q, Shao CR, Guo YW, Zhou JX, Li L, Chen S, He XJ. (2012) IDN2 and its paralogs form a complex required for RNA-directed DNA methylation. PLoS Genetics, 8, e1002693.

　　6.   Liu J*, Bai G*, Zhang CJ*, Chen W, Zhou JX, Zhang SW, Chen Q, Deng X, He XJ, and Zhu JK. (2011) An atypical component of RNA-directed DNA methylation machinery has both DNA methylation-dependent and-independent roles in locus-specific transcriptional gene silencing. Cell Research, 21, 1691-1700. (*equal contribution)

　　7.   Zhang CJ, and Guo Y. (2012) OsTRXh1 regulates the redoxstate of the apoplast and influences stress responses in rice. Plant Signal Behav., 7, 441-443.

　　8.   Zhang CJ*, Zhao BC*, Ge WN, Zhang YF, Song Y, Sun DY, and Guo Y. (2011) An apoplastic h-type thioredoxin is involved in the stress response through regulation of the apoplastic reactive oxygen species in rice. Plant Physiol., 157, 1884-1899. (*equal contribution)

　　9.   Song Y*, Zhang CJ*, Ge WN, Zhang YF, Burlingame AL, and Guo Y. (2011) Identification of NaCl stress-responsive apoplastic proteins in rice shoot stems by 2D-DIGE. J Proteomics, 74, 1045-1067. (* equal contribution)