Professor of Cell Biology

Minjiang Scholar

Contact Information

Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, No. 15 Shangxiadian Road, Fuzhou, Fujian, China

Email: chenxu@fafu.edu.cn

Education

2004-2009, Ph.D., Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. 

2000-2004, B.S., Xiamen University, Fujian, China.

Professional Experience

2015-Present, Professor, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China

2013- 2015, Postdoc Fellow, Institute of Science and Technology (IST), Austria

2010-2013, Postdoc Fellow, Ghent University, Belgium 

Research Interests

Root is the basic plant organ that lies below the soil. On one hand, root uptakes water, nutrients to provide the sufficient resources for plant development; on the other hand, root establishes the symbiotic space for the interaction between plant, soil and rhizosphere microorganisms. The phytohormone auxin plays important roles in root morphogenesis. Auxin modulates primary root and lateral root development by the controls of cell expansion and cell division events. We are studying root morphogenesis in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, horticulture plant strawberry and crop plant soybean, especially to understand the molecular mechanisms how auxin regulates cell expansion and cell division. These findings are important for better understanding how an optimal root structure establishes, meanwhile the knowledge gained from model plant can be translated into crop.

1. Study on molecular mechanisms of tunable growth-defense tradeoff in controlling root cell expansion and division in Arabidopsis.
2. Study on molecular mechanisms of tunable growth-defense tradeoff in controlling nodule formation in soybean.

Rea

Publications（*corresponding author）

Ke M#, Ma Z#, Wang D, Sun Y, Wen C, Huang D, Chen Z, Yang L, Tan S, Li R, Friml J, Miao Y^*, Chen X^*. (2020). Salicylic Acid regulates PIN2 auxin transporter hyper-clustering and root gravitropic growth via Remorin-dependent lipid nanodomain organization. New Phytol. doi: 10.1111/nph.16915. Online ahead of print.

Xue C, Guan SC, Chen JQ, Wen CJ, Cai JF, Chen X^*. (2020). Genome Wide Identification and Functional Characterization of Strawberry Pectin Methylesterases Related to Fruit Softening. BMC Plant Biol. 20(1):13.

Huang D, Sun Y, Ma Z, Ke M, Cui Y, Chen Z, Chen C, Ji C, Tran TM, Yang L, Lam SM, Han Y, Shui G, Wei Z, Tan S, Liao K, Friml J, Miao Y, Jiang L, Chen X^*. (2019). Salicylic Acid-Mediated Plasmodesmal Closure via Remorin-dependent Lipid Organization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 116:21274-21284.

Sun Y, Huang D, Chen X^*. (2019). Dynamic regulation of plasmodesmatal permeability and its application to horticultural research. Hortic Res. 6:47.

Qiu Y, Guan SC, Wen C, Li P, Gao Z, Chen X^*. (2019). Auxin and cytokinin coordinate the dormancy and outgrowth of axillary bud in strawberry runner. BMC Plant Biol. 19: 528.

Ke M, Gao Z, Chen J, Qiu Y, Zhang L, Chen X^*. (2018). Auxin controls circadian flower opening and closure in the waterlily. BMC Plant Biol. 18: 143.

Chen X^*, Wu S, Liu Z, Friml J. (2016). Environmental and Endogenous Control of Cortical Microtubule Orientation. Trends Cell Biol. 26:409-419.

Chen X, Grandont L, Li H, Hauschild R, Paque S, Abuzeineh A, Rakusová H, Benkova E, Perrot-Rechenmann C, Friml J^*. (2014). Inhibition of cell expansion by rapid ABP1-mediated auxin effect on microtubules. Nature 516, 90-93.

Chen X^*, Friml J^*. (2014). Rho-GTPase-regulated vesicle trafficking in plant cell polarity. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 42, 212-218. 

Chen X, Naramoto S, Robert S, Tejos R, Löfke C, Lin D, Yang Z, Friml J^*. (2012). ABP1 and ROP6 GTPase signaling regulate clathrin-mediated endocytosis in Arabidopsis roots. Curr. Biol. 22,1326-1232. 

Chen X, Irani NG, Friml J^*. (2011). Clathrin-mediated endocytosis: the gateway into plant cells. Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 14, 674-682.

Chen X#, Lin WH#, Wang Y, Luan S, and Xue HW^*. (2008). An inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase functions in PHOTOTROPIN1 signaling in Arabidopis by altering cytosolic Ca²⁺. Plant Cell 20, 353-366.

Ren H, Han J, Yang P, Mao W, Liu X, Qiu L, Qian C, Liu Y, Chen Z, Ouyang X, Chen X, Deng XW, Huang X. (2019). Two E3 Ligases Antagonistically Regulate the UV-B Response in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 116:4722-4731.

Chu YJ, Chen X, Xue HW^*. (2016). Ins(1,4,5)P3 Suppresses Protein Degradation in Plant Vacuoles by Regulating SNX-Mediated Protein Sorting. Mol. Plant 9:1440-1443. 

Wu S, O'Lexy R, Xu M, Sang Y, Chen X, Yu Q, Gallagher KL. (2016). Symplastic signaling instructs cell division, cell expansion, and cell polarity in the ground tissue of Arabidopsis thaliana roots. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A 113:11621-11626.

Grones P, Chen X, Simon S, Kaufmann WA, De Rycke R, Nodzyński T, Zažímalová E, Friml J^*. (2015). Auxin-binding pocket of ABP1 is crucial for its gain-of-function cellular and developmental roles. J. Exp. Bot. 66, 5055-5065. 

Sassi M, Ali O, Boudon F, Cloarec G, Abad U, Cellier C, Chen X, Gilles B, Milani P, Friml J, Vernoux T, Godin C, Hamant O, Traas J^*. (2014). An Auxin-Mediated Shift toward Growth Isotropy Promotes Organ Formation at the Shoot Meristem in Arabidopsis. Curr. Biol. 24, 2335-2342.

Xu T, Dai N, Chen J, Nagawa S, Cao M, Li H, Zhou Z, Chen X, De Rycke R, Rakusová H, Wang W, Jones AM, Friml J, Patterson SE, Bleecker AB, Yang Z^*. (2014). Cell surface ABP1-TMK auxin-sensing complex activates ROP GTPase signaling. Science 343,1025-1028. 

Lin D, Nagawa S, Chen J, Cao L, Chen X, Xu T, Li H, Dhonukshe P, Yamamuro C, Friml J, Scheres B, Fu Y, Yang Z^*. (2012). A ROP GTPase-dependent auxin signaling pathway regulates the subcellular distribution of PIN2 in Arabidopsis roots. Curr. Biol. 22, 1319-1325. 

Ding Z, Wang B, Moreno I, Dupláková N, Simon S, Carraro N, Reemmer J, Pěnčík A, Chen X, Tejos R, Skůpa P, Pollmann S, Mravec J, Petrášek J, Zažímalová E, Honys D, Rolčík J, Murphy A, Orellana A, Geisler M, Friml J^*. (2012). ER-localized auxin transporter PIN8 regulates auxin homeostasis and male gametophyte development in Arabidopsis. Nat. Commun. 3, 941.

Zhang J, Vanneste S, Brewer PB, Michniewicz M, Grones P, Kleine-Vehn J, Löfke C, Teichmann T, Bielach A, Cannoot B, Hoyerová K, Chen X, Xue HW, Benková E, Zažímalová E, Friml J^*. (2011). Inositol trisphosphate-induced Ca2+ signaling modulates auxin transport and PIN polarity. Dev. Cell 20, 855-866.

Xue H^*, Chen X, and Mei Y. (2009). Function and Regulation of Phospholipid Signaling in Plants. Biochem. J. 421, 145-156.

Wang Y, Lin WH, Chen X, and Xue HW^*. (2009). The role of Arabidopsis 5PTase13 in root gravitropism through modulation of vesicle trafficking. Cell Res. 19, 1191-1204.

Xue H^*, Chen X, and Li G. (2007). Involvement of phospholipid signaling in plant growth and hormone effects. Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 10, 483-489.