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Yanhai Yin
Associate Professor

Yanhai Yin

Research Description

My lab is interested in understanding how plant growth is controlled by internal growth regulators (hormones) in response to environmental cues, focusing on plant steroid hormones called brassinosteroids (BRs) and a new signaling pathway (HERCULES) that we have recently discovered to promote plant growth. Our long-term goal is to define the molecular mechanisms and genetic networks through which plant steroid and other hormones regulate gene expression and plant growth, development and responses to environment.

1. Network and Mechanism for Brassinosteroid (BR) Regulated Gene Expression and Responses: We and others have previously established that BRs function through BES1 and BZR1 family transcriptional factors to mediate BR responses (Yin et al, 2002; 2005; Wang et al, 2002, He et al, 2005, Zhao et al, 2002). We have recently identified BES1 direct target genes by ChIP-chip (chromatin Immunoprecipitation and genomic tiling arrays) and established a BR gene regulatory network (GRN) by computational modeling (Yu, Li et at, 2011, Li et al, 2009), in collaboration with several groups (Steve Rodermel of GDCB, Srinivas Aluru of Computer Engineering, and Peng Liu of Statistics). We are currently studying the functions of genes identified in the GRN and their roles in BR signaling. By genetic approaches, we have recently discovered that BES1 recruits histone modifying enzymes (ELF6/REF6, Yu et al. 2008) and a highly conserved transcription regulator (IWS1/SPN1, Li et al, 2010) in the regulation of BR target genes. IWS1/SPN1 is implicated in gene expression processes after RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) recruitment in yeast and human cells.  Our finding that BES1 recruits IWS1/SPN1 to regulate many BR-regulated genes establishes a new mechanism for the regulation of gene expression after RNAPII recruitment. In collaboration with Patrick Schnable¹s lab, we are investigating the mechanisms by which these general transcriptional regulators are regulated by BR signaling by genomic and genetic studies.

2. The Functions and Signal Transduction Pathways of the HERCULES Receptor-Like Kinases (HERK): We have recently discovered that several CrRLK1L family receptor kinase genes, including HERK1, HERK2, THE1 (THESEUS 1) and FER (FERONIA), are regulated by BRs and involved in plant growth (Guo et al., 2009a; 2009b).  We are using multidisciplinary approaches to identify ligands and downstream signaling components of the HERK pathway in plant growth. Understanding the signal transduction pathway of these receptor kinases and their interactions with the BR pathway will not only increase our knowledge about the regulation of plant growth, but also have important applications in increasing biomass and grain yield in crops.

Contact Information

1035D Roy J Carver Co-Lab
Ames, IA 50011
515-294-4816 voice

Education

B.S., Biology, Sichuan University, Chendu, China, 1985
M.S., Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, 1988
Ph.D., Macromolecular and Cellular Structure and Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, 1997

Publications

  • Ye H, Li L, Yin Y (2011) Recent advances in the regulation of brassinosteroid signaling and biosynthesis pathways. J. Integr. Plant Biol. 53, 455–468.
  • Yu, X*, Li, L*, Zola, J, Aluru, M, Ye, H, Foudree, A, Guo, H, Anderson, S, Aluru, S, Liu, P, Rodermel, S, and Yin, Y. (2011) A Brassinosteroid transcriptional network revealed by genome-wide identification of BES1 target genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J. 65: 634-646. (*co-first authors).
  • Li, L., Yu, X., Ye, H, Guo, H., Yin Y*. (2010). Arabidopsis IWS1 interacts with transcription factor BES1 and is involved in Brassinosteroid regulated gene expression. PNAS. 107:3918-3923.
  • Ye, Q., Zhu, W., Li, L.,Yin, Y., Ma, H., Wang, X. 2010. Brassinosteriods control male fertility by regulating the expression of key genes involved in Arabidopsis anther and pollen development. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107: 6100-6105.
  • Guo, H., Li, L., Ye, H., Yu, X., Algreen, A.,Yin, Y. 2009. Three related receptor-like kinases are required for optimal cell elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106:7648-7653.
  • Li, L., Yu, X., Thompson, A, Guo, M. Yoshida, S., Asami, T., Chory, J, Yin Y. 2009. Arabidopsis MYB30 is a direct target of BES1 and cooperates with BES1 to regulate brassinosteroid target gene expression. Plant J. 58:275-286 .
  • Guo, H., Ye, H., Li, L.,Yin, Y. 2009. A Family of Receptor-Like Kinases Are Regulated by BES1 and Involved in Plant Growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Signaling & Behavior 4:784-786.
  • Srivastava, R., Liu, J., Guo, H., Yin, Y., Howell, S. 2009. Regulation and processing of a plant peptide hormone, AtRALF23, in Arabidopsis. Plant J. 59:930-939.
  • Tong, H., Jin, Y., Liu, W., Li, F., Yin Y., Qian, Q., Zhu, L. and Chu, C. 2009. Dwarf and low-tillering, a new member of the GRAS family, plays positive roles in brassinosteroid signaling in rice. Plant J. 58:803-816.
  • Salas Fernandez, M.G., Becraft, P.W., Yin, Y., Lübberstedt, T. 2009. From dwarves to giants? Plant height manipulation for biomass yield. Trend Plant Sci 14:454-461.
  • Yu, X., Li, L., Li, L., Guo, H., Chory, J., Yin, Y. 2008. Modulation of brassinosteroid-regulated gene expression by Jumonji domain-containing proteins ELF6 and REF6 in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:7618-7623.
  • Yin, Y. Vafeados, D., Tao, Y., Yoshida, S., Asami, T., Chory, J. 2005. A new class of transcription factors mediates brassinosteroid-regulated gene expression in Arabidopsis. Cell 120: 249-259.
  • Mora-Garcia, S., Vert, G., Yin, Y., Cano-Delgado, A., Cheong, H., and Chory, J. 2004. Nuclear protein phosphotases with Kelch-repeat domains modulate the response to bassinosteroids in Arabidopsis. Genes & Development 18: 448-460.
  • Caño-Delgado, A. *, Yin , Y. *, Yu. C. *, Vafeados, D., Mora-García, S., Cheng, J-C., Nam, K.H.2, Li, J. and Chory, J. 2004. BRL1 and BRL3 are novel brassinosteroid receptors that function in vascular differentiation in Arabidopsis. Development 131:5341-5351 (*cofirst authors).
  • Yin, Y., Wu, D., and Chory, J. 2002. Plant receptor kinases: systemin receptor identified. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99: 9090-9092.
  • Yin, Y., Cheong, H., Friedrichsen, D., Zhao, Y., Hu, J., Mora-Garcia, S., and Chory, J. 2002. A crucial role for putative Arabidopsis topoisomerase VI in plant growth and development. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99: 10191-10196.
  • Yin, Y., Wang , Z-Y., Mora-Garcia, S., Li, J., Yoshida, S., Asami, T., and Chory, J. 2002. BES1 acccumulates in the nucleus in response to brassinosteroid to regulate gene expression and promotes stem elongation. Cell 109: 181-191.
  • Petruccelli S, Dai S, Carcamo R, Yin Y., Chen S, and Beachy, R.N. 2001. Transcription factor RF2a alters expression of the rice tungro bacilliform virus promoter in transgenic tobacco plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98:7635-7640.
  • Yin, Y., Zhu, Q., Dai, S., Lamb, C. and Beachy, R.N. 1997. RF2a, a bZIP transcriptional activator of the phloem-specific rice tungro bacilliform virus promoter, functions in vascular development. EMBO J. 16: 5247-5259.