Zhe Chen, Ph.D.

Undergraduate

Tsinghua University (1995)

Graduate School

University of Texas at Dallas (2000), Computer Sciences

Graduate School

UT Southwestern Medical Center (2002)

• Our research focuses on structural and functional characterization of proteins in signal transduction. Experimental approaches include x-ray crystallography, small angle X-ray scattering, enzymology and spectroscopy.
• The G12 class heterotrimeric G proteins and the Rho-family monomeric GTPases. We are trying to understand how these G-proteins are regulated by various protein factors, and how they interact with downstream effectors to mediate a large variety of cellular functions.
• The pleckstrin-homology (PH) domains, with the emphasis on how these modular domains interact with proteins and lipids on membranes.

 Featured Publications

Activation of p115-RhoGEF requires direct association of Ga13 and the Dbl homology domain.

Chen Z, Guo L, Hadas J, Gutowski S, Sprang SR, Sternweis PC J. Biol. Chem. 2012 Jul 287 30 25490-500

Activated RhoA binds to the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of PDZ-RhoGEF, a potential site for autoregulation.

Chen Z, Medina F, Liu MY, Thomas C, Sprang SR, Sternweis PC J. Biol. Chem. 2010 Jul 285 27 21070-81

Structure of the p115RhoGEF rgRGS domain-Galpha13/i1 chimera complex suggests convergent evolution of a GTPase activator.

Chen Z, Singer WD, Sternweis PC, Sprang SR Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 2005 Feb 12 2 191-7

Structure of the rgRGS domain of p115RhoGEF.

Chen Z, Wells CD, Sternweis PC, Sprang SR Nat. Struct. Biol. 2001 Sep 8 9 805-9

Modulation of a GEF switch: autoinhibition of the intrinsic guanine nucleotide exchange activity of p115-RhoGEF.

Chen Z, Guo L, Sprang SR, Sternweis PC Protein Sci. 2011 Jan 20 1 107-17

Recognition of the activated states of Galpha13 by the rgRGS domain of PDZRhoGEF.

Chen Z, Singer WD, Danesh SM, Sternweis PC, Sprang SR Structure 2008 Oct 16 10 1532-43

Regulation of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors by G proteins.

Sternweis PC, Carter AM, Chen Z, Danesh SM, Hsiung YF, Singer WD Adv. Protein Chem. 2007 74 189-228

Structural basis of effector regulation and signal termination in heterotrimeric Galpha proteins.

Sprang SR, Chen Z, Du X Adv. Protein Chem. 2007 74 1-65

Mapping the Galpha13 binding interface of the rgRGS domain of p115RhoGEF.

Chen Z, Singer WD, Wells CD, Sprang SR, Sternweis PC J. Biol. Chem. 2003 Mar 278 11 9912-9

C2 domains from different Ca2+ signaling pathways display functional and mechanistic diversity

Nalefski EA, Wisner MA, Chen JZ, Sprang SR, Fukuda M, Mikoshiba K, Falke JJ Biochemistry 2001 10 40 3089-100