Julian Chen

Julian Chen

Professor,
School of Molecular Sciences
Other ASU affiliations
Professor, Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution
  • jlchen@asu.edu
  • Phone: 480-965-3650
  • ‌
  • BDC-C553 Biodesign C TEMPE, AZ 85281-2115
  • Mail code: 1604
    Campus: Tempe
  • ‌
Biography Research Teaching
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Long Bio

Julian J.-L. Chen is a Professor of Biochemistry at Arizona State University. His research interests are in structure and function of RNA molecules and ribonucleoprotein complexes. He received his Ph.D degree in molecular biology and biochemistry from Indiana University, Bloomington. He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University before he joined the faculty of Arizona State University in 2004. His research at ASU focuses on the structure, function and evolution of telomerase ribonucleoprotein complexes in cells. Telomerase is an enzyme essential for maintaining telomere length at chromosome ends in most eukaryotes. Because of its role in chromosome stability, telomerase regulation is a critical step in tumorigenesis and aging. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism of telomerase function will have significant impact on the development of therapeutics for human cancer and aging.

Education
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
  • Ph.D., Indiana University-Bloomington
Research Website URL
http://www.public.asu.edu/~jchen61/ChenLab/Home.html
Google Scholar URL
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bB30T9kAAAAJ&hl=en
Experts.asu.edu URL
https://asu.pure.elsevier.com/en/persons/julian-chen
Research Interests

We are interested in understanding the structure, function and evolution of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes in cells. Our attention currently focuses on the telomerase RNP enzyme, a unique reverse transcriptase essential for maintaining telomere length in most eukaryotes. Telomeres act as caps at the ends of chromosomes, and are required for chromosome stability.

Telomerase elongates telomere length by adding telomeric repeats to chromosome ends to counterbalance the natural shortening that occurs during DNA replication. Because of its role in chromosome stability, telomerase regulation is a critical step in tumorigenesis and aging. To maintain chromosome stability and infinite growth, telomerase is activated in immortal cells such as stem cells, germ line as well as 90% of human tumors. Moreover, patients with dyskeratosis congenita, a disease of premature aging, carry a mutation in the telomerase RNA (TR) or the telomerase reverse transcriptase protein (TERT) genes

Elucidation of the molecular mechanism of telomerase function is the main goal of our lab and will have significant medical implications in cancer and aging. Our goals are to understand (1) how telomerase RNP is assembled and regulated in cells, (2) how different components of the complex participate in the regulation of telomerase function, and (3) how this RNP complex evolved in different eukaryotes. Our research employes a variety of approaches involving biochemical and biophysical techniques, as well as molecular genetics and molecular biology.

Research Group

News

  • ASU scientists discover dual-function messenger RNA. 2022
  • Can plants tell us something about longevity? 2019
  • Breakthrough discovery in plants’ DNA may lead to slowing aging process in humans. 2019

  • 'Missing link' between pond scum and humans discovered, holds promise for cancer research

  • Scientists take steps to unlock the secrets to the fountain of youth, 2014 

 

Publications
  • Logeswaran, D., Y. Li, K. Akhter, J.D. Podlevsky, T.L. Olson, K. Forsberg and J.J.-L. Chen (2022) Biogenesis of telomerase RNA from a protein-coding mRNA precursor. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 119(41): e2204636119. (PDF). 
  • Shakirov, E.V., J.J.-L. Chen and D.E. Shippen (2022) Plant telomere biology: the green solution to the end-replication problem. The Plant Cell 34(7): 2492-2504 (Review) (PDF). 
  • Logeswaran, D., J.D. Podlevsky and J.J.-L. Chen (2022) Telomeres and telomerase. In Encyclopedia of Cell Biology, Second Edition, R. Bradshaw and P. Stahl, eds. Waltham, MA: Elsevier Press.
  • Logeswaran, D. and J.J.-L. Chen (2021) Effects of Telomerase Activation. In Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging, Vol. 1, D. Gu and M. Dupre, eds. Springer Press. p.1573-1579.
  • Logeswaran, D., Y. Li, J.D. Podlevsky and J.J.-L. Chen (2020). Monophyletic origin and divergent evolution of animal telomerase RNA. Molecular Biology and Evolution. 38(1): 215-28 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa203 (PDF)
  • Song, J., D. Logeswaran, C. Castillo-González, Y. Li, S. Bose, B. Aklilu, Z. Ma, A. Polkhovskiy, J.J.-L. Chen* and D.E. Shippen* (2019). The conserved structure of plant telomerase RNA provides the missing link for an evolutionary pathway from ciliates to humans. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 116(49): 24542-24550 (*co-corresponding)(PDF)
  • Chen, Y., J.D. Podlevsky, D. Logeswaran and J.J.-L. Chen (2018). A single nucleotide incorporation step limits human telomerase repeat addition activity. EMBO J. 37:e97953, DOI 10.15252/emboj.201797953. (PDF)
  • Donaires, F.S., N.F. Scatena, R.M. Alves-Paiva, J.D. Podlevsky, B.A. Santana, A.C. Teixeira, J.J.-L. Chen, R.T. Calado and A.L.C. Martinelli (2017). Telomere biology and telomerase mutations in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. PLoS ONE 12(8): e0183287. (PDF)
  • Podlevsky, J.D., Y. Li and J.J.-L. Chen (2016) The functional requirement of two structural domains within telomerase RNA emerged early in eukaryotes. Nucleic Acids Research 44(20): 9891-9901. (PDF) 
  • Podlevsky, J.D. and J.J.-L. Chen (2016) Evolutionary perspectives of telomerase RNA structure and function. RNA Biology 13(8): 720-730. (PDF)
  • Podlevsky, J.D., Y. Li and J.J.-L. Chen (2016) Structure and function of echinoderm telomerase RNA. RNA 22(2): 204-215.
  • Qi, X., D.R. Rand, J.D. Podlevsky, Y. Li, A. Mosig, P.F. Stadler and J.J.-L. Chen (2015) Prevalent and distinct spliceosomal 3'-end processing mechanisms for fungal telomerase RNA. Nature Communications 6, 6105.(PDF)
  • Stanley, S.E., J.J.-L. Chen, J.D. Podlevsky, J.K. Alder, N.N. Hansel, R. Mathias, X. Qi, N.N. Rafaels, R.A. Wise, E.K. Silverman, K.C. Barnes and M. Armanios (2015) Telomerase mutations in smokers with emphysema. The Journal of Clinical Investigation 125(2), 563-570.
  • J.J.-L. Chen and, J.D. Podlevsky (2015) Telomeres and telomerase. In Encyclopedia of Cell Biology, Vol. 1, R. Bradshaw and P. Stahl, eds. Waltham, MA: Academic Press, p. 418-425.  
  • Brown, A.F., J.D. Podlevsky, X. Qi, Y. Chen, M. Xie and J.J.-L. Chen (2014) A self-regulating template in human telomerase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111(31): 11311-11316. (PDF)
  • Huang, J., A.F. Brown, J. Wu, J. Xue, C.J. Bley, D.P. Rand, L. Wu, R. Zhang, J.J.-L. Chen* and M. Lei* (2014) Structural basis for protein-RNA recognition in telomerase. Nature Structural and Molecular Biology 21: 507-512. (*co-corresponding)
  • Brown, A.F., J.D. Podlevsky and J.J.-L. Chen (2014) Telomerase: A eukaryotic DNA polymerase specialized in telomeric repeat synthesis. In Nucleic Acid Polymerases-1st edition, K. Murakami and M. Trakselis, eds., Springer Press. p.215-236.
  • Li, Y., J.D. Podlevsky, M. Marz, X. Qi, S. Hoffmann, P.F. Stadler and J.J.-L. Chen (2013) Identification of purple sea urchin telomerase RNA using a next-generation sequencing based approach. RNA 19: 852-860. (PDF)
  • Gramatges, M.M., X. Qi, G.S. Sasa, J.J.-L. Chen* and A.A. Bertuch* (2013) A homozygous telomerase T motif variant resulting in markedly reduced repeat addition processivity in siblings with Hoyeraal Hreidarsson syndrome. Blood 121(18): 3586-3593. (*contributed equally)
  • Podlevsky, J.D. and J.J.-L. Chen (2012) It all comes together at the ends: Structure, function, and biogenesis of telomerase. Mutation Research 730: 3-11. (Review)
  • Qi, X., Y. Li, S. Honda, S. Hoffmann, M. Marz. A. Mosig, J.D. Podlevsky, P.F. Stadler, E.U. Selker and J.J.-L. Chen (2012) The common ancestral core of vertebrate and fungal telomerase RNAs. Nucleic Acids Research 41: 450-462. (PDF)
  • Qi, X., M. Xie, A.F. Brown, C.J. Bley, J.D. Podlevsky and J.J.-L. Chen (2012) RNA/DNA hybrid binding affinity determines telomerase template translocation efficiency. EMBO J. 31: 150-161. (PDF)
  • Tzfati, Y. and J.J.-L. Chen (2012) Telomerase RNA: Structure, function, and molecular mechanisms. In Telomerases: Chemistry, Biology and Clinical Applications-1st edition, N.F. Lue and C. Autexier, eds., John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p.23-51.
  • Bley, C.J., X. Qi, D.P. Rand, C.R. Borges, R.W. Nelson and J.J.-L. Chen (2011) RNA-protein binding interface in the telomerase ribonucleoprotein. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108(51): 20333-20338. (PDF)
  • Parry, E.M., J.K. Alder, X. Qi, J.J.-L. Chen and M.Y. Armanios (2011) Syndrome complex of bone marrow failure and pulmonary fibrosis predicts germline defects in telomerase. Blood 117 (21): 5607-5611.
  • Alder, J.K., J.D. Cogan, A.F. Brown, C.J. Anderson, W.E. Lawson, P.M. Lansdorp, J.A. Phillips 3rd, J.E. Loyd, J.J.-L. Chen, and M.Y. Armanios (2011) Ancestral mutation in telomerase causes defects in repeat addition processivity and manifests as familial pulmonary fibrosis. PLoS Genetics 7(3): e1001352.
  • Xie, M., J.D. Podlevsky, X. Qi, C.J. Bley and J.J.-L. Chen (2010) A novel motif in telomerase reverse transcriptase regulates telomere repeat addition rate and processivity. Nucleic Acids Research 38: 1982-1996.(PDF)
  • Stadler,P.F., J.J.-L. Chen, J. Hackermuller, S. Hoffmann, P. Khaitovich, A. Kretzschmar, A. Mosig, S.J. Prohaska, X. Qi, K. Schutt and K. Ullmann (2009) Evolution of vault RNAs. Molecular Biology and Evolution 26: 1975-1991.
  • Alder, J.K., J.J.-L Chen, L. Lancaster, S. Danoff, S.C. Su, M. Prince, I. Vulto, M. Xie, X. Qi, R.M. Tuder, J.A. Phillips, P.M. Lansdorp, J.E. Loyd and M.Y. Armanios (2008) Short telomeres are a risk factor for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 105: 13051-13056.
  • Ye, Y., W. Wen, Y. Xiang, X. Qi, J.T. LaBelle, J.J.-L. Chen and J. Wang (2008) Direct electrochemical monitoring of RNase activity. Electroanalysis 20: 919-922.
  • Xie, M., A. Mosig, X. Qi, Y. Li, P.F. Stadler and J.J.-L. Chen (2008) Structure and function of the smallest vertebrate telomerase RNA from teleost fish. Journal of Biological Chemistry 283: 2049-2059. (PDF)
  • Podlevsky, J.D., C.J. Bley, R.V. Omana, X. Qi and J.J.-L. Chen (2008) The telomerase database. Nucleic Acids Research 36: D339-D343.
  • Li, Y., J.A. Yates and J.J.-L. Chen (2007) Identification and characterization of sea squirt telomerase reverse transcriptase. Gene 400: 16-24.
  • Xiang, Y, M. Xie, R. Bash, J.J.-L. Chen and J. Wang (2007) Ultrasensitive label-free aptamer-based electronic detection. Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed. 46(47): 9054-9056.
  • Mosig, A, J.J.-L. Chen and P.F. Stadler (2007) Homology search with fragmented nucleic acid sequence patterns. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. 4645: 335-345.
  • Armanios, M., J.J.-L. Chen, W.E. Lawson, J.K. Alder, R.G. Ingersoll, C. Markin, M. Xie, J. Cogan, J.A. Philips III, P.M. Lansdorp, C.W. Greider and J.E. Loyd  (2007) Telomerase mutations in families with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. New England Journal of Medicine 356: 1317-1326.
  • Lin, C., M. Xie, J.J.-L Chen, Y. Liu and H. Yan (2006) Rolling-circle amplification of a DNA nanojunction. Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed. 45: 7537-7539.
  • Marquez, S.M., J.L Chen, D. Evans and N.R. Pace (2006) Structure and function of eukaryotic ribonuclease P RNA. Molecular Cell 24: 445-456.
  • Armanios, M., J.J.-L Chen, Y.-P. Chang, R. A. Brodsky, A. Hawkins, C.A. Griffin, J.R. Eshleman, A. Chakravarti, A. Hamosh and C.W. Greider (2005) Haploinsufficiency of hTERT leads to anticipation in autosomal dominant dyskeratosis congenital. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102: 15960-15964.
  • Chen, J.-L. and C.W. Greider (2005) Telomerase biochemistry and biogenesis. In Telomeres-2nd edition, T. deLange, E. Blackburn and V. Lundblad, eds., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. p.49-79.
  • Chen, J.-L. and C.W. Greider (2005) Functional analysis of the pseudoknot structure in human telomerase RNA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102: 8080-8085.
  • Chen, J.-L. and C.W. Greider (2004) An emerging consensus for telomerase RNA structure. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101: 14683-14684.
  • Chen, J.-L. and C.W. Greider (2004) Telomerase RNA structure and function: implications for dyskeratosis congenita. Trends in Biochemical Sciences 29: 183-192.
  • Chen, J.-L. and C.W. Greider (2003) Template boundary definition in mammalian telomerase. Genes & Development 17: 2747-2752.
  • Chen, J.-L. and C.W. Greider (2003) Determinants in mammalian telomerase RNA that mediate enzyme processivity and cross-species incompatibility. EMBO J. 22: 304-314.
  • Chen, J.-L., K.K. Opperman and C.W. Greider (2002) A critical stem-loop structure in the CR4-CR5 domain of mammalian telomerase RNA. Nucleic Acids Research 30: 592-597.
  • Chen, J.-L., M.A. Blasco and C.W. Greider (2000) Secondary structure of vertebrate telomerase RNA. Cell 100: 503-514.
  • Thomas, B.C., A.V. Kazantsev, J.-L. Chen and N.R. Pace (2000) Photoaffinity cross-linking and RNA structure analysis. Methods in Enzymology 318: 136-147.
  • Chen, J.-L., J.M. Nolan, M.E. Harris and N.R. Pace (1998) Comparative photocross-linking analysis of the tertiary structures of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis RNase P RNAs. EMBO J. 17: 1515-1525.
  • Harris, M.E., A.V. Kazantsev, J.-L. Chen and N.R. Pace (1997) Analysis of the tertiary structure of the ribonuclease P ribozyme-substrate complex by site-specific photoaffinity crosslinking. RNA 3: 561-576.
  • Chen, J.-L. and N.R. Pace (1997) Identification of the universally conserved core of ribonuclease P RNA. RNA 3: 557-560.
Research Activity
  • Chen,Julian J-L*. Molecular Mechanism of Telomerase Action. HHS-NIH-NIGMS(8/1/2011 - 5/31/2020).
  • Chen,Julian J-L*. Biogenesis and Evolution of Fungal Telomerase RNA. NSF-BIO-MCB(8/1/2016 - 5/31/2019).
  • Chen,Julian J-L*. CAREER: Molecular Evolution of Telomerase Ribonucleoprotein: A Phylogenetic Study of Telomerase RNA Structure and Function. NSF-BIO(6/15/2007 - 5/31/2013).
Courses
2025 Spring
Course Number Course Title
BCH 392 Intro to Research Techniques
BCH 492 Honors Directed Study
BCH 493 Honors Thesis
CHM 392 Intro to Research Techniques
CHM 492 Honors Directed Study
CHM 493 Honors Thesis
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
CHM 392 Intro to Research Techniques
BCH 392 Intro to Research Techniques
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
BDE 799 Dissertation
BCH 392 Intro to Research Techniques
2024 Fall
Course Number Course Title
BCH 361 Principles of Biochemistry
BCH 392 Intro to Research Techniques
BCH 492 Honors Directed Study
BCH 493 Honors Thesis
CHM 392 Intro to Research Techniques
CHM 492 Honors Directed Study
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
CHM 493 Honors Thesis
BCH 392 Intro to Research Techniques
CHM 392 Intro to Research Techniques
2024 Summer
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
2024 Spring
Course Number Course Title
BCH 361 Principles of Biochemistry
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
BDE 799 Dissertation
2023 Fall
Course Number Course Title
BCH 361 Principles of Biochemistry
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
2023 Summer
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
2023 Spring
Course Number Course Title
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
BDE 799 Dissertation
2022 Fall
Course Number Course Title
BCH 361 Principles of Biochemistry
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
2022 Summer
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
2022 Spring
Course Number Course Title
BCH 361 Principles of Biochemistry
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
BDE 792 Research
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
BDE 799 Dissertation
2021 Fall
Course Number Course Title
BCH 361 Principles of Biochemistry
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
2021 Summer
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
2021 Spring
Course Number Course Title
BCH 361 Principles of Biochemistry
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
2020 Fall
Course Number Course Title
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
BCH 361 Principles of Biochemistry
2020 Summer
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
2020 Spring
Course Number Course Title
BCH 461 General Biochemistry
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
2019 Fall
Course Number Course Title
BCH 461 General Biochemistry
BIO 495 Undergraduate Research
Expertise Areas
Aging
Biochemistry
Bioscience
Biosystems Structure and Function
Molecular Basis of Health
Molecular Biology
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