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Faculty
Research InterestsGenetic Control of Heart Development in Drosophila Congenital heart disease is the most common type of human birth defects, afflicting nearly 1% of newborns. Despite its major impact to human health, causes of congenital heart disease remain largely unknown, due to limited knowledge about genes controlling heart development. Previous studies have demonstrated that the genetic network governing heart development is highly conserved from Drosophila to human. Drosophila has the simplest heart, a highly compact and well-annotated genome, and the most sophisticated genetic tools, making it an ideal model system to identify and study genes involved in heart development at the post-genomic era. Recently, we generated a transgenic fly line carrying Green Fluorescent Protein specifically expressed in all the heart cells, making it possible for the first time to monitor both formation and function of the entire Drosophila heart in living animals. Using this transgene, we have performed a large-scale genetic screen to identify novel genes involved in heart development. We have identified over 50 novel cardiogenic genes. A group of these genes can be linked to establish a novel pathway regulating the integrity during heart development. This screen will be continuously carried on in our lab and the novel cardiogenic genes identified from this screen will be further characterized and studied. In parallel, we are also continuing the work on transcription regulation of cardiac genes and the functional mechanism of a group of highly conserved transcription factors and microRNAs, which play essential roles in heart development from Drosophila to human. Our long-term goal is to identify all the genes involved in Drosophila heart development, which will allow us to establish a genetic blue-print to illustrate how the heart is built step-by-step through elaborate regulation of gene networks. This blue-print will greatly facilitate our understanding of genetic control of heart development in other model systems, and provide insightful information for developing molecular diagnosis and gene therapies for congenital heart disease. Interested graduate students are encouraged to contact Dr. Han for rotation projects. Education2002 – 2004, Postdoc, Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, Mentor: Eric N. Olson, Ph.D. 1996 – 2002, Ph.D., Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, AnnArbor, Michigan, Mentor: Rolf Bodmer, Ph.D. Honors and Awards2006 Biological Sciences Scholar, University of Michigan 2006 Genetics Society of America, 47th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, Poster Award 2006-2009 American Heart Association, National Scientist Development Grant 2003-2005 American Heart Association, Texas Affiliate, Post-Doctorial Fellowship 2003 Pathways to Cardiac Development and Regegeration Conference, Basic Science Research, Young Investigator Award 2000-2002 American Heart Association, Great Midwest Affiliate, Pre-Doctorial Fellowship 2001 American Heart Association, Council on Cardiovascular Disease, Weinstein Cardiovascular Development Research Conference, Travel Award 1997 University of Michigan, Horace Rackham School of Graduate Studies, Pre-Candidate Fellowship Recent PublicationsHan, Z.*, Fujioka, M.*, Su, M., Liu, M., Jaynes, J.B., and Bodmer, R. (2002). Transcriptional Integration of Competence Modulated by Mutual Repression Generates Cell-Type Specificity within the Cardiogenic Mesoderm. Developmental Biology 252, 225-240 (*Co-first author). Han, Z., Bodmer, R. (2003). Myogenic cells fates are antagonized by Notch only in asymmetric lineages of the Drosophila heart, with or without cell division. Development 130, 3039-3051. Han, Z., Li, X., Wu, J. and Olson, E.N. (2004). A myocardin-related transcription factor regulates activity of serum response factor in Drosophila. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101, 12567-12572. Han, Z., Olson, E.N. (2005). Hand is a direct target of Tinman and GATA factors during Drosophila cardiogenesis and hematopoiesis. Development 132, 3525-3536. Fujioka, M., Wessells, R. J., Han, Z., Liu, J., Fitzgerald, K., Yusibova, G. L., Zamora, M., Ruiz-Lozano, P., Bodmer, R., Jaynes, J. B. (2005). Embryonic even-skipped-Dependent Muscle and Heart Cell Fates Are Required for Normal Adult Activity, Heart Function, and Lifespan. Circulation Research 97, 1108-1114. Kwon, C.*, Han, Z.*, Olson, E.N., Srivastava, D. (2005). Drosophila microRNA1 regulates Notch signaling during cardiac lineage determination and differentiation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102, 18987-18991 (*Co-first author). Han, Z., Yi, P., Li, X., Olson, E.N. (2006). Hand, an evolutionarily conserved bHLH transcription factor required for Drosophila cardiogenesis and hematopoiesis. Development 133 (6): 1175-1182. Yi, P.*, Han, Z.*#, Li, X., Olson, E. N#. (2006). The Mevalonate Pathway Controls Heart Formation in Drosophila by Isoprenylation of G{gamma}1. Science 313 (5791): 1301 – 1303. (*Co-first author and # co-corresponding author). Lab Projects
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