Jeannie Chen
Professor
Department of Cell & Neurobiology
Department of Ophthalmology
Interim Director,
Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute
Keck School of Medicine
Research Topics
- Signal transduction
- Photoreceptor function
- Retinal degeneration
Research Overview
Photoreceptor cells are light sensitive neurons in the retina that initiate the first step in vision. These cells initiate an intracellular G-protein cascade to amplify the signal generated following photon absorption. One of the main objectives of my laboratory is to understand how this signaling cascade is regulated within rod and cone photoreceptor cells which underlies their specialized ability to detect dim light and bright light, respectively. Another aspect of these studies is to understand how defects in signaling and protein mis-expression results in retinal degeneration. We utilize a multidisciplinary approach in our studies, combining transgenic mouse technology with electrophysiologic, morphologic and biochemical analyses.Protein misfolding is an underlying cause of many neurodegenerative diseases. These diseases are characterized by insoluble protein aggregates and lipid deposits within amyloid plaques of diseased tissue. Drusen is an extracellular deposit commonly present in aging eyes and eyes affected with age related macular degeneration (AMD). Another goal of my laboratory is to understand how protein misfolding may participate in the etiology of AMD.
Contact Information
- E-mail:
- jeannie@usc.edu
- Mailing Address:
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute
1501 San Pablo Street, ZNI-227
Los Angeles, CA 90089-2821 - Office Location:
- ZNI-227
- Office Phone:
- (323) 442-4479
- Lab Location:
- ZNI-223
- Lab Phone:
- (323) 442-4359
- Fax:
- (323) 442-4433
Education
- B.A., Occidental College, 1983.
- Ph.D. USC, 1990.
- Post-Doctoral Scholar, Caltech, 1995.
Research Images
Selected Publications
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Shi G, Yau KW, Chen J, Kefalov VJ. (2007) Signaling properties of a short-wave cone visual pigment and its role in phototransduction. J Neurosci. 27(38):10084-10093. -PubMed
Chen M, Margittai M, Chen J, Langen R. (2007) Investigation of alpha-synuclein fibril structure by site-directed spin labeling. J Biol Chem. 282(34):24970-24979. -PubMed
Chan S, Rubin WW, Mendez A, Liu X, Song X, Hanson SM, Craft CM, Gurevich VV, Burns ME, Chen J. (2007) Functional comparisons of visual arrestins in rod photoreceptors of transgenic mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 48(5):1968-75. -PubMed
Imai H, Kefalov V, Sakurai K, Chisaka O, Ueda Y, Onishi A, Morizumi T, Fu Y, Ichikawa K, Nakatani K, Honda Y, Chen J, Yau KW, Shichida Y. (2007) Molecular properties of rhodopsin and rod function. J Biol Chem. 282(9):6677-6684. -PubMed
Chen,J., Shi, G., Concepcion, F. A., Xie, G., Oprian, D., Chen, J. (2006) Stable rhodopsin/arrestin complex leads to retinal degeneration in a transgenic mouse model of ADRP. J. Neurosci. 26:11929-37. -PubMed
Doan, T., Mendez, A., Detwiler, P.B., Chen, J. and Rieke, F. (2006) Multiple phosphorylation sites confer reproducibility of the rod's single photon response. Science. 313:530-533. -PubMed
Burns ME, Mendez A, Chen CK, Almuete A, Quillinan N, Simon MI, Baylor DA, Chen J. (2006) Deactivation of phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated rhodopsin by arrestin splice variants. J Neurosci. 26(3):1036-44. -PubMed
Luibl V, Isas JM, Kayed R, Glabe CG, Langen R, Chen J. (2006) Drusen deposits associated with aging and age-related macular degeneration contain nonfibrillar amyloid oligomers. J Clin Invest. 116(2):378-85. -PubMed
Shi GW, Chen J, Concepcion F, Motamedchaboki K, Marjoram P, Langen R, Chen J. (2005) Light causes phosphorylation of nonactivated visual pigments in intact mouse rod photoreceptor cells. J Biol Chem. 280(50):41184-41191. -PubMed
Roca A, Shin KJ, Liu X, Simon MI, Chen J. (2004) Comparative analysis of transcriptional profiles between two apoptotic pathways of light-induced retinal degeneration. Neuroscience. 129(3):779-790. -PubMed