About Dr.Wang's Research

The making of a mammalian heart requires orchestrated development and differentiation of multiple cell lineages. Chromatin factors play critical roles in this process by regulating gene expression and hence cell fate in various cell populations. After birth, chromatin factors continue to regulate the physiological properties of the heart, both at the cellular level and the organ level.

Our lab is interested in the role of two special families of chromatin factors - the Polycomb Group (PcG) and Trithorax Group (TrxG) proteins - in heart development, disease, and repair. We have established a mutant mouse model for the PcG gene Asxl2. We are pursuing research in two major directions using mouse models and cell culture:

1) The role of Asxl2 in lineage differentiation during heart development.

2) Regulation of progenitor activity and cardiac regenerative ability by chromatin factors in the adult heart.

Representative Publications

Lai HL, Grachoff M, McGinley AL, Khan FF, Warren CM, Chowdhury SAK, Wolska BM, Solaro RJ, Geenen DL, Wang QT. (2012) Maintenance of adult cardiac function requires the chromatin factor Asxl2. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology 53(5):734-41.

Wang, QT. 2012. Epigenetic regulation of cardiac development and function by polycomb group and trithorax group proteins. Dev Dyn. 241(6):1021-33.

Farber CR, Bennett BJ, Orozco L, Zou W, Lira A, Kostem E, Kang HM, Furlotte N, Berberyan A, Ghazalpour A, Suwanwela J, Drake TA, Eskin E, Wang QT, Teitelbaum SL, Lusis AJ. 2011. Mouse genome-wide association and systems genetics identify Asxl2 as a regulator of bone mineral density and osteoclastogenesis. PLoS Genet. 7(4):e1002038.

Tell R, Rivera CA, Eskra J, Taglia LN, Blunier A, Wang QT, Benya RV. 2011. Gastrin-releasing peptide signaling alters colon cancer invasiveness via heterochromatin protein 1Hsβ. Am J Pathol. 178(2):672-8.

Baskind HA, Na L, Ma Q, Patel MP, Geenen DL, Wang QT. 2009. Functional conservation of Asxl2, a murine homolog for the Drosophila Enhancer of trithorax and Polycomb Group Gene Asx. PLoS One. 4(3):e4750.

Wang QT , Piotrowska K, Ciemerych MA, Milenkovic L, Scott MP, Davis RW, Zernicka-Goetz M. 2004. A genome-wide study of gene activity reveals developmental signaling pathways in the preimplantation mouse embryo. Dev Cell 6: 133-44