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Once deemed heretical, the idea of “inheritance of acquired characteristics” is now gaining evidence from multiple species, including mammals. Studies from our lab and others now promote the idea that paternally acquired phenotypes (e.g. metabolic disorders) from environmental stressors can be encoded in the form of sperm RNAs & RNA modifications as a sperm 'RNA code' (Nat Rev Endocrinol 2019, 2020) which transmit paternal phenotypes to the offspring via shaping early embryo development (Nat Rev Genet 2016; Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2018)
The Evolving Ideas of Heredity & Hereditary Information Carriers (further read)
tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) and rRNA-derived small RNAs (rsRNAs) are newly discovered small non-coding RNAs with diverse functions. We showed that sperm tsRNAs/rsRNAs can act as hereditary factor that contribute to the intergenerational transmission of paternally acquired metabolic disorder. Read more
embryo symmetry breaking
sperm RNA
During mammalian early embryo development, how do different lineages emerge? Are 2-cell blastomeres absolutely equal? If not, can there be even small differences at molecular levels? and if so, how do they arise at the first place and how could they get amplified to guide future cell fate? Read more
We use novel tools including SPORTS, PANDORA-seq and mass spectrometry-based methods such as LC-MS/MS and MLC-seq to study how novel small RNAs (e.g., tsRNAs and rsRNAs) along with their associated RNA modifications and responsible enzymes, dynamically regulate gene expression; and when dysfunctional, cause diseases such as cancer. Read more
the 'RNA code'
Latest Lab news (More news)
2023.2 We published a commentary paper explaining how ancestral BPA exposure drives 3D genome memory for transgenerational inheritance of obesity in Nature Revivews Endocrinology
2023.1 Qi gave a Keynote lecture at the IETS 2023 annual meeting about our data & thoughts on 'sperm RNA code' and epigenetic inheritance; the lecture is associated with a commentary paper published at Reproduction, Fertility and Development
2022.12 Exciting to announce that Qi Chen lab will move to University of Utah School of Medicine starting Feb 2023
2022.12 Jiancheng Yu joined Qi Chen lab as graduate student
2022.9-11 Qi gave seminars at Ohio State University, University of Georgia, and University of Texas at San Antonio discussing recent progresses of mammalian epigenetic inheritance and the expanding universe of regulatory small RNAs
2022.8 Bailong land a faculty position and will establish his lab at Lanzhou University
2022.8 Qi participate on the Burroughs Wellcome Fund-John Templeton Foundation roundtable discussion on solidifying the field of Epigenetic Inheritance
2022.12 Jiancheng Yu joined Qi Chen lab as graduate student
2022.9-11 Qi gave seminars at Ohio State University, University of Georgia, and University of Texas at San Antonio discussing recent progresses of mammalian epigenetic inheritance and the expanding universe of regulatory small RNAs
2022.8 Bailong land a faculty position and will establish his lab at Lanzhou University
2022.8 Qi participate on the Burroughs Wellcome Fund-John Templeton Foundation roundtable discussion on solidifying the field of Epigenetic Inheritance
2022.6 Qi gave a talk at the 28th tRNA conference on our new exploration of RNA modification, structure and functionality of tsRNAs
2022.5 Qi participated in the NHGRI/NIEHS RNome workshop on capturing RNA sequence and transcript diversity, highlighting the use of PANDORA-seq and MLC-seq in discovery of small RNAs & the systematic mapping of multiple RNA modifications
2022.4 Our review & thoughts on exploring the expanding universe of small RNAs is published as cover story in Nature Cell Biology
- We explore the expanding universe of small RNAs (e.g., tsRNAs, rsRNAs) (Nat Cell Biol 2022) with new tools including SPORTS (GPB 2018), LC-MS/MS (Science 2016), PANDORA-seq (Nat Cell Biol 2021) & MLC-seq (PrePrint 2021); decoding the 'RNA code' (RNA expression & modification profiles) in regard to gene regulation & diseases associations (Trends Biochem Sci 2021) and explore how the sperm RNA code influence embryo development such as by regulating cell fate decision (Development 2015; Nat Commun 2018; Cell 2018) that contribute to offspring health.
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We systematically discovered tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) (Cell Res 2012, Science 2016) & rRNA-derived small RNAs (rsRNAs) (Nat Cell Biol 2018, Nat Cell Biol 2021) in mature sperm; and that sperm tsRNAs/rsRNAs, along with their RNA modifications, act as epigenetic factors in mediating intergenerational inheritance of acquired metabolic disorders, which require the action of RNA methyltransferase Dnmt2 (Science 2016, Nat Cell Biol 2018)
Exploring the small RNA universe with new tools (futher read)
