Zhucheng CHEN Ph.D.
Professor
1994-1998 B.S., NanKai University
1998-2001 M.S., Peking University
2001-2003 M.S., New York University
2003-2008 Ph.D., Cornell University
2008-2011 Postdoc, UT Southwestern Medical Center
2011-2017 Tenure-track associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University
2017-2020 Tenured associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University
2020- Professor, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University
Research interest
DNA is tightly wrapped around histones to form nucleosomes, the basic repeating unit of chromatin and the material basis of epigenetics. However, the assembly of nucleosomes and the formation of compact chromatin impede the reading of genetic information encoded in DNA. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, nucleosome positioning, and heterochromatin architecture, are critical for decoding genetic information and play essential roles in gene transcription, cell fate determination, and human diseases.
Our laboratory primarily employs biophysical approaches, combined with biochemical and other interdisciplinary methods, to investigate the structure, mechanism, and biological function of chromatin regulators. Our work has captured multiple key states of chromatin remodeling, elucidated the underlying molecular mechanism, and proposed the “DNA wave” model for chromatin remodeling. We have determined high-resolution structures of several SWI/SNF family chromatin remodeling complexes, revealing their mechanisms of assembly and nucleosome recognition, thus providing a framework for understanding the pathogenesis of related mutations. We also discovered the first human chromatin remodeler that specifically recognizes sub-nucleosomal particles.
We aim to provide a structural basis for the precise reading and editing of epigenetic information, deepen our understanding of biological processes such as gene expression regulation and DNA damage repair, and lay an important foundation for the mechanistic study and targeted drug development of related diseases.
Selected publications
1. Hu P#, Sun J#, Sun H#, Chen K#, Sia Y, Xia X, Xi Q*, Chen Z*. Subnucleosome preference of human chromatin remodeler SMARCAD1 Nature, 644(8077):818-826, 2025
2. Sia Y#, Pan H#, Chen K, Chen Z*. Structural insights into chromatin remodeling by ISWI during active ATP hydrolysis Science 388 (6751): eadu5654. 2025
3. Li L#, Chen K#, Sia Y#, Hu P, Ye Y, Chen Z*. Structure of the ISW1a complex bound to the dinucleosome Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol, 31(2):266-274, 2024
4. Qe K#, Chen K#, Wang H#, Li X*, Chen Z*. Structure of the NuA4 acetyltransferase complex bound to the nucleosome Nature, 610(7932):569-574 2022
5. Yuan J#, Chen K#, Zhang W. Chen Z*. Structure of human PBAF chromatin remodeling complex bound to a nucleosome Nature, 605(7908):166-171, 2022
6. Ye Y#, Wu H#, Chen K, Clapier CR, Verma N, Zhang W, Deng H, Cairns BR*, Gao N*, Chen Z*. Structure of the RSC complex bound to the nucleosome. Science, 366(6467):838-843, 2019
7. Yan L#, Wu H#, Li X, Gao N*, Chen Z* Structures of the ISWI-nucleosome complex reveal a conserved mechanism of chromatin remodeling Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 26(4):258-266, 2019
8. Li M#, Xia X#, Tian Y#, Jia Q#, Liu X#, Ying L, Li M*, Li X*, Chen Z*. Mechanism of DNA translocation underlying chromatin remodeling by Snf2 Nature, 567(7748): 409-413, 2019.
9. Liu X#, Li M#, Xia X#, Li X*, Chen Z*. Mechanism of chromatin remodelling revealed by the Snf2-nucleosome structure Nature 544 (7651):440-445, 2017
10. Yan L#, Wang L#, Tian Y, Xia X, Chen Z*. Structure and regulation of the chromatin remodeller ISWI. Nature 540(7633):466-469, 2016
Contact information
Tel: +86-10-62796096
Website: http://www.chenzclab.com/
E-mail: zhucheng_chen@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
