Xing Wang Deng

Daniel C. Eaton Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology; Daniel C. Eaton Professor of Plant Biology at Yale; Director of Peking-Yale Center for Plant Molecular Genetics & Agrobiotechnology

Biographical Info

My research centers in two areas. One is genome-wide analysis of the relationship between epigenetic modifications and chromatin structure/gene expression in maize, rice and Arabidopsis. Built on our established genomic platforms, we examined the genomic basis of maize and rice heterosis and established epigenome landscapes of a sequenced maize strain. Another research area is the molecular and biochemical mechanism for light regulated seedling development in Arabidopsis. We have discovered a dozen pleiotropic COP/DET/FUS loci responsible for mediating light control of seedling development. Their encoded proteins constitute three protein machines involved in targeting photomorphogenesis-promoting factors for degradation by the 26S proteasome, in response to external stimuli. In this past year, we discovered a key molecular link between light signaling and the signaling of a plant hormone GA. This finding has significant impact to plant biology.

International Activity

• the Peking-Yale joint center for Plant Molecular Genetics and Agribiotechnology
  Beijing, China (2000)
  Research and education collaboration between Yale and Peking University

Education & Training

Ph.D.

UC Berkeley (1989)