Zhanxin Wang

Academic Title：Professor

Address: College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

E-mail: wangz@bnu.edu.cn

Education

2006 Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Ph.D.

2000 Jilin University B.S.

Research Interests

Our lab is interested in the molecular mechanisms of key protein complexes in epigenetic regulation. By combining the methods of structural biology, biochemistry and cell biology, we try to find answers on key problems, such as how these proteins form complexes with the other components, how they interact with their histone or DNA substrates, and how they function in cells.

Currently, our lab mainly focuses on two areas of research. First, we are interested in identifying new DNA/RNA-binding proteins and solving their mechanisms on nucleic acid recognition. Our work in the past revealed the mechanisms of several new types of CpG-island binding proteins, such as human PCL proteins, SAMD1, KAT6A/B, BANP, etc. We will keep our study on searching for novel and important nucleic acid binding proteins. Second, we are interested in solving the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic modifying enzymes. We previously solved the structures of NSD proteins with their bound nucleosome substrates, and revealed their mechanisms on H3K36 methylation on nucleosomal substrates. As most epigenetic modifying enzymes such as NSDs are closely related to human diseases, our studies on these proteins will facilitate disease therapy and drug discovery in the future.

Publications

1. Geller M, Cao Y, Simon C, Stielow B, Xu J, Wei P, Nist A, Rohner I, Jeude L M, Huber T, Stiewe T, Wang Z*, and Liefke R*. Cooperation of a polymerizing SAM domain and an intrinsically disordered region enables full SAMD1 function on chromatin. Nucleic Acids Res. 2025 Mar; 53(6).

2. Ren J, Wang J, Ren Y, Zhang Y, Wei P, Wang M, Zhang Y, Li M, Yuan C, Gong H*, Jiang J*, and Wang Z*. Structural basis of DNA recognition by BEN domain proteins reveals a role for oligomerization in unmethylated DNA selection by BANP. Nucleic Acids Res. 2024 Oct; 52(18): 11349-11361.

3. Weber LM, Jia Y, Stielow B, Gisselbrecht SS, Cao Y, Ren Y, Rohner I, King J, Rothman E, Fischer S, Simon C, Forne I, Nist A, Stiewe T, Bulyk ML, Wang Z*, Liefke R*. The histone acetyltransferase KAT6A is recruited to unmethylated CpG islands via a DNA binding winged helix domain. Nucleic Acids Res. 2023; 51(2): 574-594.

4. Zuo F, Jiang J, Fu H, Yan K, Liefke R, Zhang J, Hong Y, Chang Z, Liu N, Wang Z *, Xi Q *. A TRIM66/DAX1/Dux axis suppresses the totipotent 2-cell-like state in murine embryonic stem cells. Cell Stem Cell. 2022 Jun; 29(6): 948-961 e6.

5. Stielow B, Zhou Y, Cao Y, Simon C, Pogoda HM, Jiang J, Ren Y, Phanor SK, Rohner I, Nist A, Stiewe T, Hammerschmidt M, Shi Y, Bulyk ML, Wang Z*, Liefke R*. The SAM domain-containing protein 1 (SAMD1) acts as a repressive chromatin regulator at unmethylated CpG islands. Sci Adv. 2021 May;7(20):eabf2229.

6. Li W, Tian W, Yuan G, Deng P, Sengupta D, Cheng Z, Cao Y, Ren J, Qin Y, Zhou Y, Jia Y, Gozani O*, Patel DJ*, Wang Z*. Molecular basis of nucleosomal H3K36 methylation by NSD methyltransferases. Nature.2021 Feb; 590(7846): 498-503.

7. Tian W, Yan P, Xu N, Chakravorty A, Liefke R*, Xi Q*, and Wang Z*. The HRP3 PWWP domain recognizes the minor groove of double-stranded DNA and recruits HRP3 to chromatin. Nucleic Acids Res. 2019 Jun; 47(10): 5436-5448. IF: 11.145.

8. Deng P, Zhou Y, Jiang J, Li H, Tian W, Cao Y, Qin Y, Kim J, Roeder RG, Patel DJ* and Wang Z*. Transcriptional elongation factor Paf1 core complex adopts a spirally wrapped solenoidal topology. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2018 Oct; 115(40): 9998-10003.

9. Li H, Liefke R, Jiang J, Kurland JV, Tian W, Deng P, Zhang W, He Q, Patel DJ, Bulyk ML, Shi Y and Wang Z*. Polycomb-like proteins link the PRC2 complex to CpG islands. Nature. 2017 Sep; 549(7671): 287-291.

10. Wang Z*, Patel DJ*. Small molecule epigenetic inhibitors targeted to histone lysine methyltransferases and demethylases. Q. Rev. Biophys. 2013 Nov; 46(4): 349-373.

11. Wang Z* and Patel DJ*. Combinatorial readout of dual histone modifications by paired chromatin-associated modules. J. Biol. Chem. 2011 May; 286(21): 18363-18368.

12. Tsai WW#, Wang Z#, YiuTT, Akdemir KC, Xia W, Winter S, Tsai CY, Shi X, Schwarzer D, Plunkett W, Aronow B, Gozani O, Fischle W, Hung MC, Patel DJ*, and Barton MC*. TRIM24 links a non-canonical histone signature to breast cancer. Nature. 2010 Dec: 468(7326): 927-932.

13. Wang Z#, Song J#, Milne TA, Wang GG, Li H, Allis CD, and Patel DJ*. Pro isomerization in MLL1 PHD3-bromo cassette connects H3K4me readout to CyP33 and HDAC-mediated repression. Cell. 2010 Jun; 141(7): 1183-1194.