Jun Xu

Personal Profile

2008-2012 Guangxi University (Bachelor)

2012-2017 Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, SIBS, CAS (PhD)

2017-2019 Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, CAS (Postdoc)

2019-2022 Harvard University (Postdoc)

2022-present Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, CAS (PI)

Research Work

Our research covers the following aspects:1) New technologies for gene expression regulation and protein manipulation; 2) Molecular genetic regulation mechanism of organs development; 3) Nutritional metabolism and organs homeostasis; 4) Communication regulation mechanisms between organs; 5) Precision control of agricultural pests strategies.

Main Achievements

1. Identification of a new organelle PXo body that regulates phosphate metabolism and insect gut homeostasis (Nature, 2023). 2. Charactering an inter-organ communication mechanism between gut and kidney (Nature Communications, 2024). 3. Produced the first single- nucleus atlas of the insect kidney (PNAS, 2022).

Publications

1. Jun Xu^{#, *}, Ying Liu^{#, *}, Fangying Yang, Yurou Cao, Weihang Chen, Joshua Shing Shun Li, Shuai Zhang, Aram Comjean, Yanhui Hu, Norbert Perrimon^*. Mechanistic characterization of a Drosophila model of paraneoplastic nephrotic syndrome. Nature Communications. 2024, 15(1):1241.

 

2. Chiwei Xu^{#, *}, Jun Xu^#, Hong-Wen Tang, Jui-Hsia Weng, Maria Ericsson, Jonathan DiRusso, Yanhui Hu, Wenzhe Ma, John M. Asara, Norbert Perrimon^*. A phosphate-sensing organelle regulates phosphate storage and tissue homeostasis. Nature. 2023, 617(7962):798-806

 

3. Jun Xu^#, Yifang Liu^#, Hongjie Li, Alexander J. Tarashansky, Colin H. Kalicki, Ruei-Jiun Hung, Yanhui Hu, Aram Comjean, Sai Saroja Kolluru, Bo Wang, Stephen R Quake, Liqun Luo, Andrew P. McMahon, Julian A.T. Dow, Norbert Perrimon. Transcriptional and functional motifs defining renal function revealed by single nuclear sequencing. PNAS. 2022, 119(25): e2203179119.

 

4. Jun Xu^#, Qinglin Dong^#, Ye Yu, Baolong Niu, Dongfeng Ji, Muwang Li, Yongping Huang, Xin Chen, Anjiang Tan. Mass spider silk production through targeted gene replacement in Bombyx mori. PNAS. 2018, 115(35): 8757–8762.

 

5. Jun Xu^{#, *}, Ah-Ram Kim^#, Ross W. Cheloha, Fabian A. Fischer, Joshua Shing Shun Li, Yuan Feng, Emily Stoneburner, Richard Binari, Stephanie E. Mohr, Jonathan Zirin, Hidde Ploegh, Norbert Perrimon^*. Protein visualization and manipulation in Drosophila through the use of epitope tags recognized by nanobodies. eLife. 2022, 11, e74326.

 

6. Ben Ewen-Campen^#, Haojiang Luan^#, Jun Xu^#, Rohit Singh^#, Neha Joshi, Tanuj Thakkar, Bonnie Berger, Benjamin H White, Norbert Perrimon. split-intein Gal4 provides intersectional genetic labeling that is repressible by Gal80. PNAS. 2023, 20(24): e2304730120.

 

7. Jun Xu, Xia Xu, Shuai Zhan, Yongping Huang. Genome editing in insects: Current status and challenges. National Science Review. 2019, 6: 399–401.

 

8. Ah-Ram Kim^#, Jun Xu^{#, *}, Ross Cheloha, Stephanie E Mohr, Jonathan Zirin, Hidde L Ploegh, Norbert Perrimon^*. Nanotag-Nanobody tools for Drosophila in vitro and in vivo studies. Current Protocol. 2022, 2(12): e628.

9. Jun Xu^#, Wei Liu^#, Dehong Yang, Shuqing Chen, Kai Chen, Zulian Liu, Xu Yang, Jing Meng, Guanheng Zhu, Shuanglin Dong, Yong Zhang, Shuai Zhan, Guirong Wang^*, Yongping Huang^*. Regulation of olfactory-based sex behaviors in the silkworm by genes in the sex-determination cascade. PLoS Genetics. 2020a,16(6): e1008622. 2(12):e628.

 

10. Jun Xu, Shuqing Chen, Baosheng Zeng, Anthony A. James, Anjiang Tan, Yongping Huang. Bombyx mori P-element somatic inhibitor (BmPSI) is a key auxiliary factor for silkworm male sex determination. PLoS Genetics. 2017, 13(1): e1006576.

 

11. Kai Chen, Ye Yu, Dehong Yang, Xu Yang, Linmeng Tang, Yujia Liu, Xingyu Luo, James R Walter, Zulian Liu, Jun Xu^*, Yongping Huang^*. Gtsf1 is essential for proper female sex determination and transposon silencing in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. PLoS Genetics. 2020b, 16(11): e1009194.

 

12. Shuqing Chen, Yujia Liu, Xu Yang, Zulian Liu, Xingyu Luo, Jun Xu^*, Yongping Huang^*. Dysfunction of dimorphic sperm impairs male fertility in the silkworm. Cell Discovery. 2020, 6: 60.

 

13. Zulian Liu, Jun Xu^*, Lin Ling, Dehong Yang, Shuqing Chen, Yongping Huang. MicroRNA-2738 regulates gene expression in the sex determination pathway in Bombyx mori. Insect Science. 2020, 27(4): 646–654.

 

14. Honglun Bi, Xia Xu, Xiaowei Li, Yong Zhang, Yongping Huang, Kai Li^*, Jun Xu^*. CRISPR Disruption of BmOvo Resulted in the Failure of Emergence and Affected the Wing and Gonad Development in the Silkworm Bombyx mori. Insects. 2019, 10(8). pii: E254.

 

15. Jun Xu^#, Ye Yu^#, Kai Chen, Yongping Huang. Intersex regulates female. external genital and imaginal disc development in the silkworm. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 2019, 108: 1–8.

 

16. Jun Xu^#, Rongmei Chen^#, Shuqing Chen, Kai Chen, Linmeng Tang, Dehong. Yang, Xu Yang, Yong Zhang, Hongsheng Song, Yongping Huang. Identification of a germline-expression promoter for genome editing in Bombyx mori. Insect Science. 2019, 26(6): 991–999.

 

17. Jun Xu, Shuai Zhan, Shuqing Chen, Baosheng Zeng, Zhiqian Li, Anthony A. James, Anjiang Tan, Yongping Huang. Sexually dimorphic traits in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, are regulated by doublesex. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 2017, 80: 42–51.

18. Jun Xu, Honglun Bi, Rongmei Chen, Abu F.M. Aslam, Zhiqian Li, Lin Ling, Baosheng Zeng, Yongping Huang, Anjiang Tan. Transgenic characterization of two testis-specific promoters in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Insect Molecular Biology. 2015, 24(2): 183–190.

 

19. Jun Xu, Yueqiang Wang, Zhiqian Li, Lin Ling, Baosheng Zeng, Anthony A. James, Anjiang Tan, Yongping Huang. Transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN)-mediated female-specific sterility in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Insect Molecular Biology. 2014, 23(6): 800–807.

 

20. Jun Xu, Yueqiang Wang, Zhiqian Li, Lin Ling, Baosheng Zeng, Lang You, Yazhou Chen, Abu F.M. Aslam, Yongping Huang, Anjiang Tan. Functional characterization of the vitellogenin promoter in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Insect Molecular Biology. 2014, 23(5): 550–557.