Publications

Selected Publications

  • Modification of the telomerase gene with human regulatory sequences resets mouse telomeres to human length. Zhang, F., Cheng, D., Porter, K.I., Wang, S., Zhang, H., Davis,C.J., and J. Zhu. (2025) Nature Communications 16:1211. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56559-6)
  • Telomere dysfunction in Tert knockout mice delays BrafV600E-induced melanoma development. Zhang, J., Zhang, F., Porter, K.I., Dakup, P., Wang, S., Robertson, G.P., Gaddameedhi, S., and J. Zhu. (2023) Int. J. Cancer (DOI:10.1002/ijc.34713)
  • Polymorphic tandem DNA repeats activate the human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene. Xu, T., Cheng, D., Zhao, Y., Zhang, J., Zhu, X., Zhang, F., Chen, G., Wang, Y., Yan, X., Robertson, G.P., Gaddameedhi, S., Lazarus, P., Wang, S., and J. Zhu. (2021) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 118 (26) (doi:10.1073/pnas.201904311)
  • Crispr/Cas9-mediated Cleavages Facilitate Homologous Recombination During Genetic Engineering of a Large Chromosomal Region. Zhang, F., Cheng, D., Wang, S., and J. Zhu. (2020) BiotechnolBioeng. 117(9):2816-2826 (doi: 10.1002/bit.27441)
  • ETS variant transcription factor 5 and c-Myc cooperate in derepressing the human telomerase gene promoter via composite ETS/E-box motifs. Zhang, F., Wang, S., and J. Zhu. (2020) J. Biol. Chem. 295(29):10062-10075 (doi:10.1074/jbc.RA119.012130)
  • Engineering a humanized telomerase reverse transcriptase gene in mouse embryonic stem cells. Cheng, D., Zhao, Y., Zhang, F., Zhang, J., Wang, S., and J. Zhu. (2019) Sci. Rep. 9(1):9683 (doi:10.1038/s41598-019-46160-5)
  • Repression of telomerase gene promoter requires human-specific genomic context and is mediated by multiple HDAC1-containing corepressor complexes. Cheng, D., Zhao, Y., Wang, S., Zhang, F., Russo, M., McMahon, S.B., and J. Zhu. (2016) FASEB J. 31(3):1165-1178. (doi:10.1096/fj.201601111R)
  • Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) Transcription Requires Sp1/Sp3 Binding to the Promoter and a Permissive Chromatin Environment. Cheng, D., Zhao, Y., Wang, S., Jia, W., Kang, J., and Zhu, J. (2015) J. Biol. Chem. 290(50):30193-203. (doi:10.1074/jbc.M115.662221)
  • Dual roles of c-Myc in the regulation of hTERT gene. Zhao, Y., Cheng, D., Wang, S., and J. Zhu. (2014) Nucleic Acids Res. 42(16):10385-98. (doi:10.1093/nar/gku721)
  • A BAC transgenic reporter recapitulates in vivo regulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase in development and tumorigenesis. Jia, W., Wang, S., Horner, J. W., Wang, N., Wang, H., Gunther, E. J., DePinho, R. A., and Zhu, J. (2011) FASEB J. 25: 979-89.
  • Distinct and Temporal Roles of Nucleosomal Remodeling and Histone Deacetylation in the Repression of hTERT Gene. Wang, S., Hu, C., Zhao, Y., and J. Zhu. (2010) Mol. Biol. Cell. 21: 821–832.
  • Robust activation of the human but not mouse telomerase gene during the induction of pluripotency. Mathew, R., Jia, W., Sharma, A., Zhao, Y., Clarke, L.E., Cheng, X., Wang, H., Salli, U., Vrana, K.E., Robertson, G.P., Zhu, J., and S. Wang. (2010) FASEB J. 24:2702-2715.