Prof. Chih-Chiang Chan

The Chan Neurogenetics Laboratory

Research Interest 

Our lab studies the cell biology of the neuron. Using the fruit flies Drosophila as a test tube, we focus on 2 major areas: one is to investigate the function of the intracellular membrane trafficking machinery and sphingolipid-modifying enzymes in the brain, and the other is to model neurodegenerative diseases (PD, CMT, SCA, etc) when a new disease variant is identified from patients.

People:

Principal Investigator

Chih-Chiang Chan, PhD

email: chancc1@ntu.edu.tw

Postdoc:

Dr. Lie Zheng

Graduate Students:

Fei-Yang Tzou (PhD Program)

Jui-Yu Yeh (PhD Program)

Jeng-Lin Li (PhD Program)

Wan-Syuan Lin (PhD Program)

Cheng-Li Hong (PhD Program)

Kai-Hung Chen (PhD Program)

Yu-Jung Tsao (Master's Program)

Yu-Chi Tsai (Master's Program)

Research Assistants:

Chia-Heng Hsu, BS

Publications:

1. Yeh JY, Chao CH, Hong CL, Hung YC, Tzou FY, Hsiao CT, Li JL, Chen WJ, Chou CT, Tsai YS, Liao YC, Lin YC, Lin S, Huang SY, Kennerson M, Lee YC^#, Chan CC^#: A missense mutation in human INSC causes peripheral neuropathy. EMBO Molecular Medicine (2024) Accepted. (^#correspondence) 

2. Li JL, Lin TY, Chen PL, Guo TN, Huang SY, Chen CH, Lin CH, Chan CC. "Mitochondrial function and Parkinson's disease: from the perspective of the electron transport chain". Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience (2021) 315.

3. Tzou FY, Wen JK, Yeh JY, Huang SY, Chen GC, Chan CC. "Drosophila as a model to study autophagy in neurodegenerative diseases and digestive tract". IUBMB Life (2021) Dec 7. Online ahead of print.

4. Wu CY, Jhang JG, Lin WS, Chuang PH, Lin CW, Chu LA, Chiang AS, Ho HC, Chan CC, Huang SY. Dihydroceramide desaturase promotes the formation of intraluminal vesicles and inhibits autophagy to increase exosome production. iScience (2021) Nov 14;24(12):103437.

5. Hung YC, Huang KL, Chen PL, Li JL, Lu SHA, Chang JC, Lin HY, Lo WC, Huang SY, Lee TT, Lin TY, Imai Y, Hattori N, Liu CS, Tsai SY, Chen CH, Lin CH^#, Chan CC^#: UQCRC1 engages cytochrome c for neuronal apoptotic cell death. Cell Reports (2021) 36(12):109729 (#correspondence)

6. Tzou FY, Su TY, Lin WS, Kuo HC, Yu YL, Yeh YH, Liu CC, Kuo CH, Huang SY, Chan CC^#: Dihydroceramide desaturase regulates the compartmentalization of Rac1 for neuronal oxidative stress. Cell Reports (2021) 35(2):108972 (#correspondence)

7. Kohrs FE, Daumann IM, Pavlovic B, Jin EJ, Kiral FR, Lin SC, Port F, Wolfenberg H, Mathejczyk TF, Linneweber GA, Chan CC, Boutros M, Hiesinger PR: Systemic functional analysis of Rab GTPases reveals limits of neuronal robustness to environmental challenges in flies.  eLife (2021) 10:e59594

8. Lin CH, Tsai PI, Lin HY, Hattori N, Funayama M, Jeon B, Sato K, Abe K, Mukai Y, Takahashi Y, Li Y, Nishioka K, Yoshino H, Daida K, Chen ML, Cheng J, Huang CY, Tzeng SR, Wu YS, Lai HJ, Tsai HH, Yen RF, Lee NC, Lo WC, Hung YC, Chan CC, Ke YC, Chao CC, Hsieh ST, Farrer M, Wu RM: Mitochondrial UQCRC1 mutations cause autosomal dominant parkinsonism with polyneuropathy. Brain (2020) 143(11):3352-3373

9. Lien WY, Chen YT, Li YJ, Wu JK, Huang KL, Lin JR, Lin SC, Hou CC, Wang HD, Wu CL, Huang SY, Chan CC^#: Lifespan regulation in α/β posterior neurons of the fly mushroom bodies by Rab27. Aging Cell (2020) 19(8):e13179 (#correspondence)

10. Lin KY, Wang WD, Lin CH, Rastegari E, Su YH, Chang YC, Chang YT, Liao YF, Pi H, Yu BY, Chen SH, Lin CY, Lu MY, Su TY, Tzou FY, Chan CC, Hsu HJ: Piwi Reduction in the Aged Niche Eliminates Germline Stem Cells via Toll-GSK3 Signaling. Nature Communications (2020) 11(1):3147

11. Tsai HY, Wu SC, Li JC, Chen YM, Chan CC, Chen CH: Loss of the Drosophila branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex (BCKDH) results in neuronal dysfunction. Disease Models and Mechanisms (2020) 13(8):dmm.044750

12. Ibrahim RB, Yeh SY, Lin KP, Ricardo F, Yu TY, Chan CC, Tsai JW, Liu YT: Cellular secretion and toxicity of transthyretin mutant proteins underlie late-onset amyloidosis and neurodegeneration. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences (2019) 77(7):1421-1434

13. Wen JK, Wang YT, Chan CC, Hsieh CW, Liao HM, Hung CC, Chen GC. Atg9 antagonizes TOR signaling to regulate intestinal cell growth and epithelial homeostasis in Drosophila. eLife (2017) Nov; 6:e29338

14. Yang CN, Wu MF, Liu CC, Jung WH, Chang YC, Lee WP, Shiao YJ, Wu CL, Liou HH, Lin SK, Chan CC^#. Differential protective effects of connective tissue growth factor against Aβ neurotoxicity on neurons and glia. Human Molecular Genetics (2017) 26(20): 3909-3921 (^#correspondence)

15. Jung WH*, Liu CC*, Yu YL, Chang YC, Lien WY, Chao HC, Huang SY, Kuo CH, Ho HC, Chan CC^#. Lipophagy prevents activity-dependent neurodegeneration due to dihydroceramide accumulation in vivo. EMBO Reports (2017) 18(7):1150-1165 (^#correspondence) 

16. Tsai PC, Soong BW, Mademan I, Huang YH, Liu CR, Hsiao CT, Wu HT, Liu TT, Liu YT, Tseng YT, Lin KP, Yang YC, Chung KW, Choi BO, Nocholson GA, Kennerson ML, Chan CC, De Jonghe P, Cheng TH, Liao YC, Zuchner S, Baets J, Lee YC. A recurrent WARS mutation is a novel cause of autosomal dominant distal hereditary motor neuropathy. Brain (2017) 140(5):1252-1266.

17. Lin SC, Chang YY, Chan CC^#. “Strategies for Gene Disruption in Drosophila.”Cell & Bioscience 4:63 (2014) 4(1):63 (#correspondence)

18. Cherry S*, Jin EJ*, Özel MN, Lu Z, Agi E, Wang D, Jung WH, Epstein D, Meinertzhagen IA, Chan CC^#, Hiesinger PR^#. “Charcot-Marie-Tooth 2B mutations in rab7 cause dosage-dependent neurodegeneration due to partial loss of function.”eLife (2013) 2:e01064 (#co-correspondence) 

19. Wang D, Chan CC, Cherry S, Hiesinger PR. “Membrane trafficking in neuronal maintenance and degeneration.” Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences (2013) 70(16):2919-34 

20. Jin EJ*, Chan CC*, Agi E, Cherry S, Hanacik E, Buszczak M, Hiesinger PR. “Similarities of Drosophila rab GTPases Based on Expression Profiling: Completion and Analysis of the rab-Gal4 Kit” PLoS One (2012) 7(7):e40912 (*equal contribution) 

21. Chan CC, Scoggin S, Hiesinger PR, Buszczak M. “Combining Recombineering and Ends-Out Homologous Recombination to Systematically Characterize Drosophila Gene Families: Rab GTPases as a Case Study.” Communicative and Integrative Biology (2012) 5(2):179-83  
22. Chan CC*, Scoggin S*, Wang D, Cherry S, Dembo T, Greenberg B, Jin J, Kuey C, Lopez A, Mehta S, Perkins TJ, Brankatschk M, Rothenfluh A, Buszczak M, Hiesinger PR. “Systematic Discovery of Rab GTPases with Synaptic Functions in Drosophila” Current Biology (2011) 21(20): 1704-15 (*equal contribution) 
23. Chan CC, Epstein D, Hiesinger PR. “Intracellular Trafficking in Drosophila Visual System Development: a basis for pattern formation through simple mechanisms.” Developmental Neurobiology (2011) 71(12):1227-45
24. Chung S, Vining MS, Bradley PL, Chan CC, Wharton KA Jr, Andrew DJ. “Serrano (sano) functions with the planar cell polarity genes to control tracheal tube length.” PLoS Genetics (2009) 5(11):e1000746
25. Guo J, Cagatay T, Zhou G, Chan CC, Blythe S, Suyama K, Zheng L, Pan K, Qian C, Hamelin R, Thibodeau SN, Klein PS, Wharton KA Jr, Liu W. “Mutations in the human naked cuticle homolog NKD1 found in colorectal cancer alter Wnt/Dvl/beta-catenin signaling.” PLoS One (2009) 4(11):e7982  
26. Chan CC, Zhang S, Rousset R, Wharton KA Jr. “Drosophila Naked cuticle (Nkd) engages the nuclear import adaptor Importin-a3 to antagonize Wnt/b-catenin signaling.” Developmental Biology (2008) 318: 17-28
27. Chan CC, Zhang S, Cagatay T, Wharton KA Jr. “Cell-autonomous, myristyl-independent activity of the Drosophila Wnt/Wingless antagonist Naked cuticle (Nkd).” Developmental Biology (2007) 311: 538-553
28. Waldrop S, Chan CC, Cagatay T, Zhang S, Rousset R, Mack J, Zeng W, Fish M, Zhang M, Amanai M, Wharton KA Jr. “An unconventional nuclear localization motif is crucial for function of the Drosophila Wnt/Wingless antagonist Naked cuticle.” Genetics (2006) 174: 331-348 
29. Wu ML, Chan CC, Su MJ. “Possible mechanism(s) of arachidonic acid-induced intracellular acidosis in rat cardiac myocytes.” Circulation Research (2000) 86(3): e55-62

Awards 

• Wan-Syuan Lin (PhD student)

Scholarship for Diligence Doctoral Students (勤學博士生獎學金), 2023

• Jui-Yu Yeh (PhD student) 

Scholarship for Cultivating Outstanding Graduate Students (科技部補助大專院校培育優秀博士生獎學金), 2022

2nd Place, Poster Presentation Contest, 35th Joint Annual Conference of Biomedical Science (JACBS) (第35屆生醫年會壁報論文競賽第二名), 2021

• Cheng-Li Hong (Master Degree)

Oral Presentation Reward, 1st Mini-symposium on Membrane Trafficking and Remodeling (第1屆細胞膜運輸與重塑研討會 口頭報告優秀獎), 2022

• Fei-Yang Tzou (PhD student)

Young Investigator Award for Pediatric Neuropsychiatric Science (中華民國兒童神經精神科學 勵翔獎), 2022

Honor Prize (博士班優等獎), Research Award for Outstanding Works, National Taiwan University College of Medicine (臺大醫學院研究生優秀著作獎 - 優等獎), 2021

1st Place, Oral Presentation Contest, 35th Joint Annual Conference of Biomedical Science (JACBS) (第35屆生醫年會口頭論文競賽第一名), 2021

Scholarship for Cultivating Outstanding Graduate Students (科技部補助大專院校培育優秀博士生獎學金), 2020

• Yu-Chien Hung (PhD student)

Honor Prize (博士班優等獎), Research Award for Outstanding Works, National Taiwan University College of Medicine (臺大醫學院研究生優秀著作獎 - 優等獎), 2021

Scholarship for Outstanding Performance, National Taiwan University (台灣大學學生傑出表現獎學金), 2021

• Wen-Yu Lien (PhD student)

Honor Prize (博士班優等獎), Research Award for Outstanding Works, National Taiwan University College of Medicine (臺大醫學院研究生優秀著作獎 - 優等獎), 2020

Scholarship for Outstanding Performance, National Taiwan University (台灣大學學生傑出表現獎學金), 2020

Macau Scholar for Graduate Students (澳門獎學金), 2015

• Chung-Chih Liu

Outstanding Prize (碩士班傑出獎), Research Award for Outstanding Works, National Taiwan University College of Medicine (臺大醫學院研究生優秀著作獎), 2018

• Wei-Hung Jung

Poster Award, 2nd Asia-Pacific Drosophila Research Conference, Korea, 2013