Xiuzhen Chen

@xiuzhenchen.bsky.social

RNA biologist, Cell biologist, Assistant Professor at NYU www.xiuzhenchen.com

We did this crazy project where we tried to see if proteins could interact with their mirror image ligand. Seems impossible when proteins need to form 3D structures to interact. But what about if the interaction remains disordered??? www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Stereochemistry in the disorder–order continuum of protein interactions - Nature

Studies on protein–protein interactions using proteins containing d- or l-amino acids show that stereoselectivity of binding varies with the degree of disorder within the complex.

nature.com

I’m thrilled to share a collaborative story from @Mendell_lab and Jan Erzberger labs, led by postdoc extraordinaire Xiaoqiang Zhu. We showed that in addition to their canonical decoding function, tRNAs play a key role in regulating mRNA stability during translation! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Specific tRNAs promote mRNA decay by recruiting the CCR4-NOT complex to translating ribosomes

The CCR4-NOT complex is a major regulator of eukaryotic messenger RNA (mRNA) stability. Slow decoding during translation promotes association of CCR4-NOT with ribosomes, accelerating mRNA degradation....

science.org

Missed the woodpecker sweep by 1 at Green-Wood Cemetery this morning. Tallied Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker & Northern Flicker. Oddly, Hairy Woodpecker is rare here despite breeding at nearby Prospect Park #birds #birdsNYC

Red-bellied Woodpecker clinging to the side of a huge Tulip tree