Plant Stress Biology & Plant Nutrition

Ph. D. in Plant Molecular Biology, Ehime University, Japan, 2009

M. S. in Plant Stress Biology, Kagawa University, Japan, 2006

M. S. in Crop Genetics and Breeding, South China Agricultural University, 2003

B. S. in Plant Genetics and Breeding, South China Agricultural University, 2000

2016-Present Principle Investigator, Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

2012-2016 Professor, Nanjing Agricultural University, China

2010-2012 Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Riverside, and Purdue University, USA

2009-2010 Special Contract Assistant Professor, Okayama University, Japan

2003-2004 Research Assistant, Institute of Plant Physiology & Ecology, CAS, China

2023

36. Xie WX, Liu S, Gao HL, Wu J, Liu DL, Kinoshita T, and Huang CF* (2023) PP2C.D phosphatase SAL1 positively regulates aluminum resistance via restriction of aluminum uptake in rice. Plant Physiology doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad122

35. Zhou FL, Somesh S, Zhang J, Fang Q, Li CY, Wang JW, Zhao CZ, Wang PC, and Huang CF* (2023) The MEKK1-MKK1/2-MPK4 cascade phosphorylates and stabilizes STOP1 to confer aluminum resistance in Arabidopsis. Molecular Plant 16: 1-17.

2022

34. Li L^#, Zhu ZZ^#, Liao YH ^#, Yang CH, Fan N, Zhang J, Yamaji N, Dirick L, Jian Feng Ma, Curie C, and Huang CF* (2022) NRAMP6 and NRAMP1 cooperatively regulate root growth and manganese translocation under manganese deficiency in Arabidopsis. Plant Journal 110: 1564-1577.

33. Zhu X^#, Wang P^#, Bai ZM, Herde M, Ma YQ, Li N, Liu S, Huang CF, Cui RX, Ma HY, Zhang M, Wang H, Wei TD, Quan TY, Zhang W, Liu CG, Zhang T, and Yang ZB* (2022) Calmodulin-like protein CML24 interacts with CAMTA2 and WRKY46 to regulate ALMT1-dependent Al resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana. New Phytologist 233: 2471-2487.

2021

32. Yang CH^#, Wang C^#, Singh S^#, Fan N, Liu S, Zhao L, Cao HL, Xie WX, Yang CW* and Huang CF* (2021) Golgi‐localised manganese transporter PML3 regulates Arabidopsis growth through modulating Golgi glycosylation and cell wall biosynthesis. New Phytologist 231: 2200-2214.

31. Zhu YF^#, Guo J^#, Zhang Y, and Huang CF* (2021) The THO/TREX complex component RAE2/TEX1 is involved in the regulation of aluminum resistance and low phosphate response in Arabidopsis. Frontiers in Plant Science 12:698443.

30. Huang CF* (2021) Activation and activity of STOP1 in aluminum resistance. Journal of Experimental Botany 72: 2269-2272.

29. Fang Q, Zhang J, Yang DL, and Huang CF* (2021) The SUMO E3 ligase SIZ1 partially regulates STOP1 SUMOylation and stability in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Signaling & Behavior 16 (5): 1899487.

28. Fang Q^#, Zhou FL^#, Zhang Y, Singh S, and Huang CF* (2021) Degradation of STOP1 mediated by the F‐box proteins RAH1 and RAE1 balances aluminum resistance and plant growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Journal 106:493-506.

2020

27. Fang Q^#, Zhang J^#, Zhang Y, Fan N, van den Burg HA, and Huang CF* (2020) Regulation of aluminum-resistance in Arabidopsis involves the SUMOylation of the zinc finger transcription factor STOP1. Plant Cell 32: 3921-3938.

26. Liu S, Zhao L, Liao YH, Luo ZL, Wang H, Wang P, Zhao H, Xia JX, and Huang CF* (2020) Dysfunction of the 4-Coumarate:Coenzyme A Ligase 4CL4 impacts aluminum resistance and lignin accumulation in rice. Plant Journal 104:1233-1250.

25. Guo JL, Zhang Y, Gao HL, Li SB, Wang ZY, and Huang CF* (2020) Mutation of HPR1 encoding a component of the THO/TREX complex reduces STOP1 accumulation and aluminum resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana. New Phytologist 228: 179-193

24. Liu CL^#, Gao ZY^#, Shang LG^#, Yang CH, Ruan BP, Zeng DL, Guo LB, Zhao FJ, Huang CF*, and Qian Q* (2020) Natural variation in the promoter of OsHMA3 contributes to differential grain cadmium accumulation between Indica and Japonica rice. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 62: 314-329

2019

23. Zhang Y^#, Zhang J^#, Guo JL^#, Zhou FL, Singh S, Xu X, Xie Q, Yang ZB, and Huang CF* (2019) F-box protein RAE1 regulates the stability of the aluminum-resistance transcription factor STOP1 in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 116: 319-327 

22. Yang CH^#, Zhang Y^# and Huang CF*(2019) Reduction in cadmium accumulation in japonica rice grains by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of OsNRAMP5. Journal of Integrative Agriculture 18:688-697.

2018

21. Zhu HF^#, Xie WX^#, Xu DC^#, Miki D, Tang K, Huang CF*, and Zhu JK* (2018) DNA demethylase ROS1 negatively regulates the imprinting of DOGL4 and seed dormancy in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 115: E9962-E9970.

20. Zhang Y^#, Guo JL^#, Chen M, Li L, Wang LH, and Huang CF* (2018) The cell cycle checkpoint regulator ATR is required for internal aluminum toxicity-mediated root growth inhibition in Arabidopsis. Frontiers in Plant Science 9:118.  

19. Gao HL, Xie WX, Yang CH, Xu JY, Li JJ, Wang H, Chen X, and Huang CF* (2018) NRAMP2, a trans-Golgi network localized manganese transporter, is required for Arabidopsis root growth under manganese deficiency. New Phytologist 217:179-193.

2014-2016

18. Liu S, Gao HL, Wu XY, Fang Q, Chen L, Zhao FJ, and Huang CF* (2016) Isolation and characterization of an aluminum-resistant mutant in rice. Rice 9:60.

17. Yan JL, Wang PT, Wang P, Yang M, Lian XM, Tang Z, Huang CF, Salt DE, and Zhao FJ (2016) A loss-of-function allele of OsHMA3 associated with high cadmium accumulation in shoots and grain of Japonica rice cultivars. Plant Cell & Environment 39:1941–1954.

16. Yang Y, Liu Y, Huang CF, Silva J, and Zhao FJ (2016) Aluminium alleviates fluoride toxicity in tea (Camellia sinensis). Plant Soil 402:179-190.

15. Zhu HF, Wang H, Zhu YF, Zou JW, Zhao FJ, and Huang CF* (2015) Genome-wide transcriptomic and phylogenetic analyses reveal distinct aluminum-tolerance mechanisms in the aluminum-accumulating species buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum). BMC Plant Biology 15:16.  

14. Yang M, Zhang YY, Zhang LJ, Hu JT, Zhang X, Lu K, Dong HX, Wang DJ, Zhao FJ, Huang CF, and Lian XM (2014) OsNRAMP5 contributes to manganese translocation and distribution in rice shoots. Journal of Experimental Botany 65: 4849–4861.

13. Huang CF* and Zhu JK* (2014) RNA splicing factors and RNA-directed DNA methylation. Biology 3:243-254.

Before 2014

12. Huang CF, Miki D, Tang K, Zhou HR, Zheng Z, Chen W, Ma ZY, Yang L, Zhang H, Liu R, He XJ, Zhu JK (2013) A pre-mRNA-splicing factor is required for RNA-directed DNA methylation in Arabidopsis. PLOS Genetics 9: e1003779.

11. Dou K#, Huang CF#, Ma ZY, Zhang CJ, Zhou JX, Huang HW, Cai T, Tang K, Zhu JK, and He XJ (2013) The PRP6-like splicing factor STA1 is involved in RNA-directed DNA methylation by facilitating the production of Pol V-dependent scaffold RNAs. Nucleic Acids Research 41: 8489-8502.

10. Tsutsui T, Yamaji N, Huang CF, Motoyama R, Nagamura Y, Ma JF (2012) Comparative genome-wide transcriptional analysis of Al-responsive genes reveals novel Al tolerance mechanisms in rice. PLOS ONE 7: e48197.

9. Huang CF, Yamaji N, Chen ZC, and Ma JF (2012) A tonoplast-localized half-size ABC transporter is required for internal detoxification of Al in rice. Plant Journal 69: 857-867.

8. Huang CF, Yamaji N, Ono K, and Ma JF (2012) A leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase gene is involved in the specification of outer cell layers in rice roots. Plant Journal 69: 565–576 (Cover story).

7. Ueno D, Yamaji N, Kono I, Huang CF, Ando T, Yano M, and Ma JF (2010) Gene limiting cadmium accumulation in rice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107: 16500-16505.

6. Huang CF, Yamaji N, and Ma JF (2010) Knockout of a bacterial-type ATP-binding cassette transporter gene, AtSTAR1, results in increased aluminum sensitivity in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology 153: 1669-1677.

5. Yamaji N#, Huang CF#, Nagao S, Yano M, Sato Y, Nagamura Y, and Ma JF (2009) A zinc finger transcription factor ART1 regulates multiple genes implicated in aluminum tolerance in rice. Plant Cell 21: 3339-3349.

4. Huang CF, Yamaji N, Nishimura M, Tajima S, and Ma JF (2009) A rice mutant sensitive to Al toxicity is defective in the specification of root outer cell layers. Plant and Cell Physiology 50: 976 -985.

3. Wang LP, Yin HF, Qian Q, Yang J, Huang CF, Hu XH, and Luo D (2009) NECK LEAF 1, a GATA type transcription factor, modulates organogenesis by regulating the expression of multiple regulatory genes during reproductive development in rice. Cell Research 19: 598-611.

2. Huang CF#, Yamaji N#, Mitani N, Yano M, Nagamura Y, and Ma JF (2009) A bacterial-type ABC transporter is involved in aluminum tolerance in rice. Plant Cell 21: 655-667.

1. Ma JF, Nagao S, Huang CF, and Nishimura M (2005) Isolation and characterization of a rice mutant hypersensitive to Al. Plant and Cell Physiology 46: 1054-1061.

Research Interests

We are interested in understanding the mechanisms of aluminum (Al) resistance in plants, particularly the sensing and signaling pathways used by plants in response to Al stress. Elucidation of Al-resistance mechanisms will help genetic engineering to improve crop resistance to Al stress, which is a major limiting factor for crop production on acid soils. We are also interested in understanding the mechanisms of manganese (Mn) transport and utilization in plants. Uncovering the Mn transport and utilization mechanisms will be a stepping stone to engineer crop tolerance to Mn deficiency, which frequently occurs in calcareous or alkaline soils.