This study shows that formaldehyde exposure alters histone methylation and acetylation in human cells, with changes resembling those in cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Chemical Research in Toxicology · Jul 31, 2025Peer-reviewedPharmacology & Toxicology

Formaldehyde induces and promotes Alzheimer's disease pathologies in a 3D human neural cell culture system

Peipei Wu, Danqi Chen, Fei Wang, Kun Lü, Einar M. Sigurdsson, Chunyuan Jin

This study shows that formaldehyde exposure increases Aβ40, Aβ42, and phosphorylated tau levels in 3D-cultured human neural cells, suggesting a role in Alzheimer's disease initiation and progression.

bioRxiv · Feb 27, 2025 · PreprintNeuroscience

Downregulation of Stem-loop binding protein by nicotine via α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and its role in nicotine-induced cell transformation

Qi Sun, Danqi Chen, Amna Raja, Gabriele Grünig, Judith Terry Zelikoff, Chunyuan Jin

This study shows nicotine induces SLBP downregulation and histone mRNA polyadenylation via α7-nAChR, promoting cell transformation.

Toxicological Sciences · Aug 5, 2022Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology

Potential Functions of Histone H3.3K56 Acetylation in Mammals

Lei Fang, Danqi Chen, Jingzi Zhang, Kai Li, Beatrix R. Bradford, Chunyuan Jin

This study investigates the role of H3.3K56 acetylation in mammals using mutants, showing its importance in chromosome segregation and cell division.

Epigenetics · Apr 27, 2021Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology

Polyadenylation of Histone H3.1 mRNA Promotes Cell Transformation by Displacing H3.3 from Gene Regulatory Elements

Danqi Chen, Qiao Yi Chen, Zhenjia Wang, Yusha Zhu, Thomas Kluz, Wuwei Tan, Jinquan Li, Feng Chi Wu, Lei Fang, Xiaoru Zhang, Rong‐Quan He, Steven Shen, Hong Sun, Chongzhi Zang, Chunyuan Jin, Max Costa

The paper shows that polyadenylation of H3.1 mRNA displaces H3.3 from gene regulatory elements, leading to cell transformation and genomic instability.

iScience · Jan 1, 2019Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology