Research Statement

The research in my laboratory has been focusing on the genetic control of vertebrate organogenesis, particularly in the role of homeobox genes and growth factors in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions that lead to organ formation. We have been using mouse and chick as model systems to study the development of tooth, palatal shelf, heart and limb.   My lab has been using experimental embryology, knockout and transgenic mice, retroviral technique, tissue recombination, organ culture, and standard molecular biology approaches in our studies. The following are the current ongoing projects in my laboratory. 

Molecular mechanisms of Tooth Initiation: Tooth initiation is the first step of tooth morphogenesis, where the presumptive dental epithelium interacts with the subjacent dental mesenchyme to initiate tooth development. Several homeobox genes and growth factors have been implicated in this process. We have identified Bmp4 as a key signaling molecule regulating gene expression and mediating tooth initiation process, while Msx1 homeobox genes are involved in the control of Bmp4 expression.  Our current projects include identification and functional analysis of genes involved in tooth initiation and patterning, tooth regeneration, and isolation of dental stem cells. 


Molecular mechanisms of cleft palate formation in the Msx1 mutant mice: Cleft palate, one of the most common birth defects, occurs annually in about 1 in 700 live births in the USA. Mutations in the human Msx1 gene have been associated with non-syndromic cleft palate. We have been using a genetically engineered Msx1 mutant mouse as a model to study the molecular basis of cleft palate formation. We have found that a failure in palate growth instead of palate fusion results in cleft palate in the mouse Msx1 mutants. We have also identified a down-regulation of several genes in the Msx1 mutant palatal shelves. Most importantly, we are able to rescue the neonatal death and the cleft palate of the Msx1 mutant mice by ectopic expression of Bmp4 to the Msx1 mutant palate. This transgenic approach will provide a potential therapeutic strategy to rescue and prevent embryonic cleft palate in human beings.  In addition, we have also identified several key molecules that are expressed in developing palatal shelves and may play critical roles in controlling normal palate patterning and formation. 


Genetic control of left/right heart looping: Left-right asymmetry of vertebrate body axis is controlled by a number of genes. Leftward looping of the developing heart is the first indication of establishment of this left/right asymmetry. My lab was among the first to clone chick Pitx2, a bicoid-related homeobox gene and to demonstrate that this gene is downstream from Shh/nodal signaling pathway to control rightward looping of the developing heart and body turning in chick. We have cloned two isoforms of this gene and examined the differential expression pattern and functions of the isoforms during embryonic development by using retroviral and antisense approaches. By a PCR based subtraction hybridization approach, we have recently identified two chick novel genes that exhibit biased expression in the right side of Hensen’s node. Further studies on the functional analysis of these genes are in progress.

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Current Funding

"Molecular mechanisms of vertebrate tooth initiation," YiPing Chen, PI, NIH (2R01 DE12329), 2/1/99 - 1/31/09.

"Cell and protein signals in murine tooth development," YiPing Chen, PI, BoR (HEF-2000-05-04), LA, 7/1/00 - 6/30/05.

"Growth factor signaling in mouse palatogenesis," YiPing Chen, PI, NIH (R01 DE14044), 1/1/02 - 12/31/06.

“Molecular Mechanisms of left-right asymmetry” YiPing Chen, PI, AHA (Established Investigator Award: #0340166N), 1/1/03 – 12/31/07.

“De novo generation of mammalian tooth from stem cells” YiPing Chen, PI, NIH (R01 DE15123), 7/15/03 – 7/14/07.

Past Funding

"Role of Bmp4 and Msx1 in the murine tooth development," YiPing Chen, PI, NIH (F32 DE05671), 7/1/95 - 6/30/98.

"Molecular mechanisms of toothlessness in Aves," YiPing Chen, PI, NSF (IBN 9796321), 2/1/97 - 1/31/01.

"Role of Msx genes in mammalian heart development," YiPing Chen, PI, AHA (Grant-in-Aid 9750104), 1/1/98 - 12/31/00.

"Comprehensive program for craniofacial and dental anomalies," Jeff Murray, PI, YiPing Chen, Co-PI, NIH (P60 DE13076), 8/1/00 - 7/31/02.

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Courses Taught

CELL 416, Developmental Biology

CELL 478/678, Developmental Genetics

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