Faculty

	정재훈 (Jae-Hoon Jung)
	직함	부교수
	전공	식물분자생물학
	연구실	식물생화학연구실
	전화	031-290-7013
	사무실	제2과학관 32206
	홈페이지	http://sites.google.com/g.skku.edu/pbl19
	이메일	jhjung19@skku.edu

Research Background

Professor Jung have been investigating regulatory mechanisms that govern plant response to environmental changes majorly in temperature. The outstanding challenge in the temperature research is to identify the molecules that perceive temperature signals. As a postdoctoral researcher of Wigge group at University of Cambridge, he has discovered that a red-light photoreceptor phytochrome B (phyB) functions as a thermosensor in Arabidopsis (the first thermosensor identified in plants).

     

*Captured from the commentary on Jung et al. Science (2016)

 

Plant Biochemistry Lab (PBL), together with research groups in Germany, France, and UK, has recently reported that ELF3, a protein containing prion-like domains (PrDs) controls the plant’s temperature response by forming biomolecular condensates.  ELF3 proteins reversibly forms liquid droplets in response to increasing temperature, in a PrD-dependent manner. This is the first study to show that the plant response to heat requires phase separation. 

 

 *Captured from the commentary on Jung et al. Nature (2020)

By exploiting new scientific concepts and the latest techniques, PBL aims to target the mechanisms by which plants control their growth and development in response to temperature changes. Our research will provide insights on our understanding how plants adapt to climate warming and will help us breed crop plants to be more resilient to increasing hot weather.

Major three target molecules

(1)   Proteins containing intrinsically disordered region (IDR) or prion-related domain (PrD)

(2)   RNA molecules interacting with thermosensory proteins

(3)   Reactive oxygen species (ROS) to transmit temperature information 

연구실 소개 (한국 분자세포생물학회 웹진 2020년 6월)

http://www.ksmcb.or.kr/webzine/2006/content/lab.html

주간조선 인터뷰 (과학 연구의 최전선, 2021년 12월)
https://weekly.chosun.com/client/news/viw.asp?nNewsNumb=002687100021&ctcd=C01&cpage=1

성균웹진 연구실 소개 (성균웹진 495호, 2022년 7월)

https://webzine.skku.edu/skkuzine/section/culture03.do?articleNo=98744&pager.offset=0&pagerLimit=10

한국연구재단 정책블로그 기초연구라이브 인터뷰 (2022년 9월)

https://blog.naver.com/basic_science/222862076577

2020년 네이쳐 논문 관련 보도자료

https://www.skku.edu/skku/campus/skk_comm/news04.do?mode=view&articleNo=85159&article.offset=0&articleLimit=10

네이쳐 논문이 인용된 관련 칼럼 (강석기의 과학카페, 동아사이언스)

http://dongascience.donga.com/news.php?idx=39440

 

 

* Equal contribution

Publications (after 2019)

51.  Zubieta C, Hutin S, Jung JH, Xuelei Lai (2024) Phosphorylation of phyB by GSK3s, a key mechanism that brings temperature sensors together. New Phytol, published online.

50. Park J, Jung JH (2024) Revalidation of the ICE1–CBF Regulatory Model in Arabidopsis Cold Stress Response. J Plant Biol 67: 391-398.

49. Jeon J, Rahman MM, Yang EW, Kim J, Gam HJ, Song JY, Jeong SW, Kim JI, Choi MG, Shin DH, Choi G, Shim D, Jung JH, Lee IJ, Jeon JS, Park YI (2024) Modulation of warm temperature-sensitive growth using a phytochrome B dark reversion variant, phyB[G515E], in Arabidopsis and rice. J Adv Res 63: 57-72.

48.  Park KH*, Kim SB*, Jung JH (2023) Analysis of temperature effects on the protein accumulation of the FT-FD module using newly generated Arabidopsis transgenic plants. Plant Direct 7: e552

47. Kim SB, Jung JH (2023) A straightforward strategy for reducing variability in flowering time at warm ambient temperatures. Plant Signal Behav 18: 2193913.

46. Quint M, Delker C, Balasubramanian S, Balcerowicz M, Casal JJ, Castroverde CDM, Chen M, Chen X, Smet ID, Fankhauser C, Franklin KA, Halliday KJ, Hayes S, Jiang D, Jung JH, Kaiserli E, Kumar SV, Maag D, Oh E, Park CM, Penfield S, Perrella G, Prat S, Reis RS, Wigge PA, Willige BC, Zanten M (2023) 25 Years of thermomorphogenesis research: milestones and perspectives. Trends Plant Sci 28: 1098-1100.

45. Jung JH*, Seo PJ*, Oh E*, Kim J (2023) Temperature perception by plants. Trends Plant Sci 28: 924-940.

44. Jenkitkonchai J, Marriott P, Yang W, Sriden N, Jung JH, Wigge PW, Charoensawan V (2021) Exploring PIF4 's contribution to early flowering in plants under daily variable temperature and its tissue-specific flowering gene network. Plant Direct 5: e339.

43. Jung JH*, Barbosa AD*, Hutin S*, Kumita JR, Gao M, Derwort D, Silva CS, Lai X, Pierre E, Geng F, Kim SB, Baek S, Zubieta C, Jaeger KE, Wigge PA (2020) A prion-like domain in ELF3 functions as a thermosensor in Arabidopsis. Nature 585: 256-260.

     Featured in Nature “News and Views” (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02442-x)

     Recommended by F1000

42. Favero DS, Kawamura A, Shibata M, Takebayashi A, Jung JH, Suzuki T, Jaeger KE, Ishida T, Iwase A, Wigge PA, Neff MM, Sugimoto K (2020) AT-Hook Transcription Factors Restrict Petiole Growth by Antagonizing PIFs. Curr. Biol. 30: 1454-1466.

41. Silva CS*, Nayak A*, Lai X*, Hutin S, Hugouvieux V, Jung JH, López-Vidriero I, Franco-Zorrilla JM, Panigrahi KCS, Nanao MH, Wigge PA, Zubieta C (2020) Molecular mechanisms of Evening Complex activity in Arabidopsis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 117: 6901-6909.

40. Tong M*, Lee K*, Ezer D, Cortijo S, Jung JH, Charoensawan V, Box MS, Jaeger KE, Takahashi N, Mas P, Wigge PA, Seo PJ (2020) The Evening Complex 

     Establishes Repressive Chromatin Domains Via H2A.Z Deposition. Plant Physiol. 182: 612-625.

 

Selected publications (before 2019)

39. Lee JH, Jung JH, Park CM (2017) Light Inhibits COP1-Mediated Degradation of ICE Transcription Factors to Induce Stomatal Development in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 29: 2817-2830. (IF, 8.688)

38. Ezer D, Jung JH, Lan H, Biswas S, Gregoire L, Box MS, Charoensawon V, Cortijo S, Lai X, Stöckle D, Zubieta C, Jaeger KE, Wigge PA (2017) The Evening Complex coordinates environmental and endogenous signals in Arabidopsis. Nat. Plants 3: 17087. (IF, 10.300)

       Recommended by F1000

37. Ha JH*, Lee HJ*, Jung JH, Park CM (2017) Thermo-Induce Maintenance of Photo-oxidoreductases Underlies Plant Autotrophic Development. Dev. Cell 41: 170-179. (IF, 9.174) 

34. Jung JH*, Lee HJ*, Ryu JY, Park CM (2016) SPL3/4/5 Integrate Developmental Aging and Photoperiodic Signals into the FT FD Module 

     in Arabidopsis Flowering. Mol. Plant 9: 1647-1659. (IF, 8.827) 

33. Jung JH*, Domijan M*, Klose C*, Biswas S*, Ezer D*, Gao M, Khattak AK, Box MS, Charoensawan V, Cortijo S, Kumar M, Grant A, Locke JC, Schäfer E, Jaeger KE, Wigge PA (2016) Phytochromes Function as Thermosensors in Arabidopsis. Science 354: 886-889. (IF, 37.205) Featured in a Science Perspective (http://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6314/832)                      

    Recommended by F1000                     

30. Lee HJ, Jung JH, Cortés Llorca L, Kim SG, Lee S, Baldwin IT, Park CM (2014) FCA mediates thermal adaptation of stem growth by attenuating auxin action in Arabidopsis. Nat. Commun. 5: 5473. (IF, 11.470)

29. Jung JH*, Lee HJ*, Park MJ*, Park CM (2014) Beyond ubiquitination: proteolytic and nonproteolytic roles of HOS1. Trends Plant Sci. 19: 538-545. (IF, 12.929) Recommended by F1000

28. Jung JH*, Lee S*, Yun J, Lee M, Park CM (2014) The miR172 target TOE3 represses AGAMOUS expression during Arabidopsis floral patterning. Plant Sci. 215: 29-38. (IF, 3.607) 

25. Jung JH*, Park JH*, Lee S, Toe TK, Kim JM, Seki M, Park CM (2013) The Cold Signaling Attenuator HIGH EXPRESSION OF OSMOTICALLY RESPONSIVE GENE1 Activates FLOWERING LOCUS C Transcription via Chromatin Remodeling under Short-Term Cold Stress in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 25: 4378-4390. (IF, 9.575) 

23. Jung JH, Seo PJ, Park CM (2012) The E3 ubiquitin ligase HOS1 regulates Arabidopsis flowering by mediating CONSTANS degradation under cold stress. J Biol. Chem. 287: 43277-43287. (IF, 4.651) 

     Recommended by F1000

21. Jung JH, Seo PJ, Ahn JH, Park CM (2012) Arabidopsis RNA-binding protein FCA regulates microRNA172 processing in thermosensory flowering. J. Biol. Chem. 287: 16007-16016. (IF, 4.651)

16. Jung JH, Yun J, Seo PJ, Lee JH, Park CM (2012) The SOC1-SPL module integrates photoperiod and gibberellic acid signals to control flowering time in Arabidopsis. Plant J. 69: 577-588. (IF, 6.582) 

13. Jung JH*, Seo PJ*, Kang SK, Park CM (2011) miR172 signals are incorporated into the miR156 signaling pathway at the SPL3/4/5 genes in Arabidopsis developmental transitions. Plant Mol. Biol. 76: 35-45. (IF, 4.150) 

6. Jung JH, Seo YH, Seo PJ, Reyes JL, Yun J, Chua HC, Park CM (2007) The GIGANTEA-regulated MicroRNA172 mediated photoperiodic flowering independent of CONSTANS in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 19: 2736-2748. (IF, 10.920)

     Recommended by F1000

3. Jung JH, Park CM (2007) MIR166/165 genes exhibit dynamic expression patterns in regulating shoot apical meristem and floral development in Arabidopsis. Planta 225: 1327-1338. (IF, 3.108)

2. Kim J*, Jung JH*, Reyes JL, Kim YS, Kim SY, Chung KS, Kim JA, Lee M, Lee Y, Kim VN, Chua NH, Park CM (2005) microRNA-directed cleavage of ATHB15 mRNA regulates vascular development in Arabidopsis inflorescence stems. Plant J. 42: 84-94. (IF, 6.969)

 

•2019.3-2022.2	신진연구, 한국연구재단
•2021.1-2022.12	시스템합성 농생명공학 혁신기술개발, 농촌진흥청
•2021.3-2023.2	포스코사이언스펠로, 포스코청암재단
•2021.6-2027.5	선도연구센터(SRC),한국연구재단
•2021.9-2023.8	한-중 협력연구사업, 한국연구재단
•2022.3-2025.2	중견연구, 한국연구재단
•2025.3-2029.2	중견연구, 한국연구재단

Education and experiences

•2019-present	Assistant/Associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University
•2012-2019	Research associate, Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge
•2008-2012	Postdoctoral research associate, Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University
•2003-2008	Ph.D.,Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University
•1998-2002	B.S.,Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University

Lectures

• 생명과학1(Biological Science I, GEDB016) : 학부, 봄학기

• 생명과학2(Biological Science II, GEDB018) : 학부, 가을학기

• 생화학(Biochemistry, BIO2002) : 학부, 봄학기, 한국어/국제어 2개 분반 운영

• 식물생리학(Plant Physiology, BIO3044) : 학부, 가을학기, 국제어

• 식물분자생물학(Plant Molecular Biology, BIO5029) : 대학원, 봄학기, 국제어

• 식물발생학(Plant Growth and Development, BIO5112) : 대학원, 봄학기, 국제어

People

 

	박경호(Kyung-Ho Park)
	과정	석사졸업 (2020.3-2022.2), 박사과정 (2022.3-present)
	연구비	박사과정연구장려금, 한국연구재단 (2024.9-2025.8)
	연구실	제2과학관 32258호
	전화	031-290-7018
	이메일	cuube119@gmail.com
	연구소개	To cope with global warming, a major issue affecting crop productivity, it is very important to understand how warm temperature affects plant flowering at molecular levels. Prion-like   domain(PrD)-containing proteins, which are phase separated by heat, would be a key to understand thermosensory flowering in plants. Therefore, I aim to identify prion-like proteins responding to temperature changes and to understand how they form biological condensates for the thermal control of flowering.

	최윤영(Yunyoung Choi)
	과정	석사졸업 (2021.3-2023.2), 박사과정 (2023.3-present)
	연구실	제2과학관 32258호
	전화	031-290-7018
	이메일	yunzero0411@naver.com
	연구소개	Drought is one of the major environmental factors affecting crop production. It is essential to suppress water evaporation by thickening the cuticle wax layer to enhance plant drought resistance. My research focuses on the interaction between nuclear pore complex components and transcription factors that regulate the transcriptional activation of genes involved in cuticle wax biosynthesis.

	박지현(Jihyeon Park)
	과정	석박통합과정 (2022.3-present)
	연구실	제2과학관 32258호
	전화	031-290-7018
	이메일	wlgus7731@naver.com
	연구소개	My research goal is to figure out how temperature signals are implicated in cell cycle control, particularly in root development.

	우재은(Jae Eun Woo)
	과정	석사과정 (2024.3-present)
	연구비	석사과정생연구장려금, 한국연구재단 (2024.9-2025.8)
	연구실	제2과학관 32258호
	전화	031-290-7018
	이메일	ashilver4@naver.com
	연구소개	Understanding how plant flowering time is regulated by temperature is important to cope with the decline in crop yields caused by climate change. I am interested in how microRNAs and their signaling pathways regulate the expression of genes involved in flowering time in response to temperature changes.

	윤예은(Ye Eun Yoon)
	과정	석박통합과정 (2025.3-present)
	연구실	제2과학관 32258호
	전화	031-290-7018
	이메일	bani0725@g.skku.edu
	연구소개	Ethylene signaling is a crucial signaling pathway that plays an essential role in plant growth, development, and response to environmental stresses. My research focuses on uncovering the missing links in the ethylene signaling pathway that remain unknown. Additionally, I am investigating the mechanisms by which plants adapt and survive under extreme heat conditions.

Alumni

	김솔비(Sol Bi Kim)
	과정	석박통합 졸업 (2019.3-2024.8)
	진로	서울대학교 박사후연구원
	이메일	0423ooo@naver.com
	연구소개	Proteins containing a prion-like domain tend to phase separate in cells. I am interested in how prion-like proteins interact and how they work together in the thermal control of phase separation in plant tissues.

	한신희(Shin-Hee Han)
	과정	박사후 연구원 (2022.3-present)
	연구비	창의·도전연구 기반지원, 한국연구재단(2022.06-2024.5)
	진로	경희대 박사후연구원
	이메일	han784739@gmail.com
	연구소개	Temperature is one of the major environmental factors that affect plant growth and development. Therefore, plants possess versatile mechanisms for adapting to different temperature environments.  I am interested in how DNA helicase protein is involved in warm temperature-induced architectural changes and how retrograde signals affect prion-like protein activity under various temperature conditions.

	이장원(Jangwon Lee)
	과정	석사 졸업 (2020.9-2023.2)
	진로	카이스트 생명과학과 박사과정 진학
	이메일	john19951214@naver.com
	연구소개	My research aims to understand how nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) function in the ethylene signaling pathway and control cold acclimation via LLPS (liquid-liquid phase separation). I would like to discover cold temperature sensors and their functional mechanisms in plants so that they can contribute to future food resource development.

	김은서(Eunseo Kim)
	과정	석사 졸업 (2021.3-2023.2)
	진로	국가녹색기술연구소 연구원
	이메일	0918es@naver.com
	연구소개	Phase separation has recently emerged as an exciting new mechanism to explain the dynamic organization of biochemical processes in the cell. My research aims to understand how fatty acid biosynthesis in plant seeds is controlled transcriptionally in response to changes in external environments through phase separation.

	백수정(Sujeong Baek)
	과정	석사 졸업 (2019.3-2021.2)
	진로	연세대학교 연구원
	이메일	qortnwjd1219@gmail.com
	연구소개	I am interested in how nuclear pore proteins (NUPs) regulate flowering time in plants. The initial objective of my research is to identify NUP-interacting partners to work together in the flowering time cintrol.