Resume

• 2010

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

  Genetics

  Genomics and Bioinformatics

  University of California

  Riverside

• 2006

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

  Molecular

  Cellular and Developmental Biology

  California State University

  Fresno

• PCR

  Laboratory

  Science

  Molecular Biology

  Genetics

  Caenorhabditis elegans RIG-I Homolog Mediates Antiviral RNA Interference Downstream of Dicer-Dependent Biogenesis of Viral Small Interfering RNAs.

  Rui Lu

  Wan-Xiang Li

  Gina Broitman-Maduro

  Hongshan Jiang

  Jing Zhong

  Xunyang Guo

  Jinfeng Lu

  Dicer enzymes process virus-specific double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to initiate specific antiviral defense by related RNA interference (RNAi) pathways in plants

  insects

  nematodes

  and mammals. Antiviral RNAi in Caenorhabditis elegans requires Dicer-related helicase 1 (DRH-1)

  not found in plants and insects but highly homologous to mammalian retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs)

  intracellular viral RNA sensors that trigger innate immunity against RNA virus infection. However

  it remains unclear if DRH-1 acts analogously to initiate antiviral RNAi in C. elegans. Here

  we performed a forward genetic screen to characterize antiviral RNAi in C. elegans. Using a mapping-by-sequencing strategy

  we uncovered four loss-of-function alleles of drh-1

  three of which caused mutations in the helicase and C-terminal domains conserved in RLRs. Deep sequencing of small RNAs revealed an abundant population of Dicer-dependent virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) in drh-1 single and double mutant animals after infection with Orsay virus

  a positive-strand RNA virus. These findings provide further genetic evidence for the antiviral function of DRH-1 and illustrate that DRH-1 is not essential for the sensing and Dicer-mediated processing of the viral dsRNA replicative intermediates. Interestingly

  vsiRNAs produced by drh-1 mutants were mapped overwhelmingly to the terminal regions of the viral genomic RNAs

  in contrast to random distribution of vsiRNA hot spots when DRH-1 is functional. As RIG-I translocates on long dsRNA and DRH-1 exists in a complex with Dicer

  we propose that DRH-1 facilitates the biogenesis of vsiRNAs in nematodes by catalyzing translocation of the Dicer complex on the viral long dsRNA precursors.

  Caenorhabditis elegans RIG-I Homolog Mediates Antiviral RNA Interference Downstream of Dicer-Dependent Biogenesis of Viral Small Interfering RNAs.

  Feng Chen

  Zhe Xen

  Yuanyuan Gu

  The status of intestinal microbiota is a determinant of host health. However

  the alteration of the gut microbiota caused by the innate immune response to virus infection is unclear. Caenorhabditis elegans and its natural virus Orsay provide an excellent model of host-virus interactions. We evaluated the intestinal microbial community complexity of the wild-type N2 and the innate immunity-deficient mutant rde-1 (ne219) strains of C. elegans upon Orsay virus infection. The gut microbiota diversity was decreased in rde-1 (ne219) mutant animals

  and a large number of genes were associated with the difference between infected and uninfected rde-1 (ne219) mutant animals. Therefore

  this study provides the first evaluation of the alterations caused by Orsay virus on intestinal microbiota in wildtype and innate immunity-deficient animals using C. elegans as the model species. Our findings indicate that virus infection may alters the microbiome in animals with defective immune response.

  The Shift in the Intestinal Microbiome in the Innate Immunity-Deficient Mutant rde-1 Strain of C. elegans upon Orsay Virus Infection

  Coffman

  Integrative Institue for Genome Biology

  Graduate Writing Resource Center

  USDA-ARS

  Clovis Community College

  Graduate Student Association

  California animal health and food safety laboratory

  UC Davis

  Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research

  UCLA School of Public Health

  California State University

  Fresno

  University of California

  Riverside

  Molecular Biology Discussion \nIntroduction to Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory

  University of California

  Riverside

  California State University

  Fresno

  Fresno

  CA

  Intro to Biology for Science Majors \nLab and TA coordinator Intro to Biology for Majors \nLife Sciences\nGenetics\nAnatomy and Physiology Lab

  Lecturer

  Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research

  GSA Representative

  Secretary

  Seminar Committee Chair

  Graduate Student Association

  Student Assistant

  California animal health and food safety laboratory

  UC Davis

  Graduate Writing Center Consultant

  University of California riverside

  Graduate Writing Resource Center

  Graduate Student Researcher

  University of California

  Riverside

  USDA-ARS

  Parlier

  CA

  Bioscience Aide

  Introduction to Life Sciences\nIntro to Biology for Science Majors \nHuman Biology \nHuman Physiology Lab \n

  Clovis Community College

  Student Seminar Coordinator

  UC Riverside

  Integrative Institue for Genome Biology

  Field Researcher

  UCLA School of Public Health