Jihoon Lee, Ph.D. | Faculty Directory

Professional Background

Education

2012 - Ph.D. - Biology - Yonsei University
2009 - M.S. - Biology - Yonsei University
2007 - B.S. - Biology - Yonsei University

Training

2021 - Postdoc Fellow - Epitranscriptomics in Cancer - UT Health San Antonio
2017 - Postdoc Fellow - Systems Biology - Yonsei University, Republic of Korea
2017 - Postdoc Fellow - Cancer epigenetics and RNA biology - University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA

Appointments

12/2023 - Assistant Professor/Tenure Track - UT Health San Antonio
10/2021 - Assistant Professor/Research Track - UT Health San Antonio

Research & Grants

Our research is largely direct towards understanding important roles of the epigenome and epitranscriptome in control of the context-specific transcriptional programs and genome architecture, consequently leading to tumor development and progression

Grants

NIH/NCI R01CA279696 (PI: Jihoon Lee) 04/2023 - 03/2028

Title: The role and mechanism of RNA m6A modification in the pathogenesis and drug-resistance of prostate cancer

NIH/NCI R01CA279681 (Collaborator: Jihoon Lee) 01/2024 - 12/2028

Title: Function of the METTL3-NUP93 complex

Publications

Hong, J.*, Lee, J.H.*, Zhang, Z.*, Wu, Y., Yang, M., Liao, Y., De la Rosa, R., Scheirer, J., Pechacek, D., Zhang, N., Xu, Z., Curiel, T., Tan, X., Huang, T.H., Xu, K.^. (2022) PRC2-Mediated Epigenetic Suppression of Type I IFN-STAT2 Signaling Impairs Antitumor Immunity in Luminal Breast Cancer. Cancer Res. 82(24):4624-4640. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.

Hong, J., Xu, K., Lee, J.H.^. (2022) Biological roles of the RNA m6A modification and its implications in cancer. Exp Mol Med. 54(11):1822-1832. doi: 10.1038/s12276-022-00897-8. (Review article)

Liao, Y.*, Chen, C.H.*, Xiao, T., de la Peña Avalos, B., Dray, E.V., Cai, C., Gao, S., Shah, N., Zhang, Z., Feit, A., Xue, P., Liu, Z., Yang, M., Lee, J.H., Xu, H., Li, W., Mei, S., Pierre, R.S., Shu, S., Fei, T., Duarte, M., Zhao, J., Bradner, J.E., Polyak, K., Kantoff, P.W., Long, H., Balk, S.P., Liu, X.S.^, Brown, M.^, Xu, K.^. (2022) Inhibition of EZH2 transactivation function sensitizes solid tumors to genotoxic stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 119(3). doi: 10.1073/pnas.2105898119.

Lee, J.H.*, Hong, J.*, Zhang, Z.*, de la Peña Avalos, B., Proietti, C.J., Deamicis, A.R., Guzmán, G. P., Lam, HM., Garcia, J., Roudier, M.P., Sisk, A.E., De La Rosa, R., Vu, K., Yang, M., Liao, Y., Scheirer, J., Pechacek, D., Yadav, P., Rao, M.K., Zheng, S., Johnson-Pais, T.L., Leach, R.J., Elizalde, P.V., Dray, E., Xu, K.^. (2021) Regulation of telomere homeostasis and genomic stability in cancer by N6-adenosine methylation (m6A). Sci Adv. 7(31). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abg7073.

Yang, M.*, Lee, J.H.*, Zhang, Z.*, De La Rosa, R., Bi, M., Tan, Y., Liao, Y., Hong, J., Du, B., Wu, Y., Scheirer, J., Hong, T., Li, W., Fei, T., Hsieh, C.L., Liu, Z., Li, W., Rosenfeld, M.G., Xu, K.^. (2020) Enhancer RNAs Mediate Estrogen-Induced Decommissioning of Selective Enhancers by Recruiting ERα and Its Cofactor. Cell Rep. 31(12):107803. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107803.

Rahnamoun, H., Hong, J., Sun, Z., Lee, J.H., Lu, H., Lauberth, S.M.^. (2018) Mutant p53 regulates enhancer-associated H3K4 monomethylation through interactions with the methyltransferase MLL4. J Biol Chem. 293(34):13234-13246. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA118.003387.

Rahnamoun, H., Lee, J.H., Sun, Z., Lu, H., Ramsey, K.M., Komives, E.A., Lauberth, S.M.^. (2018) RNAs interact with BRD4 to promote enhanced chromatin engagement and transcription activation. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 25(8):687-697. doi: 10.1038/s41594-018-0102-0.

Lee, J.H., Jung, M., Hong, J., Kim, M.K., Chung, I.K.^. (2018) Loss of RNA-binding protein HuR facilitates cellular senescence through posttranscriptional regulation of TIN2 mRNA. Nucleic Acids Res. 46(8):4271-4285. doi: 10.1093/nar/gky223.

Hong, J., Lee, J.H., Chung, I.K.^. (2016) Telomerase activates transcription of cyclin D1 gene through an interaction with NOL1. J Cell Sci. 129(8):1566-79. doi: 10.1242/jcs.181040.

Lee, J.H., Jeong, S.A., Khadka, P., Hong, J., Chung, I.K.^. (2015) Involvement of SRSF11 in cell cycle-specific recruitment of telomerase to telomeres at nuclear speckles. Nucleic Acids Res. 43(17):8435-51. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkv844.

Jeong, S.A.*, Kim, K.*, Lee, J.H., Cha, J.S., Khadka, P., Cho, H.S.^, Chung, I.K.^. (2015) Akt-mediated phosphorylation increases the binding affinity of hTERT for importin α to promote nuclear translocation. J Cell Sci. 128(12):2287-301. doi: 10.1242/jcs.166132.

Khadka, P.*, Lee, J.H.*, Baek, S.H., Oh, S.Y., Chung, I.K.^. (2014) DNA-PKcs-interacting protein KIP binding to TRF2 is required for the maintenance of functional telomeres. Biochem J. 463(1):19-30. doi: 10.1042/BJ20131395.

Lee, J.H., Lee, Y.S., Jeong, S.A., Khadka, P., Roth, J., Chung, I.K.^. (2014) Catalytically active telomerase holoenzyme is assembled in the dense fibrillar component of the nucleolus during S phase. Histochem Cell Biol. 141(2):137-52. doi: 10.1007/s00418-013-1166-x.

Lee, J.H., Khadka, P., Baek, S.H., Chung, I.K.^. (2010) CHIP promotes human telomerase reverse transcriptase degradation and negatively regulates telomerase activity. J Biol Chem. 285(53):42033-45. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.149831.

Lee, J.H., Chung, I.K.^. (2010) Curcumin inhibits nuclear localization of telomerase by dissociating the Hsp90 co-chaperone p23 from hTERT. Cancer Lett. 290(1):76-86. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2009.08.026.