Yan Zhang, MD, PhD

Professor
Department of Orofacial Sciences
Orofacial Sciences
[email protected]
+1 415 502-7829

My research explores the intricate transcriptional regulatory forces that guide dental epithelial cells to commit to the ameloblast lineage—master architects of the hardest tissue in the human body. Once their enamel-secreting mission is complete, these cells undergo a remarkable transformation into junctional epithelial cells, forming a critical barrier that safeguards the health of the gingival sulcus.

Publications: 

Sodium/(calcium+potassium)-exchanger NCKX4 optimizes KLK4 activity in the enamel matrix microenvironment to regulate ECM modeling

Frontiers in physiology

Chan B, Cheng IC, Rozita J, Gorshteyn I, Huang Y, Shaffer I, Chang C, Li W, Lytton J, Den Besten P, Zhang Y.

Na+ and K+ transport and maturation stage ameloblast modulation

Frontiers in physiology

Ngu J, Bronckers ALJJ, Katsura K, Zhang Y*, Den Besten PK* (* co-corresponding authors).

A N-terminus domain determines amelogenin’s stability to guide the development of mouse enamel matrix

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research

36. Huang Y, Bai Y, Chang C, Bacino M, Cheng IC, Li L, Habelitz S, Li W, Zhang Y

Protein nanoribbons template enamel mineralization

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. US

34. Bai Y, Yu Z, Ackerman L, Zhang Y, Bonde J, Li W, Cheng Y, Habelitz S

SATB1 establishes ameloblast cell polarity and regulates directional amelogenin secretion for enamel formation.

BMC biology

Zhang Y, Zheng L, Le M, Nakano Y, Chan B, Huang Y, Torbaty PM, Kohwi Y, Marcucio R, Habelitz S, Den Besten PK, Kohwi-Shigematsu T