Biochemical Journal Poster Prize winner

Ya-Wen Chen

Ya-Wen received her Bachelor's degree from Tunghai University in Taiwan and Master's in Science from Georgetown University. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Her research now focuses on understanding: (1) role of cell-surface proteolysis in epidermal differentiation and regeneration by investigating a protease/anti-protease network that is composed of matriptase, the initiator protease, prostasin, a downstream protease, and HAI-1, a Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor; and (2) the role of cell-surface proteolysis in prostate cancer by investigating TMPRSS2, a type II transmembrane serine protease. In the matriptase project, she has examined the expression and activation states of matriptase and prostasin during epidermal differentiation and dissected molecular events associated with their activation and inactivation. She has found that epidermal keratinocytes regulate cell-surface proteolysis with unprecedentedly tight control to safeguard the proteolytic activities of matriptase and prostasin, and is now identifying relevant substrates of matriptase and prostasin in epidermal differentiation and tissue regeneration.

In the TMPRSS2 project, she has reported new insights into the regulation and function of this TTSP, including: (1) its presence in high-molecular-weight complexes which are SDS-resistant and disulfide-linked; (2) its localization to the apical plasma membrane of prostate luminal epithelial cells; (3) its presence in prostasomes, membranous vesicles in semen; and (4) its increased expression and misregulated subcellular localization in prostate cancer cells. She is now working on identifying the binding partners of TMPRSS2 in order to investigate further its physiological function in prostate and pathological function in prostate cancer