About

Professor Jian Hua is a faculty member in the Plant Biology Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University. His research focuses on the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying environmental responses and plant adaptation. The Hua Lab investigates various aspects of temperature responses, including chilling and heat, as well as ambient temperature effects on plants. Additionally, the lab studies temperature modulation of plant immunity and the regulation of plant immune receptor genes. Another key area of research involves the calcium-binding copine protein BON1 and its associated proteins, which play roles in plant immune responses. The lab also explores natural variations and environmental adaptation in plants. Professor Hua's work aims to elucidate how plants perceive and respond to environmental cues at the molecular level, contributing to a better understanding of plant biology and adaptation.

Research topics

• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Botany
• Genetics
• Cell biology

Selected publications

• Constrained evolution of a core winter proteome across independently cold-adapted PACMAD grasses

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-05-19

  preprintOpen access

  Summary Grasses in the PACMAD clade independently colonized cold environments from warm-climate ancestors, but whether their molecular responses to freezing reflect shared evolutionary solutions or lineage-specific innovations remains unknown. We used comparative proteomics to test whether protein-level cold responses show stronger cross-species conservation than previously observed at the transcript level. We quantified seasonal rhizome proteomes (winter vs summer) from five PACMAD species grown in a common garden exposed to sustained sub-zero temperatures, identified differentially abundant proteins, and compared fold-change magnitudes across species using orthogroup-based correlation analyses. We further examined LEA3 protein structure through hydropathy profiling and motif analysis. Shared cold-responsive proteins showed higher cross-species fold-change correlation ( ρ = 0.80) than background proteins ( ρ = 0.45), despite greater divergence in baseline abundance. LEA3 was the only ortholog elevated across all five species. Cold-tolerant species contained more tandem 11-mer repeats than the cold-sensitive maize, and two species accumulated multiple LEA3 paralogs, increasing total LEA3 abundance. Independent evolution of freezing tolerance in PACMAD grasses is governed by evolutionary constraints on protein-level response magnitude, reflecting the retention of an ancestral protective capacity. Structural divergence of LEA3 in maize suggests that transcriptional induction alone does not ensure freezing tolerance; functional protection likely requires intact motif architecture.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• VirTac, a modular lentiviral-based platform, elicits selective and marked expansion of HIV-, CMV- and SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses, validating its applications for adoptive T cell therapies 2374

  The Journal of Immunology · 2025-11-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Description New strategies to efficiently generate virus- and cancer-specific CD8 T cells are needed to increase antigenic breadth, efficacy and use of adoptive T-cell therapies for infectious diseases and cancer. We developed VirTac (VT), a modular lentivirus (LV)-based non-infectious immunotherapeutic platform to mimic features of APCs by presenting membrane proteins that elicit the selective expansion of antigen-specific CD8 T cells. We demonstrate that VT bearing single chain HLA-A*0201 MHC constructs presenting SL9 (HIV), NLV (CMV) or YLQ (CoV-2) peptides, either alone or combined with an agonist αCD28 scFv, can selectively modulate antigen-specific CD8 T cells. In vitro treatment of human donor PBMCs (n = 2-5) with SL9-, NLV- or YLQ-VT markedly expanded CD8 T cell populations specific for HIV (>20%), CMV (>87%) or CoV2 (>67%), respectively. Intravenous infusion of VT into NSG mice expanded HIV- and CMV-specific T cells by ∼30-fold; this response was enhanced in some of these donors by inclusion of the agonist αCD28 scFv in the VT. Antigen-specific T cells expanded with VT displayed potent antigen-specific cytotoxic activity, IFNγ and TNFα production and suppression of in vitro HIV or CMV infections. VT represents a highly modular platform that drives robust and selective ex vivo and in vivo expansion of antigen-specific CD8 T cells and enables diverse applications for enhancing adoptive cellular therapies to treat infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases and oncology indications. Funding Sources NIH R01 AI145024; NIH R01AI172607; NIH P30 AI124414 Topic Categories Vaccines and Immunotherapy (VAC)

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evolutionarily conserved BON1 regulates the basal cytosolic Ca ²⁺ level by calmodulin-independent activation of Ca ²⁺ pumps in <i>Arabidopsis</i>

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2025-06-02 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Plasma membrane-localized autoinhibited Ca 2+ pumps are essential for maintaining basal cytosolic Ca 2+ levels for regulating growth processes and environmental responses. These pumps are known to be activated by calmodulins to maintain Ca 2+ homeostasis in plants and animals. Here, we demonstrate that the evolutionarily conserved copine protein BON1 is critical for maintaining low cytosolic Ca 2+ concentrations by directly regulating two plasma membrane-localized Ca 2+ pumps ACA8 and ACA10 in Arabidopsis . BON1 interacts with a region within the N-terminal domain of ACA8 and ACA10, preceding the calmodulin binding sites, and stimulates ACA8 activity. This activation can occur without calmodulin binding, indicating that BON1 and calmodulin independently regulate the Ca 2+ pump. Loss of BON1 function results in elevated basal cytosolic Ca 2+ concentrations, which can be partially rescued by overexpressing hyperactive ACA8 or ACA10. Furthermore, we show that BON1 has one high-affinity Ca 2+ binding site in the VWA domain that is critical for activation of ACA8 as well as for BON1 function, suggesting a feedback mechanism for Ca 2+ homeostasis at resting concentrations. Our findings suggest that this Ca 2+ responsive regulatory mechanism extends beyond Arabidopsis , as we show interactions between ACA and BON proteins from algae to flowering plants, pointing to an ancient regulatory mechanism for maintaining low basal cytosolic Ca 2+ . Notably, a human plasma membrane-localized autoinhibited Ca 2+ pump can also be activated by a human BON protein in a yeast functional assay system, suggesting evolutionary conservation in Ca 2+ regulation across species.

  PublisherDOI

• Pan‐analysis of intra‐ and inter‐species diversity reveals a group of highly variable immune receptor genes in rice

  The Plant Journal · 2025-04-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Plant immune receptors and their natural variations play a central role in combating disease-causing pathogens. These immune receptors include intracellular nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (LRR) receptors (NLRs) and cell-surface pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that can be further classified as receptor-like proteins (RLPs) and receptor-like kinases (RLKs). Although the NLRome has been characterized, the repertoire and extent of diversity of PRRome remain undetermined in rice. In this study, we examined the diversity of immune receptor genes using high-quality genomes of 309 rice accessions from 8 species within the genus Oryza. A total of 376 310 immune receptor genes were identified, including 149 592 NLR-coding genes and 226 718 PRR coding genes. Shannon entropy analysis revealed a set of immune receptors that display significant intra-species and inter-species diversity in rice. In general, RLPs are more variable than RLKs, while NLRs and LRR-RLPs are more variable than LRR-RLKs. Additionally, NLR and PRR genes exhibit contrasting shoot/root expression patterns, with NLRs generally skewed towards root expression. Furthermore, we found that the size of the LRR-RLK gene families correlates with local annual precipitation, suggesting a stronger selection pressure on LRR-RLK genes in rice accessions grown under wet conditions than dry conditions. In sum, this pan-genomic analysis not only reveals the extensive diversity of the immune receptor repertoires in rice but also provides potential target genes for improving disease resistance in rice.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses is mediated by interacting CNGC proteins that regulate Ca²⁺ influx and stomatal movement in rice

  Journal of Integrative Plant Biology · 2025-01-07 · 10 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  ABSTRACT Members of the cyclic nucleotide‐gated channel (CNGC) proteins are reportedly involved in a variety of biotic and abiotic responses and stomatal movement. However, it is unknown if and how a single member could regulate multiple responses. Here we characterized three closely related CNGC genes in rice, OsCNGC14 , OsCNGC15 and OsCNGC16 , to determine whether they function in multiple abiotic stresses. The loss‐of‐function mutants of each of these three genes had reduced calcium ion (Ca 2+ ) influx and slower stomatal closure in response to heat, chilling, drought and the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA). These mutants also had reduced tolerance to heat, chilling and drought compared with the wild‐type. Conversely, overexpression of OsCNGC16 led to a more rapid stomatal closure response to stresses and enhanced tolerance to heat, chilling and drought. The tight association of stomatal closure and stress tolerance strongly suggests that tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses conferred by these OsCNGC genes results at least partially from their regulation of stomatal movement. In addition, physical interactions were observed among the three OsCNGC proteins but not with a distantly related CNGC, suggesting the formation of hetero‐oligomers among themselves. This study unveils the crucial role of OsCNGC14, 15 and 16 proteins in stomatal response and tolerance to multiple stresses, suggesting a mechanism of tolerance to multiple stresses that involves calcium influx and stomatal movement regulation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A <scp>CBL</scp> ‐interacting protein kinase <scp>Z</scp> m <scp>CIPK</scp> 12 confers salt tolerance in maize

  New Phytologist · 2025-10-08 · 3 citations

  articleCorresponding

  Increasing salt stress tolerance is crucial for sustainable agriculture, including the production of the major crop maize (Zea mays). However, the molecular mechanism of salt stress tolerance remains largely unknown in maize. Here, we studied the function and mechanism of the maize calcineurin B-Like-interacting protein kinase 12 (ZmCIPK12) in salt stress tolerance using mutant study, protein-protein interaction assay, protein biochemical characterization, and transcriptome analysis. We show that the loss of ZmCIPK12 function reduces salt tolerance in maize, while its overexpression increases salt tolerance. ZmCIPK12 interacts with the maize-soluble inorganic pyrophosphatase 4 (ZmPPase4) and inhibits its degradation. The loss of function of ZmPPase4, similar to that of ZmCIPK12, causes salt stress susceptibility in maize. In addition, the ZmCIPK12 and ZmPPase4 affect cell wall thickness under salt stress, which likely contributes to salt tolerance. Taken together, this study shows that ZmCIPK12 enhances salt tolerance likely through stabilizing ZmPPase4 and regulating cell wall thickness. It broadens our understanding of the plant salt tolerance mechanism and provides potential targets for improving salt tolerance in maize.

  PublisherDOI

• Energy sensing OsSnRK1b and its regulator OsCTK1 promote chilling-induced stomatal closure and chilling tolerance in rice

  Research Square · 2025-11-12

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Ethylene antagonizes ABA and inhibits stomatal closure and chilling tolerance in rice

  Journal of Experimental Botany · 2025-02-06 · 7 citations

  article

  Chilling stress restricts the geographical distribution of rice and severely affects its growth and development, ultimately reducing both yield and quality. The plant hormone ethylene is involved in stress responses; however, its role in rice chilling tolerance has not been thoroughly explored. This study reveals that ethylene negatively regulates chilling tolerance in rice by antagonizing the tolerance-promoting effects of abscisic acid (ABA). Treatment with ethylene or its biosynthetic precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), resulted in a reduced survival rate after chilling and delayed stomatal closure in response to chilling. There are two Raf-like protein kinases related ethylene signalling, CONSTITUTIVE TRIPLE RESPONSE1 (CTR1) and CTR2, that have overlapping functions in ethylene signalling, and their loss-of-function mutants exhibit constitutive ethylene responses. The ctr1 ctr2 double-mutant displayed lower survival rates and slower stomatal closure under chilling stress compared with the wild type. In contrast, ABA treatment significantly enhanced the survival rate of the wild type under chilling stress and promoted stomatal closure in response to chilling. Furthermore, ethylene inhibited the effects of ABA on chilling tolerance and stomatal closure. The ctr1 ctr2 double-mutant failed to respond to external ABA treatment in terms of stomatal closure and increased survival rate under chilling stress. Overall, our findings suggest that ethylene negatively regulates chilling tolerance in rice by inhibiting ABA-induced stomatal closure through the action of CTR1 and CTR2.

  PublisherDOI

• Designing a nitrogen-efficient cold-tolerant maize for modern agricultural systems

  The Plant Cell · 2025-07-01 · 6 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Maize (Zea mays L.) is the world's most productive grain crop and a cornerstone of global food supply. However, in temperate agricultural systems, maize exhibits 2 key anomalies. First, as a tropical species, maize cannot be planted in the cold conditions of early spring when light and natural soil nitrogen are available, resulting in a shorter growing season and creating a seasonal mismatch between nitrogen accessibility and demand. Second, maize kernel protein is a major nitrogen sink, driving fertilizer demand because of the scale of cultivation. This inefficient mismatch stems from modern maize's uses and the modest nutritional value of storage proteins. To address these anomalies, we established the Circular Economy that Reimagines Corn Agriculture initiative. Our vision requires advances in 3 research areas: (ⅰ) developing cold and frost tolerance during germination and early growth to enable the use of spring nitrogen and light resources; (ⅱ) reducing nitrogen allocation to grain by reducing low-quality storage proteins and developing alternative nitrogen sinks; and (ⅲ) stabilizing soil nitrogen by enhancing biological nitrification inhibition. We present blueprints for a nitrogen-efficient, cold-tolerant maize designed to utilize the full growing season, enabling farmers in temperate regions to fully leverage maize's C4 photosynthesis, reduce fertilizer inputs, increase yields, and minimize environmental impact.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Breeding for cold tolerance in common annual legume cover crops

  Crop Science · 2025-04-29 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract There has been a significant increase in cover crop adoption, with land use nearly doubling over the last decade. Winter legume cover crops provide several ecosystem services, such as weed suppression and reducing soil erosion, while serving as an excellent nitrogen source for subsequent cash crops. Hairy vetch ( Vicia villosa R.), crimson clover ( Trifolium incarnatum ), and winter pea ( Pisum sativum L.) are three major winter annual legume cover crops in the United States. However, varying winter survival rates have reduced their reliability compared with winter hardy grasses like cereal rye ( Secale cereale ). Winter hardy cultivars have been selected and bred in winter pea, which are also used as food and forage crops, but fewer breeding efforts toward cold tolerance have been made in hairy vetch or crimson clover. Despite the current breeding efforts, all three species can suffer from winter damage in the winter hardiness zone 6 and below. Developing winter hardy annual legume cover crops requires a multifaceted approach, including cultivar selection and hybridization, quantitative trait locus isolation, management practice improvement, and identification of new sources of winter hardiness. Cold acclimation, deacclimation resistance, and reacclimation potential are possible mechanisms to explore in the cold tolerance of these winter cover crops. Cold tolerance can be evaluated in field and controlled environments using visual scoring, chlorophyll fluorescence, and ion leakage assays.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Molecular mechanisms underlying temperature modulation of defense responses

  NSF · $650k · 2009–2013

• Regulation of calcium signal and signaling in plant immunity by BON1 associated proteins in Arabidopsis

  NSF · $925k · 2020–2024

• Regulation of a Resistance Gene by BON1 in Arabidopsis

  NSF · $524k · 2007–2010

• Molecular mechanisms underlying temperature modulation of plant immunity

  NSF · $629k · 2014–2019

• Regulation of a Resistance gene by BON1 in Arabidopsis

  NSF · $547k · 2004–2007

Frequent coauthors

• Bryan R. Cullen

  Duke Medical Center

  40 shared

• Baohong Zou

  Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital

  38 shared

• Zhixue Wang

  Nanjing Agricultural University

  34 shared

• Ning Zhang

  18 shared

• Leiyun Yang

  Nanjing Agricultural University

  18 shared

• Qi Sun

  Cornell University

  15 shared

• Dianxing Wu

  15 shared

• Huiyun Yu

  Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences

  15 shared

Labs

• Hua LabPI

  Not provided