Felix Jimenez Rondan

Teaching Interests
Developmental Biology

Research Interests
Dr. Jimenez studies the mechanisms of zinc on epigenetic events like DNA methylation, histone
modification and transcriptional gene modifications. his research seeks to address how Zinc is
required for the activity of various epigenetic enzymes, such as DNA methyltransferases
(DNMTs), histone acetyltransferases (HATs), histone deacetylases (HDACs), and histone
demethylases, which possess several zinc bindings sites. He is also interested in the molecular
mechanisms by which zinc induces gene modifications and inflammation. His work involves cell
lines and transgenic mice model to investigate the roles of zinc.

Selected Publications

1. Felix R Jimenez-Rondan, Courtney H Ruggiero, Alberto Riva, Fahong Yu, Lauren S Stafford, Tyler R Cross, Joseph Larkin III, Robert J Cousins. 2025. Deletion of metal transporter Zip14 reduces major histocompatibility complex II expression in murine small intestinal epithelial cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122 (1), e242232112.
2. L Xiong, EY Helm, JW Dean, N Sun, FR Jimenez-Rondan, L Zhou. 2023. Nutrition impact on ILC3 maintenance and function centers on a cell-intrinsic CD71–iron axis. Nature immunology 24 (10), 1671-1684
3. F Jimenez-Rondan, C Ruggiero, R Cousins. 2023. Zip14 ablation modulates HDAC activity through zinc transport in intestinal epithelial cells. Physiology 38 (S1), 5733413.
4. Felix R Jimenez-Rondan, Courtney H Ruggiero, Kelley Lobean McKinley, Jin Koh, John F Roberts, Eric W Triplett, Robert J Cousins. 2023. Enterocyte-specific deletion of metal transporter Zip14 (Slc39a14) alters intestinal homeostasis through epigenetic mechanisms. American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology 2023 324:3, G159-G176
5. R. Jimenez-Rondan, C. H. Ruggiero, R. J. Cousins. 2022. Long Noncoding RNA, MicroRNA, Zn Transporter Zip14 (Slc39a14) and Inflammation in Mice. Nutrients 2022, 14(23), 5114.
6. Felix R Jimenez-Rondan, Courtney H Ruggiero, Kelley Lobean McKinley, Jin Koh, John F Roberts, Eric W Triplett, Robert J Cousins. 2023. Enterocyte-specific deletion of metal transporter Zip14 (Slc39a14) alters intestinal homeostasis through epigenetic mechanisms. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol324: G159–G176, 2023.
7. Kim J, Aydemir T, Jimenez F, Ruggiero C, Kim M, and Cousins R. 2020. Deletion of metal transporter Zip14 (Slc39a14) produces skeletal muscle wasting, endotoxemia, Mef2c activation, and induction of miR-675, and Hspb7. Sci Rep 10, 4050 (2020).
8. Min Lin, Luis M. Colon-Perez, Danielle O. Sambo, Douglas R. Miller, Joseph J. Lebowitz, Felix Jimenez-Rondan, Robert J. Cousins, Nicole Horenstein, Tolunay Beker Aydemir, Marcelo Febo and Habibeh Khoshbouei. Mechanism of Manganese Dysregulation of Dopamine Neuronal Activity. Journal of Neuroscience 22 July 2020, 40 (30) 5871-5891; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2830-19.2020
9. Josh B. Lewis; Felix R Jimenez; Jared S Bodine; Brigham J Merrell; Brent Kimbler; Juan A Arroyo; Paul R Reynolds, The Expression Profile of Claudin Family Members in the Developing Mouse Lung and Expression Alterations Resulting from Exposure to Secondhand Smoke (SHS). Respiratory research, 2017
10. Felix R. Jimenez, Josh B. Lewis, Samuel T. Belgique, Dallin C. Milner, Adam L. Lewis, Todd M. Dunaway, Kaleb M. Egbert, Duane R. Winden, Juan A. Arroyo, and Paul R. Reynolds. Cigarette smoke and decreased oxygen tension inhibit pulmonary claudin-6 expression. Experimental Lung Research. 2016 (1-13)
11. Felix R. Jimenez, Samuel T. Belgique, Scott A. Albright, Cameron M. Jones, Jason R. Gassman, and Paul R. Reynolds. Conditional pulmonary overexpression of Claudin 6 (Cldn6) during embryogenesis delays lung morphogenesis. International Journal of Developmental Biology 2015.
12. Jian-peng Teoh, Kyoung-mi Park, Zuzana Broskova, Felix R Jimenez, Ahmed Bayoumi, Krystal Archer, Huabo Su, John Johnson, Neal L Weintraub, Yaoliang Tang, Il-man Kim. Identification of gene signatures regulated by carvedilol in mouse heart. Physiol Genomics. 2015; 47:376-385
13. Felix R Jimenez, Joshua B Lewis, Samuel T Belgique, Tyler T Wood, and Paul R Reynolds. Developmental Lung Expression and Transcriptional Regulation of Claudin-6 by TTF-1, Gata-6, and FoxA2. Respir Res15, 70 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1465-9921-15-70