Center for Agricultural Biotechnology
Institute of Microbiology
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tel / Fax: 86-10-64807397
E-mail: [email protected]
Research Area
Chaozu He
Ph.D., Professor
The laboratory is mainly interested in understanding the mechanisms of plant-pathogen
interactions and the signal transduction pathways leading to the induction of disease
resistance responses. We focus in signal transduction of rice (Oryza sativa) disease
resistance, and pathogenicity of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) and X.
oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo).
Education & Professional Experience
Professor and Principle Investigator
2000, joined Institute of Microbiology through the “Hundred Talents” Program of Chinese
Academy of Sciences
1996-1999, Postdoctoral Fellow, National University of Singapore;
1996, Ph.D, University of Queensland, Australia.
Current Research
1. Comparative and functional genomic analysis for the pathogenicity of Xcc and Xoo
Xcc and Xoo are model phytopathogenic bacteria for studies on plant-microbe
interactions. Xcc is the causative agent of black rot disease of cruciferous plants, while
Xoo causes rice bacterial blight.
We have sequenced the genome of Xcc 8004. After screening 16,512 Tn5 clones of Xcc
8004 against a susceptible host cabbage, we obtained 75 pathogenicity-related genes.
These mutant genes were found involved in multiple physiological pathways, such as
secretion systems, pili assembly, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, fatty acid degradation
and general metabolism. Mutant profiling provided a starting point to investigate the
molecular pathogenesis of black rot disease (Qian et al., 2005). Further investigations on
the regulation of pathogenicity and key molecules interacting with its host plant are in
progress.
2. Functional analysis of a rice zinc finger protein OsLSD1
The Arabidopsis LSD1 and LOL1 proteins both contain three conserved zinc finger
domains and have antagonistic effects on plant programmed cell death (PCD). We have
identified a rice functional homolog of LSD1, designated as OsLSD1. The expression of
pCOsL-AS
pCOsL-S pCAMBIA1301
Figure1 Overexpression of OsLSD1 driven by
35S promoter accelerated callus differentiation
in transformed rice tissues. pCOsL-S, sense;
pCOsL-AS,
antisense;
pCAMBIA1301,
control
OsLSD1 was light-induced or dark-suppressed. Overexpression of OsLSD1 driven by 35S
promoter accelerated callus differentiation in transformed rice tissues (Figure 1) and
increased chlorophyll b content in transgenic rice plants. Antisense transgenic rice plants
exhibited lesion mimic phenotype and hypersensitive response (HR) when inoculated
with avirulent isolates of blast fungus. Both sense and antisense transgenic rice plants
conferred significantly enhanced resistance against a virulent isolate of blast fungus.
Moreover, ectopic overexpression of OsLSD1 in transgenic tobacco enhanced the
tolerance to fumonisins B1 (FB1), a PCD-eliciting toxin. Our results suggest that OsLSD1
plays a negative role in regulating plant PCD whereas a positive role in callus
differentiation. Further experiments are carrying out to dissect mechanisms how OsLSD1
regulates these pathways in plant cell.
Selected publications
Wei Qian, Yantao Jia, Shuang-Xi Ren, Yong-Qiang He, Jia-Xun Feng, Ling-Feng Lu,
Qihong Sun, Ge Ying, Dong-Jie Tang, Hua Tang, Wei Wu, Pei Hao, Lifeng Wang, Bo-Le
Jiang, Shenyan Zeng, Wen-Yi Gu, Gang Lu, Li Rong, Yingchuan Tian, Zhijian Yao, Gang
Fu, Baoshan Chen, Rongxiang Fang, Boqin Qiang, Zhu Chen, Guo-Ping Zhao, Ji-Liang
Tang, and Chaozu He. Comparative and functional genomic analyses of the pathogenicity
of phytopathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Genome Research (2005), 15:
757-767.
Lijuan Wang, Zhongyou Pei, Yingchuan Tian and Chaozu He. OsLSD1, a rice zinc finger
protein, regulates programmed cell death and callus differentiation. Molecular
Plant-Microbe Interactions (2005), 18: 375-384.
Qihong Sun, Jun Hu, Guixiu Huang, Chao Ge, Rongxiang Fang and Chaozu He. Type II
secretion pathway structural gene xpsE is required for xylanase- and cellulase- secretion
and virulence in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. Plant Pathology (2005), 54: 15-21.
Laboratory Staff
Guifu Liu, Associate Professor
Wei Qian, Associate Professor
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Jiahe Wu 2004-2007
Dr. Chuanfeng Zhu 2006-2008
Students
Jun Hu, 1999
Lifeng Wang, 2000
Dongmei Yu, 2002
Ge Chao, 2002
Guihua Li, 2002
Zhuanzhi Zhou, 2001
Jun Tao, 2004
Khizar Hayat Bhatti, 2004
Chunxia Li, 2005
Wei Rong, 2005