Lecturer

Molecular Mycology, Small Non-coding RNA, Pathogenicity

 

2007-2011, BSc, Shandong University, China

2011-2016,  Ph.D., Nankai University, China

2016-2018,  Postdoc., Beijing Normal University, China

2018-present, Lecturer, Beijing Normal University, China

 

Research Interests

With the opportunistic pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans as research object, I study the mechanisms of small non-coding RNAs in fungus, including origination and biogenesis of sRNAs, sRNA biological functions and exploration of novel sRNAs. I am also interested in studying pathogenic mechanisms of Cryptococcus neoformans and will investigate the potential relationship between sRNAs and different virulence factors, such as capsule, melanin.

 

Selected Publications

♦ Research Articles

1. Ping Zhang, Chenxi Li, Liang Huo, Biyun Xiang, Kashif Rahim, Xiaoran Hao, Xudong Zhu*. Role of the fungus-specific flavin carrier Flc1 in antifungal resistance in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans . Medical Mycology, 2018, myy050.

2. Liang Huo^#, Ping Zhang^#, Chenxi Li, Kashif Rahim, Xiaoran Hao, Biyun Xiang, Xudong Zhu*. Genome-wide identification of circRNAs in pathogenic basidiomycetous yeast Cryptococcus neoformans suggests conserved circRNA host genes over kingdoms. Genes, 2018, 9(3): 118.

3. Ping Zhang, Chenxi Li, Xiaoran Hao, Xudong Zhu*. Small non-coding RNAs in Cryptococcus neoformans , Mycosystema, 2018, 37(10): 1357-1363.

4. Ping Zhang, Defa Zhang, Xueru Zhao, Dongsheng Wei, Yu Wang, Xudong Zhu*. Effects of CTR4 deletion on virulence and stress response in Cryptococcus neoformans , Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Journal of Microbiology, 2016, 109(7): 1-10.

5. Ping Zhang, Dongsheng Wei, Zhongming Li, Zhixiong Sun, Jiao Pan, Xudong Zhu*.Cryptococcal phosphoglucose isomerase is required for virulence factor production, cell wall integrity and stress resistance, FEMS Yeast Research, 2015, 15(7).

6. Yu Wang, Dongsheng Wei, Xiangyang Zhu, Jiao Pan, Ping Zhang, et al. A ‘suicide’ CRISPR-Cas9 system to promote gene deletion and restoration by electroporation in Cryptococcus neoformans . Scientific Reports, 2016, 6: 31145.

 

Contact Information

College of Life Sciences,

Beijing Normal University,

Beijing 100875,

P. R. China

E-mail: zp1516@bnu.edu.cn