Professor Yuanqing Jiang
Contact information:
No. 22, Xinong Rd
Sci. Bldg, North Campus
College of Life Sciences
Northwest A& F University
Yangling 712100
Shaanxi, China
E-mail: jiangyq@nwafu.edu.cn
Research Interests:
Plants are frequently challenged with a variety of abiotic stresses, including drought, high salinity, cold and heat. Understanding how plants respond and adapt to these stress conditions will help us to develop stress-tolerant crops, and to meet the increasing demand on the quality and quantity of food. In the past few decades, great progress has been achieved in identifying some of the key genes and signaling pathways involved in abiotic stress responses, mostly through working with the model plant-Arabidopsis. However, much is still unknown.
Calcium is the second messenger in plant cells, and calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) and their targets (CBL-interacting protein kinases [CIPKs]) as well as calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPKs) are emerging paradigm for Ca2+ decoding in plants. Transcription factors, like those of WRKY, bZIP, MYB, and NAC families, have been found to play very important roles in plant response to many different stress conditions and hormone stimuli. Canola (Brassica napus L.) is an important edible oil-producing crop in both China and worldwide, and its genome demonstrates an overall of more than 85% homology to that of Arabidopsis, facilitating our research. Through high-throughput microarray analysis with both Arabidopsis and Canola, combined with Arabidopsis mutant characterization, we have identified a few novel calcium-related protein kinase genes as well as a few new transcription factor genes that regulate plant response to ABA, salinity, drought tolerance and leaf senescence. To identify the target genes of those novel protein kinases and transcription factors, we have used yeast two-hybrid and ChIP, EMSA assays to identify and elucidate protein-protein interaction network and signaling pathways. Using a combination of physiological, biochemical, and molecular biology strategies, we are now dissecting their functions and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our work will help to better understand the signaling pathways in plants under stress conditions and also to improve crops’ tolerance to abiotic stresses in the future.
Another interested topic is nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) improvement in oilseed rape and leaf senescence in canola. We hope to identify novel genes regulating these processes and use them to improve the NUE and stress tolerance as well as seed yielding.
Educational Experiences:
3/2009-11/2010: post-doc, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California-Berkeley, USA
12/2007-2/2009: post-doc, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada
09/2003-11/2007: Ph.D, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada
09/1998-06/2001: M.Sc., Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, China Agricultural University
09/1994-06/1998: B.A., Soil & Agrochemistry, Hunan Agricultural University, China
Courses taught:
Cell Biology, Cell Biology Experiments, Molecular Cell Biology, Experimental Techniques of Cell Biology, Progress in Plant Molecular Biology, Progress in Plant Sciences.
Fundings:
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi province.
Selected publications: *corresponding author
Cheng Q, Zhao G, Yang L, Amdouni A, Mu B, Ye C, Zhao Y, Cheng X, Cui X, Zhao P, Zhang H, Ma Y, Jiang Y-Q, Yang B* (2022) Oilseed rape MPK1 mediates reactive oxygen species-dependent cell death and jasmonic acid-induced leaf senescence. Environmental and Experimental Botany. 202, 105028（IF6.028）
Wang X#, Rehmani MS#, Chen Q, Yan J, Zhao P, Li C, Zhai Z, Zhou N, Yang B, Jiang Y-Q * (2022) Rapeseed NAM transcription factor positively regulates leaf senescence via controlling senescence-associated gene expression. Plant Science 323: 111373 （IF5.363）
Cheng H#, Pan G#, Zhou N, Zhai Z, Yang L, Zhu H, Cui X, Zhao P, Zhang H, Li S, Yang B*, Jiang Y-Q* (2022) Calcium-dependent Protein Kinase 5 (CPK5) positively modulates drought tolerance through phosphorylating ABA-Responsive Element Binding Factors in oilseed rape ( Brassica napus L.). Plant Sci, 315:111125（IF5.363）
Cui X#, Zhao PY#, Li Y, Xie L, Li Q, Yan J, Chen Q, Gao S, Sun M, Yang B, Rehmani MS, Jiang Y-Q * (2021). Rapeseed NAC46 positively regulates hypersensitive response-like cell death and chlorophyll degradation. Environmental and Experimental Botany. Volume 189, September, 104536 （IF5.427）
Yan J, Li Y, Zhao P, Mu B, Chen Q, Li X, Cui X, Wang Z, Li J, Li S, Yang B, Jiang Y-Q* (2021). A membrane-bound transcriptional activator NTL1 from rapeseed positively modulates leaf senescence through targeting genes involved in reactive oxygen species production and programmed cell death. J Agric Food Chem. 69(17):4968-4980（IF5.027，top journal）
Jingli Yan, Qinqin Chen, Xing Cui, Peiyu Zhao, Shidong Gao, Bo Yang*, Jian-Xiang Liu, Tiantian Tong, Michael K. Deyholos, Yuan-Qing Jiang* . Ectopic overexpression of a membrane-tethered NAC transcription factor gene from oilseed rape positively modulates programmed cell death and age-triggered leaf senescence. Plant J. 2021. 105(3):600-618 （IF6.141）
Wang Y, Cui X, Yang B, Xu S, Wei X, Zhao P, Niu F, Sun M, Wang C, Cheng H, Jiang Y-Q*. WRKY55 transcription factor positively regulates leaf senescence and defense response through modulating the transcription of genes implicated in ROS and SA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. Development 2020: dev.189647 doi: 10.1242/dev.189647 （IF5.611）
Niu F, Cui X, Zhao P, Sun M, Yang B*, Deyholos MK, Li Y, Zhao X, Jiang Y-Q* (2020). WRKY42 transcription factor positively regulates leaf senescence through modulating SA and ROS synthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J. 104:171-184 （IF6.141）
Cui X, Zhao P, Liang W, Cheng Q, Mu B, Niu F, Yan J, Liu C, Xie H, Kav NNV, Deyholos MK, Jiang Y-Q*, Yang B* (2020) A Rapeseed WRKY Transcription Factor Phosphorylated by CPK Modulates Cell Death and Leaf Senescence by Regulating the Expression of ROS and SA-Synthesis-Related Genes. J Agric Food Chem. 68(28):7348-7359 （IF4.192）
Zhang H, Liu D, Yang B, Liu W-Z, Mu B, Song H, Chen B, Li Y, Ren D, Deng H, and Jiang Y-Q* (2020) Arabidopsis CPK6 positively regulates ABA signaling and drought tolerance through phosphorylating ABA-responsive element binding factors. Journal of Experimental Botany, 71(1):188-203, doi: 10.1093/jxb/erz432 (IF=5.36)
Yao L, Yang B, Xian B, Chen B, Yan J, Chen Q, Gao S, Zhao, Han F, Xu J, Jiang Y-Q (2020). The R2R3-MYB transcription factor BnaMYB111L from rapeseed modulates reactive oxygen species accumulation and hypersensitive-like cell death. Plant Physiol Biochem 147: 280-288 (IF 3.404)
Pan G, Zhang H, Chen B, Gao S, Yang B, Jiang Y-Q*. Rapeseed calcium-dependent protein kinase CPK6L modulates reactive oxygen species and cell death through interacting and phosphorylating RBOHD. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2019, 518(4):719-725 (IF=2.7)
Rehmani MS, Chen Q, Yan J, Cui X, Gao S, Niu F, Yang L, Yang B*, Jiang Y-Q*. A novel stress-responsive BnaNAL1 transcriptional activator in oilseed rape positively modulates reactive oxygen species production and cell death. Environ Exp Bot. 2019. 163: 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2019.04.004 (IF 3.666)
Yang L, Ye C, Zhao Y, Cheng X, Wang Y, Jiang Y-Q*, Yang B* (2018). An oilseed rape WRKY-type transcription factor regulates ROS accumulation and leaf senescence in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis through modulating transcription of RbohD and RbohF . Planta. 247(6):1323-1338 (IF 3.36)
Wang W, Zhang H, Wei X, Yang L, Yang B, Zhang L, Li J*, Jiang Y-Q* (2018). Functional characterization of calcium-dependent protein kinase (CPK) 2 gene from oilseed rape ( Brassica napus L.) in regulating reactive oxygen species signaling and cell death control. Gene. 651:49-56. (IF 2.4)
Yan J, Tong T, Li X, Chen Q, Dai M, Niu F, Yang M, Deyholos MK, Yang B, Jiang Y-Q* (2018). A novel NAC-type transcription factor from oilseed rape modulates reactive oxygen species accumulation and cell death. Plant Cell Physiol, 59(2):290-303 (IF 4.76)
Chen Q, Niu F, Yan J, Chen B, Wu F, Guo X, Yang B* and Jiang Y-Q* (2017) . Oilseed rape NAC56 transcription factor modulates reactive oxygen species accumulation and hypersensitive response-like cell death. Physiol Plant. 160(2): 209-221 (IF 3.52)
Chen B, Niu F, Liu W, Yang B, Zhang J, Ma J, Cheng H, Han F, Jiang Y-Q* (2016) Identification, cloning and characterization of R2R3-MYB gene family in canola ( Brassica napus L.) identify a novel member modulating ROS accumulation and hypersensitive-like cell death. DNA Res, 23(2), 101–114 (IF 5.477)
Niu F, Wang C, Yan J, Guo X, Wu F, Yang B, Deyholos MK, Jiang Y-Q* (2016). Functional characterization of NAC55 transcription factor from oilseed rape ( Brassica napus L.) as a novel transcriptional activator modulating reactive oxygen species accumulation and cell death. Plant Mol Biol, 92(1-2):89-104 (IF 3.91)
Liu W-Z, Deng M, Li L, Yang B, Li H, Deng H, Jiang Y-Q* (2015) Rapeseed calcineurin B-like protein CBL4, interacting with CBL-interacting protein kinase CIPK24, modulates salt tolerance in plants. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 467:467-471 (IF 2.37)
Li L, Ye C, Zhao R, Li X, Liu W-Z, Wu F, Yan J, Jiang Y-Q, Yang B*(2015). Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) 4 from rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a novel member inducing ROS accumulation and cell death. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2015, 467(4):792-7 (IF 2.37)
Wang B, Guo X, Ma J, Niu F, Zhang H, Yang B, Liang W, Han F, Jiang Y-Q*(2015). Identification, cloning and analysis of plant-specific NAC gene family in canola ( Brassica napus L.) reveal two novel members mediating programmed cell death. Plant Mol Biol, 87(4-5):395-411 (IF= 4.1)
Sun Y, Wang C, Yang B, Hao X, Liang W, Wu F, Niu F, Yan J, Zhang H, Wang B, Deyholos MK, Jiang Y-Q * (2014) Identification and functional analysis of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) genes in canola (Brassica napus L.). J Exp Bot. 65(8): 2171-2188 (IF= 5.8)
Zhang H, Liu W, Zhang Y, Deng M, Niu F, Yang B , Wang X, Wang B, Liang W, Deyholos MK, and Jiang Y-Q *(2014) Identification, expression and interaction analyses of calcium-dependent protein kinase (CPK) genes in canola (Brassica napus L.). BMC Genomics. 15:211 (IF ="4.0)
Zhang H, Yang B, Liu W-Z, Li H, Wang L, Deng M, Wang B, Liang W, Deyholos MK, Jiang Y-Q* (2014) Identification and characterization of CBL and CIPK gene families in canola (Brassica napus L.). BMC Plant Biol, 14:8 (IF ="4.0)"
Niu F, Wang B, Wu F, Yan J, Li L, Wang C, Wang Y, Yang B, Jiang Y-Q* (2014)
Canola ( Brassica napus L.) NAC103 transcription factor gene is a novel player inducing reactive oxygen species accumulation and cell death in plants. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 454:30-35 (IF ="2.37)
Yan J, Niu F, Liu WZ, Zhang H, Wang B, Yang B, Lan W, Che Y, Luan S, Jiang Y-Q* (2014) Arabidopsis CIPK14 positively regulates glucose response. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 450(4):1679-83 (IF ="2.37)
Zhou L, Lan W, Jiang Y-Q, Fang W, Luan S (2014) A calcium-dependent protein kinase interacts with and activates a calcium channel to regulate pollen tube growth. Mol Plant. 7(2):369-76（IF=6.13）
Liang W, Yang B, Yu B, Zhou Z, Li C, Jia M, Sun Y, Zhang Y, Wu F, Zhang H, Wang B, Deyholos MK, Jiang Y-Q* (2013) Identification and analysis of MKK and MPK gene families in canola ( Brassica napus L.). BMC Genomics, 14: 392 (impact factor 4.0)
Zhou L, Lan W, Jiang Y-Q, Fang W, Luan S (2014) A calcium-dependent protein kinase interacts with and activates a calcium channel to regulate pollen tube growth. Mol Plant. 7(2):369-76（IF=6.13）
Lan WZ, Lee SC, Che YF, Jiang YQ, Luan S. Mechanistic Analysis of AKT1 Regulation by the CBL-CIPK-PP2CA Interactions. Mol Plant. 2011, 4(3): 527-536(IF: 6.1)
Other Academic Activities:
Invited referee for Plant J, Journal of Experimental Botany, Envir Exp Bot, Plant Mol Biol, Proteomics, BMC Plant Biology, BMC Genomics, Plant Physiol Biochem, Planta, BBA-Proteins and Proteomics, Plant Science etc.
Major to recruit international students:
Botany OR Biochem and Mol Biol.
