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Microbiology & Immunology Faculty
Research | Publications | Lab Members | Images
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Guangming Zhong, M.D., Ph.D.
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Genome sequence of STD agents | Facts about Chlamydia | More information on Chlamydia | Pubmed
Research
Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular bacterium with a biphasic life cycle. Infection with Chlamydia can cause severe health problems in humans. However, no effective vaccines are available for preventing chlamydial diseases. Furthermore, the chlamydial pathogenic mechanisms are still not very clear although it is widely accepted that the chlamydial ability to survive inside host cells for long periods of time and transmit between cells significantly contributes to the Chlamydia-induced inflammatory pathologies. The research focus in our lab has been to unravel the molecular basis of chlamydial interactions with host cells in order to understand how Chlamydia induces inflammation and achieves persistence. We have recently unraveled novel pathways Chlamydia has exploited to induce inflammatory pathologies and molecular strategies Chlamydia has evolved for manipulating host signaling pathways in order to obtain nutrients from host cells and evade host defense mechanisms. These findings may provide essential information for developing reagents to prevent and block chlamydial infection and Chlamydia-induced pathologies.
Publications
- Dong, F., Zhong, Y., Arulanandam, B. and Zhong, G. 2005. Production of a proteolytically active protein, chlamydial protease/proteasome-like activity factor, by five different Chlamydia species. Infect Immun 73:1868-72.
- Dong, F., Pirbhai, M., Xiao, Y., Zhong, Y., Wu, Y. and Zhong, G. 2005. Degradation of the proapoptotic proteins Bik, Puma, and Bim with Bcl-2 domain 3 homology in Chlamydia trachomatis-infected cells. Infect Immun 73:1861-4.
- Xiao, Y., Zhong, Y., Su, H., Zhou, Z., Chiao, P. and Zhong, G. 2005. NF-κB activation is not required for Chlamydia trachomatis inhibition of host epithelial cell apoptosis. J Immunol 174:1701-8.
- Sharma, J., Bosnic, A.M., Piper, J.M. and Zhong, G. 2004. Human antibody responses to a Chlamydia-secreted protease factor. Infect Immun 72:7164-71.
- Murthy, A.K., Sharma, J., Coalson, J.J., Zhong, G. and Arulanandam, B.P. 2004. Chlamydia trachomatis pulmonary infection induces greater inflammatory pathology in immunoglobulin A deficient mice. Cell Immunol 230:56-64.
- Xiao, Y., Zhong, Y., Greene, W., Dong, F. and Zhong, G. 2004. Chlamydia trachomatis infection inhibits both Bax and Bak activation induced by staurosporine. Infect Immun 72:5470-4.
- Sharma, J., Niu, Y, Ge, J., Pierce, G.N. and Zhong, G. 2004. Heat-inactivated C. pneumoniae organisms are not atherogenic. Mol Cell Biochem 260:147-52.
- Dong, F., Sharma, J., Xiao, Y., Zhong, Y. and Zhong, G. 2004. Intramolecular dimerization is required for the chlamydia-secreted protease CPAF to degrade host transcriptional factors. Infect Immun 72:3869-75.
- Dong, F., Su, H., Huang, Y., Zhong, Y. and Zhong, G. 2004. Cleavage of host keratin 8 by a Chlamydia-secreted protease. Infect Immun 72:3863-8.
- Dong, F., Pirbhai, M., Zhong, Y. and Zhong, G. 2004. Cleavage-dependent activation of a chlamydia-secreted protease. Mol Microbiol 52:1487-94.
- Greene, W., Xiao, Y., Huang, Y., McClarty, G. and Zhong, G. 2004. Chlamydia-infected cells continue to undergo mitosis and resist induction of apoptosis. Infect Immun 72:451-60.
- Su, H., McClarty, G., Dong, F., Hatch, G.M., Pan, Z.K. and Zhong, G. 2004. Activation of Raf/MEK/ERK/cPLA2 signaling pathway is essential for chlamydial acquisition of host glycerophospholipids. J Biol Chem 279:9409-16.
Images
Chlamydial infection of myoctyes
Lab Members
Lab Rooms: 4.017V, 4.070V, 4.074V
- Shuping Hou, Postdoctoral Fellow
- Lingli Tang, Postdoctoral Fellow
- Lei Lei, Postdoctoral Fellow
- Xiaohua Dong , Research Fellow
- Siqi Gong, Research Fellow
Graduate Students:
Turncer Conrad