Jun (Jay) Zhu, Ph.D.
Jun (Jay) Zhu, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Microbiology
Department: Microbiology
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
211B Johnson Pavilion
Department of Microbiology
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Department of Microbiology
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-573-4104
Fax: 215-898-9557
Fax: 215-898-9557
Email:
junzhu@mail.med.upenn.edu
junzhu@mail.med.upenn.edu
Publications
Education:
BS (Biology)
Wuhan University, China, 1991.
Ph.D. (Microbiology)
Cornell University, 1999.
Permanent linkBS (Biology)
Wuhan University, China, 1991.
Ph.D. (Microbiology)
Cornell University, 1999.
Description of Research Expertise
Research InterestsQuorum Sensing, Bacterial pathogenesis, Biofilms, Vibrio cholerae.
Keywords
Genomics, Genetics, host-pathogen interaction, cell-cell signaling.
Research Details
My laboratory is interested in studying quorum sensing in related to bacterial pathogenesis in Vibrio cholerae, which causes a severe watery diarrhea cholera disease, and other intestinal human pathogens. V. cholerae colonizes the small intestine and produces a range of virulence factors, including cholera toxin. Cholera is still endemic in many parts of developing countries, where seasonal outbreaks occur widely. V. cholerae is also a potential bioterrorism agent, listed in Category B of biological threats by CDC. Quorum-sensing refers the ability of a microorganism to perceive and respond to microbial population density, usually relying on the production and subsequent response to diffusible signal molecules. More recently, the role of quorum sensing in virulence regulation has been noted in several clinically important bacterial pathogens, including V. cholerae, and quorum sensing pathways may therefore be a useful target for novel antimicrobial therapies.
Recent in vitro studies reveal that quorum sensing systems control V. cholerae virulence gene expression and biofilm formation. Currently we are applying genetic, genomic and proteomic tools to study the in vivo role that quorum sensing plays during V. cholerae infection to demonstrate the significance of the relationships among quorum sensing, pathogenesis and biofilm development in V. cholerae.
Rotation Projects
1. Functional analysis of quorum-regulated genes in V. cholerae
2. Novel transposon mutagenesis to screen inter-species intestinal human pathogen signals
3. Screen for genes required for in vivo biofilm formation and detachment
Lab Personnel
Greg Peterfreund - MD/PhD student
Elizabeth Shakhnovich - Postdoc
Tao Cai - Postdoc
Menghua Yang - Postdoc
Zane Liu - Postdoc
Rimar Bishar - Research Associate
Rebecca Yee - undergraduate
Selected Publications
Liu, Z., M. Yang, G. Peterfreund, A. M. Tsou, N. Selamoglu, F. Daldal, Z. Zhong, B. Kan, and J. Zhu.: Vibrio cholerae anaerobic induction of virulence gene expression is controlled by thiol-based redox sensing of virulence regulator AphB. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 108: 810-815, 2011.Yang, M., E. M. Frey, Z. Liu, and J. Zhu. : The virulence transcriptional activator AphA enhances biofilm formation of Vibrio cholerae by activating the expression of the biofilm regulator VpsT. Infect. Immunity. 78: 687-703, 2010.
Tsou, A. M., and J. Zhu.: Quorum sensing negatively regulates hemolysin transcriptionally and post-translationally in Vibrio cholerae. Infect. Immunity. 78: 461-467, 2010.
Tsou, A. M., T. Cai, Z. Liu, J. Zhu*., and R. V. Kulkarni: Regulatory targets of quorum sensing in Vibrio cholerae: evidence for two distinct HapR binding motifs. Nucleic Acid Res 37: 2747-2756, 2009 Notes: *corresponding author.
Hsiao, A., X. Xu, B. Kan, R. V. Kulkarni, and J. Zhu.: Direct regulation by the vibrio cholerae regulator ToxT to modulate colonization and anti-colonization pilus expression. Infect. Immunity 77: 1383-1388, 2009.
Liu, Z., T. Miyashiro, A. Tsou, A. Hsiao, M. Goulian, and J. Zhu: Mucosal penetration primes Vibrio cholerae for host colonization by repressing quorum sensing. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 105: 9769 - 9774, 2008 Notes: Commented in PNAS 2008 105:9449-9450; Sci. Signal.(Science STKE) 2008 1, ec260
Hsiao, A, K. Toscano, and J.Zhu: Post-transcriptional cross-talk between pro- and anti-colonization pili biosynthesis systems in V. cholerae. Mol. Microbiol. 67: 849 - 860, 2008.
Liu, Z., Stirling, F., and J. Zhu: Temporal quorum sensing induction regulates Vibrio cholerae biofilm architectures. Infect. Immunity 75: 122 - 126, 2007.
Joelsson, A., B. Kan, and J. Zhu: Quorum sensing enhances stress response in Vibrio cholerae. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 3742 - 3746, 2007.