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Jun (Jay) Zhu, Ph.D.
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Professor of Microbiology
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Department: Microbiology
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Graduate Group Affiliations
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- Biology 6b
- Cell and Molecular Biology e
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Contact information
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211A Johnson Pavilion
1a 3610 Hamilton Walk
3d University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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1a 3610 Hamilton Walk
3d University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Office: 215-573-4104
32 Fax: 215-898-9557
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32 Fax: 215-898-9557
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Publications
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Education:
21 7 BS 27 (Department of Microbiology) c
30 Wuhan University, China, 1991.
21 8 PhD 27 (Department of Microbiology) c
2b Cornell University, 1999.
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Permanent link21 7 BS 27 (Department of Microbiology) c
30 Wuhan University, China, 1991.
21 8 PhD 27 (Department of Microbiology) c
2b Cornell University, 1999.
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60 Bacterial pathogenesis, Quorum Sensing, Biofilms, Vibrio cholerae, Clostridium difficile
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18 Research Details
5d8 My laboratory is interested in how pathogenic bacteria sense and respond to their surroundings. We study Vibrio cholerae, which causes the acute diarrheal illness cholera, to determine the various chemical signals that bacteria receive when infecting the human intestinal tract, and how these signals are converted into changes in gene expression. We have identified multiple small molecules produced by the host that V. cholerae interprets as a signal that it has entered the human intestines, and to activate its virulence program. We have also identified the role of quorum sensing, the use of small molecules by bacteria as a marker of population growth, in regulating virulence and biofilm production by V. cholerae. We are currently also focused on how V. cholerae senses and responds to oxidative and nitrosative stresses during infection. We employ a variety of innovative genetic screens, biochemical techniques, animal models, and deep sequencing to probe these hypotheses. Last, we have begun applying our expertise with V. cholerae to the study of Clostridium difficile, an increasingly important cause of hospital-associated and community-acquired diarrhea. We believe that our work will shed light on importance of bacterial pathogen’s genetic controls in the "hide-and-seek" game of host-pathogen interactions, with the goal of better understanding V. cholerae and C. difficile pathogenesis and, potentially, discovering novel treatment options for the diarrheal diseases.
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Description of Research Expertise
23 Research Interests60 Bacterial pathogenesis, Quorum Sensing, Biofilms, Vibrio cholerae, Clostridium difficile
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5d8 My laboratory is interested in how pathogenic bacteria sense and respond to their surroundings. We study Vibrio cholerae, which causes the acute diarrheal illness cholera, to determine the various chemical signals that bacteria receive when infecting the human intestinal tract, and how these signals are converted into changes in gene expression. We have identified multiple small molecules produced by the host that V. cholerae interprets as a signal that it has entered the human intestines, and to activate its virulence program. We have also identified the role of quorum sensing, the use of small molecules by bacteria as a marker of population growth, in regulating virulence and biofilm production by V. cholerae. We are currently also focused on how V. cholerae senses and responds to oxidative and nitrosative stresses during infection. We employ a variety of innovative genetic screens, biochemical techniques, animal models, and deep sequencing to probe these hypotheses. Last, we have begun applying our expertise with V. cholerae to the study of Clostridium difficile, an increasingly important cause of hospital-associated and community-acquired diarrhea. We believe that our work will shed light on importance of bacterial pathogen’s genetic controls in the "hide-and-seek" game of host-pathogen interactions, with the goal of better understanding V. cholerae and C. difficile pathogenesis and, potentially, discovering novel treatment options for the diarrheal diseases.
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b0 Jiandong Chen, Hyuntae Byun, Rui Liu, I-Ji Jung, Qinqin Pu, Clara Y. Zhu, Ethan Tanchoco, Salma Alavi, Patrick H. Degnan, Amy T. Ma, 89 Manuela Roggiani, Joris Beld, Mark Goulian, Ansel Hsiao, and Jun Zhu: A commensal-encoded genotoxin drives restriction of Vibrio 6e cholerae colonization and host gut microbiome remodeling. PNAS 119: e2121180119, 2022.
177 Yitian Zhou, Qinqin Pu, Jiandong Chen, Guijuan Hao, Rong Gao, Afsar Ali, Ansel Hsiao, Ann M Stock, Mark Goulian, Jun Zhu: Thiol-based functional mimicry of phosphorylation of the two-component system response regulator ArcA promotes pathogenesis in enteric pathogens. Cell Reports 37(12): 110147, 2021.
14d Wang H., X. Xing, J Wang, B Pang, M. Liu, J. Larios-Valencia, T. Liu, G. Liu, S. Xie, G. Hao, Z. Liu, B. Kan, and J. Zhu: Hypermutation-induced in vivo oxidative stress resistance enhances Vibrio cholerae host adaptation. PLoS Pathogens 14(10): e1007413, 2018.
14a Bartlett TM, Bratton BP, Duvshani A, Miguel A, Sheng Y, Martin NR, Nguyen JP, Persat A, Desmarais SM, VanNieuwenhze MS, Huang KC, Zhu J, Shaevitz JW, Gitai Z. : A Periplasmic Polymer Curves Vibrio cholerae and Promotes Pathogenesis. Cell 168: 172-185, 2017.
ff Liu, Z., H Wang, Z Zhou, N Naseer, F Xiang, B Kan, M Goulian, and J. Zhu. : Differential thiol-based switches jump-start Vibrio cholerae pathogenesis. Cell Reports 14: 347-354, 2016.
af Hay, A.J. and Zhu, J. : Microbiota Talks Cholera out of the Gut. Cell Host Microb. 16: 549-550, 2014.
128 Yang M, Liu Z, Hughes C, Stern AM, Wang H, Zhong Z, Kan B, Fenical W, Zhu J: Bile salt-induced intermolecular disulfide bond formation activates Vibrio cholerae virulence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 110(6): 2348-2353, 2013.
167 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.
137 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; 2a Sci. Signal.(Science STKE) 2008 1, ec260 14
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Selected Publications
123 Esteves NC, Tao R, Pu Q, Banerjee A, Mathijssen AJTM, Zhu J.: Nitric oxide promotes rapid development of motility to accelerate biofilm dispersal in Vibrio cholerae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 122(49): e2526864122, 2025.b0 Jiandong Chen, Hyuntae Byun, Rui Liu, I-Ji Jung, Qinqin Pu, Clara Y. Zhu, Ethan Tanchoco, Salma Alavi, Patrick H. Degnan, Amy T. Ma, 89 Manuela Roggiani, Joris Beld, Mark Goulian, Ansel Hsiao, and Jun Zhu: A commensal-encoded genotoxin drives restriction of Vibrio 6e cholerae colonization and host gut microbiome remodeling. PNAS 119: e2121180119, 2022.
177 Yitian Zhou, Qinqin Pu, Jiandong Chen, Guijuan Hao, Rong Gao, Afsar Ali, Ansel Hsiao, Ann M Stock, Mark Goulian, Jun Zhu: Thiol-based functional mimicry of phosphorylation of the two-component system response regulator ArcA promotes pathogenesis in enteric pathogens. Cell Reports 37(12): 110147, 2021.
14d Wang H., X. Xing, J Wang, B Pang, M. Liu, J. Larios-Valencia, T. Liu, G. Liu, S. Xie, G. Hao, Z. Liu, B. Kan, and J. Zhu: Hypermutation-induced in vivo oxidative stress resistance enhances Vibrio cholerae host adaptation. PLoS Pathogens 14(10): e1007413, 2018.
14a Bartlett TM, Bratton BP, Duvshani A, Miguel A, Sheng Y, Martin NR, Nguyen JP, Persat A, Desmarais SM, VanNieuwenhze MS, Huang KC, Zhu J, Shaevitz JW, Gitai Z. : A Periplasmic Polymer Curves Vibrio cholerae and Promotes Pathogenesis. Cell 168: 172-185, 2017.
ff Liu, Z., H Wang, Z Zhou, N Naseer, F Xiang, B Kan, M Goulian, and J. Zhu. : Differential thiol-based switches jump-start Vibrio cholerae pathogenesis. Cell Reports 14: 347-354, 2016.
af Hay, A.J. and Zhu, J. : Microbiota Talks Cholera out of the Gut. Cell Host Microb. 16: 549-550, 2014.
128 Yang M, Liu Z, Hughes C, Stern AM, Wang H, Zhong Z, Kan B, Fenical W, Zhu J: Bile salt-induced intermolecular disulfide bond formation activates Vibrio cholerae virulence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 110(6): 2348-2353, 2013.
167 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.
137 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; 2a Sci. Signal.(Science STKE) 2008 1, ec260 14
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