Research

The Zhong lab has been using chlamydial infection in the female genital tract as a model to investigate the mechanisms of inflammatory pathology and pathogenic fibrosis. Recent studies from the Zhong lab have revealed a novel complex relationship between the genital and GI tract Chlamydiae. The tissue site of the first exposure to Chlamydia may determine the outcome of the Chlamydia-host interactions. See video for illustration.

Publications

Complete List of Publications

• Transformation of Chlamydia muridarum Reveals a Role for Pgp5 in Suppression of Plasmid-Dependent Gene Expression. Liu Y, Chen C, Gong S, Hou S, Qi M, Liu Q, Baseman J, Zhong G. J Bacteriol. 2014 Mar;196(5):989-98. doi: 10.1128/JB.01161-13. Epub 2013 Dec 20. PMID: 24363344 [PubMed – in process]
• Reduced live organism recovery and lack of hydrosalpinx in mice infected with plasmid-free Chlamydia muridarum. Lei L, Chen J, Hou S, Ding Y, Yang Z, Zeng H, Baseman J, Zhong G. Infect Immun. 2013 Dec 16. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID:24343644.
• Transformation of sexually transmitted infection-causing serovars of chlamydia trachomatis using Blasticidin for selection. Ding H, Gong S, Tian Y, Yang Z, Brunham R, Zhong G.
  PLoS One. 2013 Nov 26;8(11):e80534. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080534. eCollection 2013. PMID: 24303023
• Induction of protective immunity against Chlamydia muridarum intracervical infection in DBA/1j mice. Tang L, Yang Z, Zhang H, Zhou Z, Arulanandam B, Baseman J, Zhong G. Vaccine. 2013 Nov 1. pii: S0264-410X(13)01382-0. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.10.018. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 24188757
• A T cell epitope-based vaccine protects against chlamydial infection in HLA-DR4 transgenic mice. Li W, Murthy AK, Lanka GK, Chetty SL, Yu JJ, Chambers JP, Zhong G, Forsthuber TG, Guentzel MN, Arulanandam BP. Vaccine. 2013 Nov 19;31(48):5722-8. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.09.036. Epub 2013 Oct 1. PMID: 24096029. [PubMed – in process]
• Chlamydia trachomatis GlgA is secreted into host cell cytoplasm. Lu C, Lei L, Peng B, Tang L, Ding H, Gong S, Li Z, Wu Y, Zhong G. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 24;8(7):e68764. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068764. Print 2013. PMID:23894341
• Characterization of Chlamydia trachomatis plasmid-encoded open reading frames. Gong S, Yang Z, Lei L, Shen L, Zhong G. J Bacteriol. 2013 Sep;195(17):3819-26. doi: 10.1128/JB.00511-13. Epub 2013 Jun 21. PMID: 23794619
• Contribution of interleukin-12 p35 (IL-12p35) and IL-12p40 to protective immunity and pathology in mice infected with Chlamydia muridarum. Chen L, Lei L, Zhou Z, He J, Xu S, Lu C, Chen J, Yang Z, Wu G, Yeh IT, Zhong G, Wu Y. Infect Immun. 2013 Aug;81(8):2962-71. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00161-13. Epub 2013 Jun 10. PMID: 23753624
• Identification of a novel nuclear localization signal sequence in Chlamydia trachomatis-secreted hypothetical protein CT311. Lei L, Dong X, Li Z, Zhong G. PLoS One. 2013 May 23;8(5):e64529. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064529. Print 2013. PMID: 23717625
• Structure of the Chlamydia trachomatis immunodominant antigen Pgp3. Galaleldeen A, Taylor AB, Chen D, Schuermann JP, Holloway SP, Hou S, Gong S, Zhong G, Hart PJ. J Biol Chem. 2013 Jul 26;288(30):22068-79. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M113.475012. Epub 2013 May 23. PMID:23703617
• 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.

  Lab

  Lab Rooms: 4.017V, 4.070V, 4.074V