Yanjin Zhang, Associate Professor
Virus-Cell. Interactions, Viral Pathogenesis & Vaccine Development
Education
1998 - 2001: Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
1998: Ph.D., Immunobiology, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
1989: M.S., Microbiology & Immunology, The National Control Institute of Veterinary Bioproducts and Pharmaceuticals, Beijing, China
1984: DVM, Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, China
Professional Experiences
2012 - present: Associate Professor VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
2007 - present: Faculty Member Molecular & Cellular Biology (MOCB) University of Maryland, College Park, MD
2005 - 2012: Assistant Professor, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
2002 - 2005: Assistant Professor, Center for Pediatric Research, Eastern Virginia Medicine School, Norfolk, VA
2001 - 2002: Instructor, University of Texas, Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
1989 - 1993: Research Associate, China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control, Beijing, China
1984 - 1986: Research Assistant, China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control, Beijing, China
Research Interests
Viruses are infectious agents that replicate inside the cells, like obligate intracellular parasites. To invade the host, viruses must overcome antiviral defense and induce a conducive environment for their own replication and survival. To prevent and control invading pathogens, the host has developed various strategies, including innate and adaptive immunity. The virus-cell interactions are complex, and the context of the interactions may determine the consequence of the viral infection. Dr. Zhang’s research interests are on molecular virology, virus-cell interactions, viral pathogenesis, and vaccine development. His current projects are on positive-sense RNA viruses, including hepatitis E virus (HEV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and Zika virus (ZIKV). HEV is the causative agent of endemic and epidemic acute human hepatitis in many parts of the world. It is a zoonotic infectious agent that has been identified in swine, rat, rabbit, chicken, and deer. PRRSV has been causing heavy economic losses to the swine industry worldwide since it was first reported in 1987. An improved vaccine is needed to prevent and control the disease. ZIKV is a mosquito-borne flavivirus, which has drawn public attention due to its association with severe microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Dr. Zhang’s lab is conducting research on elucidating mechanisms of viral replication in the host cells, viral interference with the innate immunity, especially interferon production and interferon-activated JAK-STAT signaling, and other aspects of virus-cell interactions. His lab has discovered that PRRSV inhibits the signaling of STAT1, STAT2, and STAT3. His lab also studies karyopherins, which are a group of proteins mediating the nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of numerous proteins including those transcription factors involved in host defense. He is also interested in vaccine development against PRRSV, and his team discovers a novel PRRSV strain that is able to induce interferon production.
Publications
Yang L, He J, Wang R, Zhang X, Ma Z, and Zhang YJ: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus inhibits STAT2 signaling via nsp11-mediated downregulation. J Virol 2019 Aug 28. pii: JVI.01352-19. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01352-19.
Lin S, Yang S, He J, Guest JD, Ma Z, Yang L, Pierce BG, Tang Q, Zhang YJ.2. Zika virus NSS protein antagonizes type I interferon production via blocking TBK1 activation. Virology. 2019 Jan 15;527:180-187. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2018.11.009.
Yang L, Wang R, Yang S, Ma Z, Lin S, Nan Y, Li Q, Tang Q, Zhang YJ. Karyopherin Alpha 6 Is3. Required for Replication of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus and Zika. Virus. J Virol. 2018 May 1;92(9). doi: 10.1128/JVI.00072-18.
Ma Z, Yu Y, Xiao Y, Opriessnig T, Wang R, Yang L, Nan Y, Samal SK, Halbur PG, Zhang YJ. The middle half genome of interferon. inducing porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. virus strain A2MC2 is essential for interferon induction. J Gen Virol. 2017 Jul;98(7):17201729. doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.000819.
Yang L, Wang R, Ma Z, Xiao Y, Nan Y, Wang Y, Lin S, Zhang YJ. Porcine Reproductive and. Respiratory Syndrome Virus Antagonizes JAK/STAT3 Signaling via nsp5, Which Induces STAT35. Degradation.J Virol. 2017 Feb 1;91(3). doi: 10.1128/JVI.02087-16.
Ma Z, Yu Y, Xiao Y, Opriessnig T, Wang R, Yang L, Nan Y, Samal SK, Halbur PG, Zhang YJ. Sustaining Interferon Induction by a High. Passage Atypical Porcine Reproductive and. Respiratory Syndrome Virus Strain. Sci Rep. 2016 Nov 2;6:36312. doi: 10.1038/srep36312.
Nan Y, Yu Y, Ma Z, Khattar SK, Fredericksen B, Zhang YJ. Hepatitis E virus inhibits type I.interferon induction by ORF1 products. J Virol. 2014 Oct;88(20):11924-32. doi:10.1128/JVI.01935-14.
Wang R, Nan Y, Yu Y, Zhang YJ. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus Nsp1β8. inhibits interferon. activated JAK/STAT signal transduction by inducing karyopherin α18. degradation.J Virol. 2013 May;87(9):5219-28. doi: 10.1128/JVI.02643-12.
Patel D, Nan Y, Shen M, Ritthipichai K, Zhu X, Zhang YJ. Porcine reproductive and respiratory. syndrome virus inhibits type I interferon signaling by blocking STAT1/STAT2 nuclear. translocation. J Virol. 2010 Nov;84(21):11045-55. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00655-10.
Kannan H, Fan S, Patel D, Bossis I, Zhang YJ. The hepatitis E virus open reading frame 310. product interacts with microtubules and interferes with their dynamics. J Virol. 2009 Jul;83(13):6375-82. doi: 10.1128/JVI.02571-08.
