Education:

Postdoctoral Training, University of California, Los Angeles

Ph.D. Microbiology, University of California, Davis

M.Sc. Food Microbiology, University of California, Davis

B.Sc. Biology, Peking University, Beijing , China

Research Overview:

The primary research in my lab focuses on the fascinating myxobacteria. These “single-celled” organisms have a multicellular life cycle that culminates with the formation of often brightly colored fruiting bodies (see above). Cells within a fruiting body become spores that can survive harsh conditions such as elevated temperatures and UV radiation. During fruiting body formation, often in response to starvation, myxo cells move on surfaces to form elaborate multicellular structures without growth or cell division. Their surface movement is powered by their gliding motilities which are unsolved scientific mysteries! We have been working on one aspect of the mystery, the social gliding motility of M. xanthus. This form of bacterial surface translocation is mediate by type-4 pili (Tfp) which are also important for biofilm formation and pathogenesis of many bacteria. We are attempting to understand both the mechanisms and the regulation of social motility. Most of our accomplishments so far have been on dissecting and understanding the signal transduction pathways that regulate Tfp-mediated functions.

In addition, projects are being initiated on mycobacteria in collaboration with Dr. Joe Falkinham. Don’t be misled by the one-letter difference between these two groups of bacteria. Myxobacteria are used as models for studies of developmental biology and gliding. Mycobacteria include some of the deadliest pathogens including Mycobacterium tuberculosis!

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you are interested in our research or have any questions regarding our work. Thanks for your virtual visit!

Publications:

1. Xu Q, Black WP, Cadieux CL, and Yang, Z.  Independence and interdependence of Dif and Frz chemosensory pathways in Myxococcus xanthus chemotaxis. Molecular Microbiology. 69 (3): 714-723, Aug, 2008
2. Søgaard-Andersen L and Yang Z.  Programmed cell death: role for MazF and MrpC in Myxococcus multicellular development. Current Biology. 18(8):R337-9, Apr,  2008
3. Belas R, Zhulin IB, and Yang Z. Bacterial signaling and motility: sure bets. Journal of Bacteriology. 190(6):1849-1856, Mar, 2008
4. Xu Q., WP Black, EMF Mauriello, DR Zusman and Z. Yang. Chemotaxis mediated by NarX-FrzCD chimeras and non-adapting repellent responses in Myxococcus xanthus. Molecular Microbiology. 66 (6): 1370-1381, Dec, 2007.
5. Zusman, DR, AE Scott, Z Yang and JR Kirby. Chemosensory pathways, motility and development in Myxoccocus xanthus. Nature Reviews Microbiology.5(11):862-72. Nov, 2007.
6. Yang, Z., X. Duan, M. Esmaeiliyan and HB Kaplan. Composition, Structure and Function of the Myxococcus xanthus Cell Envelope. In Multicellularity and Differentiation Among the Myxobacteria and Their Neighbors. Heidi B. Kaplan and David Whitworth, editors. ASM Press. In Press. 2007.
7. Bonner, PJ, W. Black, Z. Yang, and L. Shimkets. A Branched Pathway Mediates Fruiting Body Formation in Myxococcus xanthus . Molecular Microbiology. Molecular Microbiology. 61(2): 1283-1293, Sept, 2006
8. Black, W., Q. Xu and Z. Yang. Type IV pili function upstream of the Dif chemotaxis pathway in Myxococcus xanthus EPS regulation. Molecular Microbiology. 61(2): 447-456, July, 2006
9. Xu, Q., W. Black, S. Ward and Z. Yang. Nitrate-dependent Activation of the Dif Signaling Pathway of Myxococcus xanthus Mediated by a NarX-DifA Inter-species Chimera. Journal of Bacteriology. 187(18), Sept, 2005
10. Bonner, PJ, Q. Xu, W. Black, Z. Li, Z. Yang, and L. Shimkets. The Dif chemosensory pathway is directly involved in phosphatidylethanolamine sensory transduction in Myxococcus xanthus . Molecular Microbiology. 57(5): 1499-1508, Sept 2005
11. Yang, Z. and Z. Li.  Demonstration of interactions among Myxococcus xanthus Dif chemotaxis-like proteins by the yeast two-hybrid system. Archives of Microbiology. 183(4):243-52. May, 2005.
12. Lu A, Cho K, Black WP, Duan XY, Lux R, Yang Z, Kaplan HB, Zusman DR, Shi W. Exopolysaccharide biosynthesis genes required for social motility in Myxococcus xanthus. Molecular Microbiology. 55(1):206-20. Jan 2005.
13. Black, W. P. and Z. Yang. Myxococcus xanthus chemotaxis homologs DifD and DifG negatively regulate fibril polysaccharide production. Journal of Bacteriology. 186(4):1001-1008, Feb, 2004
14. Bellenger K, Ma X, Shi W, Yang Z. A CheW homologue is required for Myxococcus xanthus fruiting body development, social gliding motility, and fibril biogenesis. Journal of Bacteriology. 184(20): 5654-60, Oct 2002
15. Yang Z, Guo D, Bowden MG, Sun H, Tong L, Li Z, Brown AE, Kaplan HB, Shi W. The Myxococcus xanthus wbgB gene encodes a glycosyltransferase homologue required for lipopolysaccharide O-antigen biosynthesis. Archives of Microbiology. 174(6): 399-405, Dec 2000
16. Shi W, Yang Z, Sun H, Lancero H, Tong L. Phenotypic analyses of frz and dif double mutants of Myxococcus xanthus . Fems Microbiology Letters. 192(2): 211-5, Nov 2000
17. Yang Z, Ma X, Tong L, Kaplan HB, Shimkets LJ, Shi W. Myxococcus xanthus dif genes are required for biogenesis of cell surface fibrils essential for social gliding motility. Journal of Bacteriology. 182(20): 5793-8, Oct 2000
18. Sun H, Yang Z, Shi W. Effect of cellular filamentation on adventurous and social gliding motility of Myxococcus xanthus . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). 96(26): 15178-83, Dec 1999
19. Yang Z, Geng Y, Xu D, Kaplan HB, Shi W. A new set of chemotaxis homologues is essential for Myxococcus xanthus social motility. Molecular Microbiology. 30(5): 1123-30, Dec 1998
20. Geng Y, Yang Z, Downard J, Zusman D, Shi W. Methylation of FrzCD defines a discrete step in the developmental program of Myxococcus xanthus . Journal of Bacteriology. 180(21): 5765-8, Nov 1998
21. Shi W, Yang Z, Geng Y, Wolinsky LE, Lovett MA. Chemotaxis in Borrelia burgdorferi. Journal of Bacteriology. 180(2): 231-5, Jan 1998
22. Yang Z, Geng Y, Shi W. A DnaK homolog in Myxococcus xanthus is involved in social motility and fruiting body formation. Journal of Bacteriology. 180(2): 218-24, Jan 1998
23. Yang Z, Bisson LF. The SKS1 protein kinase is a multicopy suppressor of the snf3 mutation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast. 12(14): 1407-19, Nov 1996