Dr. Zhaohua Peng

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Education:

Beijing Agricultural University B.S. in Biophysics, 1984.

Beijing Agricultural University M.S. in Biophysics, 1987.

Ohio State University Ph.D. in Plant Biology, 1997.

Yale University, Post-doctoral Fellow 1997-2001.

Areas of Research:

For higher organisms performing sexual reproduction, the final, intricate multicellular structure is derived from a single fertilized cell, the zygote. The developmental process requires progressive cell divisions and cell differentiation. During differentiation, cells of different types are assigned to specific roles. Once differentiated, the cells only express the genes that fit in with their specific function. The differentiated cells are capable of maintaining their expression profiles and having their expression profiles inherited in subsequent growth and cell divisions. Interestingly, plant cells possess a unique feature called totipotency, meaning that under certain environmental stimuli, a differentiated living cell with an intact nucleus can have its cell fate memory completely erased and thus regain an ability to display its full genetic program as a zygote cell, leading to the formation of a new plant. The concept of totipotency includes a two-step process: 1) acquiring, in response to appropriate stimuli, stem cell morphogenic potential (dedifferentiation); 2) expressing this potential during morphogenesis (regeneration). I am particularly interested in the cell dedifferentiation process. Currently, my laboratory is using genetic, cDNA microarray, and proteomic approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of cell dedifferentiation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Recent Publications

Peng, Z., Shen ,Y., Feng, S., Wang, X., Chitteti, B. N, Vierstra, R. D, and Deng X. W.(2003) Evidence for a physical association of the COP9 signalosome, the proteasome, and specific SCF E3 ligases in vivo. Curr. Biol. 13 R504-R505.

Serino, G., Peng, Z., Ning W., Tsuge, T., Deng, X.W. (2003) Characterization of the last subunit of Arabidopsis COP9 signalosome: implications for the overall structure and origin of the complex. The Plant Cell. 15, 719-731.

Peng, Z., Serino, G., and Deng, X. W. (2001). Molecular characterization of subunit 6 of the COP9 signalosome and its role in multifaceted developmental processes in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 13(11): 2393-407

Peng, Z., Serino, G., and Deng, X. W. (2001). A role of Arabidopsis COP9 signalosome in multifaceted developmental processes revealed by the characterization of its subunit 3. Development. 128(21): 4277-88

Peng, Z., Staub, J. M., Serino, G., Kwok, S. F., Kurepa, J., Bruce, B. D., Vierstra, R. D., Wei, N., and Deng, X. W. (2001) The cellular level of PR500, a protein complex related to the 19S regulatory particle of the proteasome, is regulated in response to stresses in plants. Mol. Biol. Cell. 12, 383-392.

People

Brahma Nanda Chitteti, Graduate student, E-mail: bc122@msstate.edu

Lifeng Zhang, Postdoctoral associate, E-mail: lz7@ramsstate.edu

Wai-foong Hong, Postdoctoral associate, E-mail: wh97@ra.msstate.edu

Phone: (662) 325-2640
Fax: (662) 325-8664
Internet: zp7@Ra.MsState.edu