Zhonglin Mou

Assistant Professor

Department of Microbiology and Cell Science University of Florida 
Ph.D. (1999) Institute of Genetics, CAS, Beijing, China
Post-doctoral: (2000-2004) DCMB, Department of Biology, Duke University

Teaching Interest

Cell Biology

Description of Research

General area: Plant defense responses

My laboratory studies the mechanisms plants evolved to defend themselves against microbial pathogens.  Particular interest is focused on a specific mechanism known as systemic acquired resistance (SAR).  SAR is a secondary defense response, which is induced by a primary infection and confers plants long-lasting resistance to a broad spectrum of pathogens.  The signal transduction in SAR is one of the frontiers of plant research.  We perform genetic screens in Arabidopsis thaliana to identify new components in the SAR signal transduction pathway. We use genetic, molecular, biochemical, and genomic approaches to investigate the fundamental aspects of plant defense responses.

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Selected Publications

Xiong, Y., DeFraia, C., Williams, D., Zhang, X. and Mou, Z. (2009). Characterization of Arabidopsis 6-phosphogluconolactonase T-DNA insertion mutants reveals an essential role of the oxidative section of the plastidic pentose phosphate pathway in plant growth and development. Plant & Cell Physiology (in press).

Spoel, S.H.*, Mou, Z.*, Tada, Y., Spivey, N.D., Genschik, P. and Dong, X. (2009). Proteasome-mediated turnover of the transcription co-activator NPR1 plays dual roles in regulating plant immunity. Cell 137, 860-872. *authors with equal contributions.

Zhang, X. and Mou, Z. (2009). Extracellular pyridine nucleotides induce PR gene expression and disease resistance in Arabidopsis. Plant Journal 57, 302-312.

Defraia, T.C., Schmelz, E.A. and Mou, Z. (2008). A rapid biosensor-based method for quantification of free and glucose-conjugated salicylic acid. Plant Methods 4, 28.

Zhang, X. and Mou, Z. (2008). Function of extracellular pyridine nucleotides in plant defense signaling. Plant Signaling & Behavior 3, 1143-1145.

Tada, Y., Spoel, S.H., Pajerowska-Mukhtar, K., Mou, Z., Song, J. and Dong, X. (2008). S-nitrosylation and thioredoxins regulate conformational changes of NPR1 in establishing plant immunity. Science 321, 952-956.

Zhang, X., Xiong, Y., Defraia, C., Schmelz, E. and Mou, Z. (2008). The Arabidopsis MAP Kinase Kinase 7: A crosstalk point between auxin signaling and defense responses? Plant Signaling & Behavior 3, 272-274.

Zhang, X., Dai, Y., Xiong, Y., Defraia, C., Li, J., Dong, X. and Mou, Z. (2007). Overexpression of Arabidopsis MAP Kinase Kinase 7 leads to activation of plant basal and systemic acquired resistance. Plant Journal 52, 1066-1079.

Dai, Y., Wang, H., Li, B., Huang, J., Liu, X., Zhou, Y., Mou, Z. and Li, J. (2006). Increased expression of MAP Kinase Kinase 7 causes deficiency in polar auxin transport and leads to plant architectural abnormality in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell 18, 308-320.

Mou, Z., Fan, W. and Dong X. (2003). Inducers of plant systemic acquired resistance regulate NPR1 function through redox changes. Cell 113, 935-944.

Mou, Z., Wang, X., Fu, Z., Dai, Y., Han, C., Ouyang, J., Bao, F., Hu, Y. and Li, J. (2002). Silencing of phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferase results in temperature-sensitive male sterility and salt hypersensitivity in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 14, 2031-2043.

Mou, Z., He, Y., Dai, Y., Liu, X. and Li, J. (2000). Deficiency in fatty acid synthase leads to premature cell death and dramatic alterations in plant morphology. Plant Cell 12, 405-417.