- Decrease text size
- Increase text size
Dr. Xiaofeng Wang
Assistant Professor, Plant Molecular Virology
Texas AgriLife Research Center at Weslaco
956-968-5855
xiwang@ag.tamu.edu
Education
Ph.D.: Genetics, Michigan State University
M.S.: Plant genetics and breeding, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
B.S.: Plant genetics and breeding, China Agricultural University
Research Emphasis:
Viral RNA replication and virus-host interactions of positive-strand RNA viruses
Positive-strand RNA viruses [(+)RNA viruses] are the largest viral class, including the vast majority of plant viruses as well as many important human and animal pathogens, such as hepatitis C virus and SARS coronavirus. Despite diverse host range and genome organization, all (+)RNA viruses share similar strategies in RNA replication, the most critical step in viral life cycle. My lab uses engineered brome mosaic virus-yeast and BMV-N. benthamiana systems to study viral RNA replication and virus-host interactions. BMV, essentially the replication protein 1a, induces perinuclear ER membrane invaginations into the ER lumen to form viral replication compartments in yeast, barley and N. benthamiana. Understanding how BMV modulates host membrane rearrangement, and lipid synthesis to accommodate these alterations will reveal underlying functional and structural similarities among all (+)RNA viruses. We currently focus on the interactions between host lipid synthesis/composition and viral replication complex assembly. The goals are to advance our understanding of the viral RNA replication mechanism and develop broad-spectrum antiviral strategies.
Recent Publications
Liu L., Westler W., den Boon J., Wang X., Diaz A., and Ahlquist P. (2009) Crucial roles of an amphipathic alpha helix in membrane association and function of brome mosaic virus replication factor 1a. PLoS Pathogens 5: e1000351.
Wang, X., and Ahlquist P. (2008) Filling a GAP(DH) in Asymmetric Viral RNA Synthesis. Cell Host & Micobe. 3: 124-125
Wang, X., and Ahlquist P. (2008) Brome mosaic virus. In: Encyclopedia of Virology (B.W.J. Mahy and M. H. V. Regenmortel, eds), Third Edition, pp. 381-386, Academic Press, New York.
Wang, X., Lee, W.M., Watanabe, T., Schwartz, M., Janda, M., and Ahlquist, P. (2005) Brome mosaic virus 1a nucleoside triphosphatase/helicase domain plays crucial roles in recruiting RNA replication templates. Journal of Virology 79: 13747-13758 (Featured in SPOTLIGHT)
Wang X., and Grumet R. (2004) Identification and characterization of proteins that interact with the carboxy terminus of poly(A)-binding protein and inhibit translation in vitro. Plant Molecular Biology 54: 85-98
Wang X., Ullah Z., and Grumet R. (2000) Interaction between zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and host poly- (A) binding protein. Virology 275:433-443