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Zeng Yonglun Professor
Post： Deputy Director of State Key Laboratory
Tel： N/A
Add： No.723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
Education： PhD
Email： yzeng@scbg.ac.cn
Zip Code： 510650
Education and Appointments：
School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University                                                         2004.09-2008.07
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Major: Biochemistry
School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University                                                         2008.08-2010.07
Degree: Master of Science
Major: Microbiology
Supervisor: Prof. Lu Yongjun
School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong                               2010.08-2016.01
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Major: Biology
Supervisor: Choh-Ming Li Professor, Prof. Jiang Liwen
Visiting Scholar, University of California, Berkeley                                                  2010.10-2011.01
-Instructed by Professor Randy Schekman,
Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
Research Assistant, The Chinese University of Hong Kong                                     2016.01-2016.07
-Instructed by Choh-Ming Li Professor, Professor Liwen Jiang,
School of Life Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Research Associate, The Chinese University of Hong Kong                                     2016.08-2019.07
-Instructed by Choh-Ming Li Professor, Professor Liwen Jiang,
School of Life Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Postdoc Fellow, The Chinese University of Hong Kong                                            2019.08-2022.07
-Instructed by Choh-Ming Li Professor, Professor Liwen Jiang,
School of Life Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Professor, South China Botanic Garden, CAS                                                            2023.4—present
Deputy Director, State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Prominent Crops      2023.4—present
Research Interest：
As sessile organism, plants have to adapt to a plethora of environmental stresses during development. Albeit the importance of vesicle trafficking and organelle function in plant development have been recognized, their functional roles during stress response remain largely elusive. Our lab has been focused on how different abiotic stresses (salinity, drought, nutrient deprivation, etc.) regulate the vesicle trafficking and organelle biogenesis for plant stress adaptations. Using the state-of-the-art imaing techniques including live-cell imaging, super-resolution imaging, lightsheet microscope, high-pressure freezing, 3D-TEM etc, we aim to elucidate the importance of endomembrane system remodeling (ER network, transport vesicles, exosome, autophagosome) during or after responding to environmental stresses.
In future, we will focus on:
(1) Abiotic stresses regulate vesicle/organelle biogenesis in Arabidopsis and soybean
(2) Crosstalk between abiotic stresses and selective autophagy in Arabidopsis and soybean
(3) Protein storage vacuole biogenesis and storage protein trafficking in soybean
(4) Vacuole function in sugarcane 
Grants：
National Natural Science Fund for Excellent Young Scientists Fund Program (Overseas)    2024-2027
Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences                                             2023-2026
Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences                            2023-2028
Guangzhou Basic and Applied Basic Research Scheme                                                          2024-2027
Public Services:
Associate Faculty Member of Faculty Opinions, Reviewer for Nature Communications, The Plant Cell, Journal of Integrative Plant Biology.
Representative Publications

As first, co-first author (*), or corresponding author (#):

[1] Zeng Y*, Li B*, Huang S*, Li H, Cao W, Chen Y, Liu G, Li Z, Yang C, Feng L, Gao J, Lo S. W, Zhao J, Shen J, Guo Y, Gao C, Dagdas Y, and Jiang L#. (2023) The Plant Unique ESCRT Component FREE1 Regulates Autophagosome Closure. Nature Communications. 14(1):1768. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37185-6.

[2] Li B*, Zeng Y*, Lo S. W, Guo Y, and Jiang L#. (2023) In vitro reconstitution of COPII vesicles from Arabidopsis thaliana suspension cells. Nature Protocols. 18(3):810-830. doi: 10.1038/s41596-022-00781-9. 

[3] Li B*, Zeng Y*, Cao W, Zhang W, Cheng L, Yin H, Wu Q, Wang X, Huang Y, Lau WCY, Yao Z, Guo Y and Jiang L# (2021) A Distinct Giant COPII Vesicle Population in Arabidopsis thaliana. Nature Plants. 7(10):1335-1346. doi: 10.1038/s41477-021-00997-9.

[4] Zeng Y*#, Li B*, Ji C*, Feng L, Niu F, Deng C, Chen S, Lin Y, Cheung KCP., Shen J, Wong KB, and Jiang L#. (2021) A unique AtSar1D-AtRabD2a nexus modulates autophagosome biogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 118 (17). doi: e2021293118.

[5] Liu C*, Zeng Y*, Li H*, Yang C, Shen W, Xu M, Xiao Z, Chen T, Li B, Cao W, Jiang L, Otegui MS, Gao C#. (2021) A plant unique ESCRT component, FYVE4, regulates multivesicular endosome biogenesis and plant growth. New Phytol. 231(1):193-209. doi: 10.1111/nph.17358.

[6] Cheng L*#, Zeng Y*, Hu S, Zhang N, Cheung KCP, Li B, Leung KS, Jiang L#. (2021) Systematic prediction of autophagy-related proteins using Arabidopsis thaliana interactome data. Plant J. 105(3):708-720. doi: 10.1111/tpj.15065.

[7] Zeng Y*, Shen J*, Li B*, Jiang L#. (2018) Hormone modulates protein dynamics to regulate plant growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 115(14):3521-3523. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1802175115.

[8] Zeng Y, Chung KP, Li B, Lai CM, Lam SK, Wang X, Cui Y, Gao C, Luo M, Wong KB, Schekman R, Jiang L. (2015) Unique COPII component AtSar1a/AtSec23a pair is required for the distinct function of protein ER export in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 112(46):14360-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1519333112.

[9] Zhu Y, Zeng Y#, Jiang L#. (2024) FREE1 regulates phagophore closure in plants. Autophagy. 1-3. doi: 10.1080/15548627.2024.2312793.

[10] Zeng Y*, Liang Z*, Liu Z*, Li B*, Cui Y, Gao C, Shen J, Wang X, Zhao Q, Zhuang X, Erdmann PS, Wong KB, Jiang L. (2023) Recent advances in plant endomembrane research and new microscopical techniques. New Phytol. 240(1):41-60. doi: 10.1111/nph.19134.

[11] Li B*, Zeng Y*, Jiang L#. (2022) COPII machinery in plant autophagy: the known and unknown. FEBS Letters. 596(17):2314-2323. doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.14362.

[12] Zeng Y#, Jiang L#. (2021) A unique COPII population in plant autophagy. Autophagy. 17(7):1785-1787. doi: 10.1080/15548627.2021.1933298.

[13] Zeng Y*#, Li B*#, Lin Y, Jiang L#. (2019) The interplay between endomembranes and autophagy in plants. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 52:14-22. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2019.05.009.

[14] Zeng Y*#, Li B*#, Zhang W*, Jiang L#. (2019) ER-Phagy and ER Stress Response (ERSR) in Plants. Front Plant Sci. 10:1192. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01192.

[15] Chung KP*, Zeng Y*, Jiang L#. (2016) Plant COPII paralogs - functional redundancy or diversity? Trends in Plant Science. 21(9):758-69. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2016.05.010.

 

As co-author:

[1] Wang C, Wang J, Lu J, Xiong Y, Zhao Z, Yu X, Zheng X, Li J, Lin Q, Ren Y, Hu Y, He X, Li C, Zeng Y, Miao R, Guo M, Zhang B, Zhu Y, Zhang Y, Tang W, Wang Y, Hao B, Wang Q, Cheng S, He X, Yao B, Gao J, Zhu X, Yu H, Wang Y, Sun Y, Zhou C, Dong H, Ma X, Guo X, Liu X, Tian Y, Liu S, Wang C, Cheng Z, Jiang L, Zhou J, Guo H, Jiang L, Tao D, Chai J, Zhang W, Wang H, Wu C, Wan J. (2023) A natural gene drive system confers reproductive isolation in rice. Cell. 186(17):3577-3592.e18. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.06.023.

[2] Li B, Niu F, Zeng Y, Tse MK, Deng C, Hong L, Gao S, Lo SW, Cao W, Huang S, Dagdas Y, Jiang L. (2023) Ufmylation reconciles salt stress-induced unfolded protein responses via ER-phagy in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 120(5):e2208351120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2208351120

[3] Li H, Huang R, Liao Y, Yang S, Feng B, Qin H, Zhou J, Zeng Y, Shen J, Zhuang X, Jiang L, Otegui MS, Zhang S, Gao C. (2023) A plant-unique protein BLISTER coordinates with core retromer to modulate endosomal sorting of plasma membrane and vacuolar proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 120(1):e2211258120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2211258120.

[4] Niu F, Ji C, Liang Z, Guo R, Chen Y, Zeng Y, Jiang L. (2022) ADP-ribosylation factor D1 modulates Golgi morphology, cell plate formation, and plant growth in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol. 190(2):1199-1213. doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiac329.

[5] Lin Y, Zeng Y, Zhu Y, Shen J, Ye H, Jiang L. (2021) Plant Rho GTPase signaling promotes autophagy. Mol Plant. 14(6):905-920. doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2021.03.021.

[6] Ma J, Liang Z, Zhao J, Wang P, Ma W, Mai KK, Fernandez Andrade JA, Zeng Y, Grujic N, Jiang L, Dagdas Y, Kang BH. (2021) Friendly mediates membrane depolarization-induced mitophagy in Arabidopsis. Curr Biol. S0960-9822(21)00275-X. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.034.

[7] Stephani M, Picchianti L, Gajic A, Beveridge R, Skarwan E, Sanchez de Medina Hernandez V, Mohseni A, Clavel M, Zeng Y, Naumann C, Matuszkiewicz M, Turco E, Loefke C, Li B, Dürnberger G, Schutzbier M, Chen HT, Abdrakhmanov A, Savova A, Chia KS, Djamei A, Schaffner I, Abel S, Jiang L, Mechtler K, Ikeda F, Martens S, Clausen T, Dagdas Y. (2020) A cross-kingdom conserved ER-phagy receptor maintains endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis during stress. Elife. 9:e58396. doi: 10.7554/eLife.58396.

[8] Wang X, Xu M, Gao C, Zeng Y, Cui Y, Shen W, Jiang L. (2020) The roles of endomembrane trafficking in plant abiotic stress responses. J Integr Plant Biol. 62(1):55-69. doi: 10.1111/jipb.12895.

[9] Li H, Li Y, Zhao Q, Li T, Wei J, Li B, Shen W, Yang C, Zeng Y, Rodriguez PL, Zhao Y, Jiang L, Wang X, Gao C. (2019) The plant ESCRT component FREE1 shuttles to the nucleus to attenuate abscisic acid signalling. Nat Plants. 5(5):512-524. doi: 10.1038/s41477-019-0400-5.

[10] Cui Y, Cao W, He Y, Zhao Q, Wakazaki M, Zhuang X, Gao J, Zeng Y, Gao C, Ding Y, Wong HY, Wong WS, Lam HK, Wang P, Ueda T, Rojas-Pierce M, Toyooka K, Kang BH, Jiang L. (2019) A whole-cell electron tomography model of vacuole biogenesis in Arabidopsis root cells. Nat Plants. 5(1):95-105. doi: 10.1038/s41477-018-0328-1.

[11] Shen J, Zhao Q, Wang X, Gao C, Zhu Y, Zeng Y, Jiang L. (2018) A plant Bro1 domain protein BRAF regulates multivesicular body biogenesis and membrane protein homeostasis. Nat Commun. 9(1):3784. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05913-y.

[12] Chung KP, Zeng Y, Li Y, Ji C, Xia Y, Jiang L. (2018) Signal motif-dependent ER export of the Qc-SNARE BET12 interacts with MEMB12 and affects PR1 trafficking in Arabidopsis. J Cell Sci. 131(2). pii: jcs202838. doi: 10.1242/jcs.202838.

[13] Zhao BB, Li XH, Zeng YL, Lu YJ. (2016) ClpP-deletion impairs the virulence of Legionella pneumophila and the optimal translocation of effector proteins. BMC Microbiol. 16(1):174. doi: 10.1186/s12866-016-0790-8.

[14] Gao C, Zhuang X, Cui Y, Fu X, He Y, Zhao Q, Zeng Y, Shen J, Luo M, Jiang L. (2015) Dual roles of an Arabidopsis ESCRT component FREE1 in regulating vacuolar protein transport and autophagic degradation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 112(6):1886-91. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1421271112.

[15] Gao C, Luo M, Zhao Q, Yang R, Cui Y, Zeng Y, Xia J, Jiang L. (2014) A unique plant ESCRT component, FREE1, regulates multivesicular body protein sorting and plant growth. Curr Biol. 24(21):2556-63. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.09.014.

[16] Wang X, Cai Y, Wang H, Zeng Y, Zhuang X, Li B, Jiang L. (2014) Trans-Golgi network-located AP1 gamma adaptins mediate dileucine motif-directed vacuolar targeting in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell. 26(10):4102-18. doi: 10.1105/tpc.114.129759.

[17] Luo F, Fong YH, Zeng Y, Shen J, Jiang L, Wong KB. (2014) How vacuolar sorting receptor proteins interact with their cargo proteins: crystal structures of apo and cargo-bound forms of the protease-associated domain from an Arabidopsis vacuolar sorting receptor. The Plant Cell. 26(9):3693-708. doi: 10.1105/tpc.114.129940.

[18] Cui Y, Zhao Q, Gao C, Ding Y, Zeng Y, Ueda T, Nakano A and Jiang L. (2014) Rab7 activation by the MON1-CCZ1 complex is essential for PVC-to-vacuole trafficking and plant growth in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell. 26(5):2080-2097. doi: 10.1105/tpc.114.123141.

[19] Shen J, Zeng Y, Zhuang X, Sun L, Yao X, Pimpl P and Jiang L. (2013) Organelle pH in the Arabidopsis Endomembrane System. Molecular Plant. 6(5):1419-37. doi: 10.1093/mp/sst079.91

[20] Zhou LZ, Li S, Feng QN, Zhang YL, Zhao X, Zeng Y, Wang H, Jiang L, Zhang Y. (2013) Protein S-ACYL Transferase10 is critical for development and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell. 25(3):1093-107. doi: 10.1105/tpc.112.108829.

[21] Lu YJ, Li XH, Zeng YL. (2011) The lethiferous journey of a bacterium--the research progress of secretion systems and effectors in Legionella pneumophila. Yi Chuan. 33(10):1093-101.

[22] Li XH, Zeng YL, Gao Y, Zheng XC, Zhang QF, Zhou SN, Lu YJ. (2010) The ClpP protease homologue is required for the transmission traits and cell division of the pathogen Legionella pneumophila. BMC Microbiol. 10:54. doi: 10.1186/1471-2180-10-54.

[23] Yu MJ, Ren J, Zeng YL, Zhou SN, Lu YJ. (2009) The Legionella pneumophila Dps homolog is regulated by iron and involved in multiple stress tolerance. J Basic Microbiol. 49 Suppl 1:S79-86. doi: 10.1002/jobm.200800357. 

Books and chapters

As first, co-first author (*), or corresponding author (#):

[1] Huang S, Zeng Y#. (2023) Fluorescent Fusion Proteins Expression in Plant cells. Methods Mol Biol. 2652:119-127. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3147-8_6.

[2] Zeng Y#, Ji C, Lin Y, Jiang L. (2021) Transient Expression of Fluorescent Fusion Proteins in Arabidopsis Protoplasts. Methods Mol Biol. 2200:157-165. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0880-7_7.

[3] Chung KP, Zeng Y#. (2017) An Overview of Protein Secretion in Plant Cells. Methods Mol Biol. 1662:19-32. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7262-3_2.