Plant Pathology Faculty Pages: Yinong Yang

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Yinong Yang
Associate Professor of Plant Pathology

405C Life Sciences Building
University Park, PA 16802-4507
Phone: 814-867-0324
E-mail: yuy3@psu.edu

Areas of Interests:
	Signal transduction of disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance; functional genomics and proteomics of cereal crops.

Education | Program Interests | Publications

Education:

B.S., Biology, Hangzhou University
M.S., Botany, University of South Florida
Ph.D., Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Florida

Program Interests:

My research program focuses on elucidating the complex network of signal perception and transduction involved in rice biotic (rice blast, sheath blight and bacterial blight diseases) and abiotic (drought and salinity) stress responses using a combination of molecular, biochemical, genetic, genomic and proteomic approaches. Current research activities involve the following areas:

1. Protein-protein interactions at the host-pathogen interface: Targeting and recognition of fungal effectors in rice cells – A number of putative effectors have been identified from the rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe oryzae) and are being tested for their role in elicitation or suppression of rice defense response. Attempts are being made to identify their interacting proteins and potential targets in rice cells using various approaches such as yeast two-hybrid, tandem affinity purification (TAP) tag and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) . We are particularly interested in characterizing key protein complexes involved in perception of fungal effectors and initiation of host signaling cascades.

2. Biochemical and functional analyses of stress-responsive MAP kinases and their substrates – A total of 17 members of the rice MAP kinase gene (OsMPK) family have been identified and about a half of them are shown to be associated with biotic and abiotic stress responses. Biochemical and functional characterization has been conducted with a number of stress-responsive OsMPKs using kinase assays as well as transgene overexpression and RNA interference (RNAi). Transgenic analysis reveals that stress-responsive OsMPKs may modulate hormone signaling and mediate cross-talks between biotic and abiotic stress responses. To further gain insights into the rice MAP kinase signaling, we have identified many putative OsMPK substrates using phosphorylation screening and protein-protein interaction. In vivo phosphorylation and functional analysis are being conducted to elucidate the role of these OsMPK substrates in rice stress signaling.

3. Ethylene-, abscisic acid- and jasmonic acid-mediated signaling pathways and cross-talks – A large body of evidence, primarily based on the studies of dicotyledonous plants, has shown that s alicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), ethylene (ET) and abscisic acid ( ABA ) play a key role in the activation of host defense response. However, little is known about their role in the defense response of rice and other economically important cereal crops. We have generated a series of transgenic rice lines defective in the SA, JA, ET or ABA signal production or perception via the RNAi-mediated gene silencing or transgene overexpression. Molecular, biochemical, physiological and pathological analyses are being conducted to determine the role of these signaling pathways and their involvement in biotic and abiotic cross-talks.

4. Molecular and genomic strategies for enhanced disease resistance and drought tolerance – Based on new knowledge from the molecular and functional genomic studies, we are interested in developing novel strategies (via genetic modification or cultural practice) for improved disease and drought management in cereal crops.

Publications:

Park, D.-S., Sayler, R. J., Hong, Y.-G., Nam, M.-H., and Yang, Y. 2008. A method for inoculation and evaluation of rice sheath blight disease. Plant Disease 92: 25-29.

Sayler, R. J. and Yang, Y. 2007. Detection and quantification of Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA, the rice sheath blight pathogen, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Plant Disease 91: 1663-1668.

Rohila, J. S. and Yang, Y. 2007. Rice mitogen-activated protein kinase gene family and its role in biotic and abiotic stress response. J. Integr Plant Biol. 49: 751-759.

Mei, C., Zhou, X. and Yang, Y . 2007. Use of RNA interference to dissect defense signaling pathways in rice plants. In “Methods in Molecular Biology: Plant-Pathogen Interactions” Vol. 354: 161-171. Ed. P. Ronald, Humana Press.

Mei, C., Qi, M. and Yang, Y. 2006. Inducible overexpression of rice allene oxide synthase gene increases endogenous jasmonic acid level, PR gene expression and host resistance to fungal infection. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 19: 1127-1137.

Reyna , N.S. and Yang, Y. 2006. Molecular analysis of the rice MAP kinase gene family in relation to Magnaporthe grisea infection. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 19: 530-540.

Sayler, R.J., Cartwright, R.D. and Yang, Y. 2006. Genetic characterization and real-time PCR detection of Burkholderia glumae, a newly emerging bacterial pathogen of rice in the U.S. Plant Disease 90: 603-610.

Li, Q., Chen, F., Sun, L., Zhang, Z., Yang, Y., and He, Z. 2006. Expression profiling of rice genes in early defense responses to blast and bacterial blight pathogens using cDNA microarray. Physiol. Mol. Plant Pathol. 68:51-60.

Zhou, X., Bailey, T.A. and Yang, Y. 2006. Signal transduction and pathway interactions in rice disease resistance. In “Model Plants, Crop Improvement”, pp207-225. Eds. R.M.D. Koebner and R.K. Varshney, CRC Press.

Lee, M.-W and Yang, Y. 2005. Transient expression assay by agroinfitration of leaves. Methods in Molecular Biology Vol. 323: Arabidopsis Protocol (2nd edition), pp225-229. Eds. J. Salinas and J. J. Sanchez-Serrano, Humana Press.

Hu, H., Xiong, L. and Yang, Y. 2005. Rice SERK1 gene positively regulates somatic embryogenesis of cultured cell and host defense response against fungal infection. Planta 222: 107-117.

Zhou, X. and Yang, Y. 2005. Differential expression of rice Nramp genes in response to pathogen infection, defense signal molecules and metal ions. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 66: 235-243.

Yang, Y., Qi, M. and Mei, C. 2004. Endogenous salicylic acid protects rice plants from oxidative damage caused by aging as well as biotic and abiotic stress. Plant Journal
40: 909-919.

Thara, V. K., Seilaniantz, A.R., Deng, Y., Dong, Y., Yang, Y., Tang, X., and Zhou, J.-M. 2004. Tobacco genes induced by the bacterial effector protein AvrPto. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 17: 1139-1145.

Xiong, L. and Yang. Y. 2003. Disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance in rice are inversely modulated by an abscisic acid-inducible MAP kinase. Plant Cell 15: 745-759.

Yang, Y ., Qi, M., Lee, M.-W., and Xiong, L. 2003. Jasmonic acid- and salicylic acid-mediated defense signal transduction in rice. In Advances in Rice Genetics. pp429-431. Eds. G.S. Khush, D.S. Brar and B. Hardy. International Rice Research Institute.

Qi, M., and Yang, Y. 2002. Quantification of Magnaporthe grisea during infection of rice plants using real-time polymerase chain reaction and northern blot/phosphoimaging analyses. Phytopathology 92: 870-876.

Xiong, L., Qi, M., Lee, M. and Yang, Y. 2001. Identification of rice defense-related genes by subtractive cloning and differential screening. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 14: 685-692.

Lee, M.-W., Qi, M. and Yang, Y. 2001. A novel jasmonic acid-inducible rice myb gene associates with fungal infection and host cell death. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 14: 527-535.

Yang, Y. 2001. Systemic signaling. In Encyclopedia of Life Sciences . Nature Publishing Group.

Wang, S., Riggs, R.D., and Yang, Y. 2001. Grouping of populations of Heterodera trifolii by host preference and AFLP pattern. Nematology 3: 667-674.

Yang, Y ., Li, R., and Qi, M. 2000. In vivo analysis of plant promoters and transcription factors by agroinfiltration of tobacco leaves. Plant Journal 22: 543-551.

Klessig, D. F., Durner, J., Shah, J., and Yang, Y. 1998. Salicylic acid-mediated signal transduction in plant disease resistance. Recent Advances in Phytochemistry 32:119-137.

Yang, Y. , Shah, J. and Klessig, D. F. 1997. Signal perception and transduction in plant defense responses. Genes and Development 11:1621-1639.

Yang, Y. and Klessig, D. F. 1996. Isolation and characterization of a TMV-inducible myb oncogene homologue from tobacco. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93: 14972-14977.

Yang, Y., Yuan, Q., and Gabriel, D. W. 1996. Watersoaking function(s) of XcmH1005 are redundantly encoded by members of a Xanthomonas avirulence/pathogenicity gene family. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 9: 105-113.

Klessig, D. F., Durner, J., Chen, Z., Anderson , M., Conrath, U., Du, H., Guo, A., Liu, Y., Shah, J., Silver, H., Takahashi, H. and Yang, Y. 1996. Studies of the salicylic acid signal transduction pathway. in: Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions. pp33-38. G. Stacey, B. Mullin and P. M. Gresshoff eds. International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions.

Gabriel, D. W., Yuan, Q., Yang, Y. and Chakrabarty, P. K. 1996. Role of nuclear localizing signal sequences in three disease phenotypes determined by the Xanthomonas avr / pth gene family. in: Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions. pp197-202. G. Stacey, B. Mullin and P. M. Gresshoff eds. International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions.

Yang, Y. and Gabriel, D. W. 1995. Intragenic recombination of a single plant pathogen gene provides a mechanism for the evolution of new host specificities. J. Bacteriol. 177: 4963-4968.

Yang, Y. and Gabriel, D. W. 1995. Xanthomonas avirulence/pathogenicity gene family encodes functional plant nuclear targeting signals. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 8: 627-631.

Yang, Y., De Feyter, R., and Gabriel, D. W. 1994. Host-specific symptoms and increased release of Xanthomonas citri and X. campestris pv. malvacearum from leaves are determined by the 102 bp tandem repeats of pthA and avrb6 , respectively. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 7: 345-355.

De Feyter, R., Yang, Y., and Gabriel, D. W. 1993. Gene-for-genes interactions between cotton R genes and Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum avr genes. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 6: 225-237.

Gabriel, D.W., Kingsley, M.T., Yang, Y., Chen, J. and Roberts, P. 1993. Host-specific virulence genes of Xanthomonas . in: Molecular Mechanisms of Bacterial Virulence . pp141-158. C.I. Kado and J. Crosa, eds. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.

Swarup, S., Yang, Y., Kingsley, M.T., and Gabriel, D.W. 1992. A Xanthomonas citri pathogenicity gene, pthA , pleiotropically encodes gratuitous avirulence on non-hosts. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 5: 204-213.

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