2002-2007, PhD, Entomology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
Dissertation: Initiation and regulation of prophenoloxidase activation in Manduca sexta. Advisor: Dr. Haobo Jiang

1994-1997, M.S., Biochemistry, Northwestern Agricultural University, Yangling, China
Thesis: Purification, characterization and crystal growth of trichokirin, a Ribosome-inactivation-protein from the seeds of Trichosanthes kirilowii. Advisors: Professors, Yu-guan Chen and Shen Wu

1990-1994, B.S. Agronomy, Nothtwestern Agricultural University, Yangling, China

I am interested in the interaction between insects and other organisms, including bacteria, fungi, virus and parasites. During the evolution journey, insects have developed a sensitive and effective immune system to recognize and defend themselves against attacks from pathogenic organisms. In my Ph.D study, I focused on prophenoloxidase activating pathway in Manduca sexta. Upon the detection of invading bacteria or fungi via β-1, 3-Glucan recognition protein-2 (βGRP-2), a serine protease cascade is triggered and leads to the activation of prophenoloxidase. Phenoloxidase participates in blood coagulation, encapsulation and melanization in arthropods. The activation of prophenoloxidase and phenoloxidase activity is under tight and elaborate regulation. Serine protease inhibitors (Serpins) irreversibly block the activation through forming complex with specific serine protease in the cascade. Serine protease homologs play key roles as inhibitors or as activating enzyme cofactors to regulate the pathway. Activated phenoloxidase is down-regulated by a phenoloxidase inhibitor (POI) peptide and a low molecular weight inhibitor.

In order to establish and develop inside the host insect body, parasites employ a variety of strategies to escape or suppress the host immune reactions. The immune suppression is carried out by venom and polydnaviruses (PDVs) injected by female wasps during oviposition. A serine protease homolog, Vn50, isolated from the venom of Cotesia rubecula, exhibits interference to the PO system in its host, Pieris rapae (Asgari et al., 2003). Comparative studies using M. sexta SPHs, PAP and proPO demonstrated that Vn50 inhibits activation of proPO by PAP, suggesting that the interaction between SPHs, PAP and proPO is impaired. I am currently working on EGF-like domain-containing proteins encoded by Microplitis demolitor bracovirus (MdBV) genome, which were found to inhibit phenoloxidase activity in several insects.  I will use pull-down and mass spectrometry to pin down the targets and will further investigate their interaction using biochemical and biophysical techniques.

Lu Zhi-Qiang, Jiang Haobo, Expression and activation of Manduca sexta serine proteinase homolog precursors, Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. (in press)

Huang Ru-Dan, Lu Zhi-Qiang, Dai Huaien, David Vander Velde, Prakash Om, Jiang Haobo, Solution structure of dual clip domain of Prophenoloxidase-activating-protein 2 from Manduca sexta. Biochemistry (in press)

Zou Zhen, Evans Jay, Lu Zhi-Qiang, Zhao Picheng, Williams Michael, Sumathipala Niranji, Hetru Charles, Hultmark Dan, Jiang Haobo, Comparative genomic analysis of the Tribolium immune system. Genome Biology (in press)

Lu Zhi-Qiang, Jiang Haobo. (2007) Regulation of phenoloxidase activity by high and low molecular weight inhibitors from the larval hemolymph of Manduca sexta. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 37(5): 478-485

Zhang Guangmei, Lu Zhi-Qiang, Jiang Haobo, Asgari Sassan (2004), Negative regulation of prophenoloxidase (proPO) activation by a clip-domain serine proteinase homolog (SPH) from endoparasitoid venom. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 34(5): 477-483.

Jiang Haobo, Ma Congcong, Lu Zhi-Qiang, Kanost Michael R. (2004), β-1,3-Glucan recognition protein-2 (βGRP-2) from Manduca sexta: an acute-phase protein that binds β-1,3-glucan and lipoteichoic acid to aggregate fungi and bacteria and stimulate prophenoloxidase activation. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 34(1): 89-100.

Wu Shen, Chen Yu-quan, Lu Zhi-qiang, Yan Jun, Dong Yi-cheng (1998), Purification, characterization and  crystal  growth  of  ribosome-inactivating protein from the seeds of Trichosanthes kirilowii, Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 14(4): 391-395.

Chen Yu-quan, Lu Zhi-qiang, Wu Shen (1998), comparative study on properties of trichokirin, a singlechain ribosome-inactivating protein  from the seeds of Trichosanthes kirilowii with trichosanthin, Acta Bot. Boreal Occident. Sin. 18(3): 423-427.

You ZL, Huang XD, Zhang JS, Lu ZQ, Zhang GX and Xiao JG. “Time-release Formulated Oral Recombinant Hirudin”, China patent CN 1393266A, Jan. 29, 2003.

Huang XD, You ZL, Lu ZQ, Xiao JG, Yu TH and Wang LB. “Production of Hirudin Hv-47K”, China patent CN 1348003A, May 8, 2002.