Professor of Botany & Plant Pathology

Purdue University
Botany and Plant Pathology, Lilly Hall
915 West State Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054

Office:  WSLR B026
Phone:  (765) 494-4657
FAX:      (765) 494-5896
E-mail:   

Area: Molecular Plant-Pathogen Interactions - Molecular basis of plant disease resistance; regulation of gene expression and signal transduction during plant defense responses to microbial pathogens.

Education

M.S. 1986, Cornell University, Plant Genetics and Breeding
Ph.D. 1990, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

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Research Interests

Plants are constantly exposed to microbial pathogens and through evolution have developed a battery of defense mechanisms for combating microbial diseases. The major research interest of our group is to decipher the regulatory network of plants defense responses. Transcriptional regulation of plant host genes is a central part of plant defense response and elucidating the complex regulatory mechanisms for the differential expression of plant genes holds the key to our understanding of the molecular basis of plant disease resistance. We are studying a family of plant transcription factors containing the novel WRKY zinc-finger DNA-binding motifs. WRKY transcription factors are found only in plants and are encoded by a large gene family with more than 70 members in Arabidopsis. A majority of the WRKY genes in Arabidopsis are rapidly induced upon pathogen infection, suggesting a major function of the gene family in plant defense responses. We are using both genetic and molecular approaches to understand the regulation and biological functions of plant WRKY genes in plant defense responses isit Functional Analysis of the WRKY Transcription Factor Gene Family from Arabidopsis for additional information concerning this research.

In addition, we are studying posttranscriptional gene regulation and its roles in plant antiviral defense. Many eukaryotic organisms contain a group of novel RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRPs) that synthesize small complementary RNAs (cRNAs) using cellular or viral RNA as templates. Certain members of RdRPs have recently been shown to be required for dsRNA-mediated gene silencing (RNA interference, RNAi). Recently we have identified a new plant RdRP that is induced by viral infection and defense-inducing compounds such as salicylic acid. Plants deficient in the inducible RdRP activity become more susceptible to viral pathogens. We are interested in further understanding the biological functions of plant RdRPs and elucidating their action mechanisms in antiviral defense and RNAi.

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Assistantships and Positions

Please contact me directly for information on assistantships and openings in my program. Follow these links for general information on graduate programs or employment announcements.

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Selected Publications

Cui, X., Fan, B., Schoelz, J., and Chen, Z. (2007) Roles of Arabidopsis cyclin-dependent kinase C complexes in CaMV infection, plant growth and development. Plant Cell 19:1388-1402.

Luo, Z., and Chen, Z. (2007) Improperly terminated, unpolyadenylated mRNA of sense transgenes is targeted by RDR6-mediated RNA silencing in Arabidopsis.  Plant Cell 19:943-958.

Zheng, Z., Fan, B., and Chen, Z. (2007) Functional Analysis of Pathogen-induced Arabidopsis WRKY25 Transcription Factor in Plant Defense Responses. BMC Plant Biology 7:2.

Zheng, Z., Abu Qamar, S., Chen, Z., and Mengiste, T. (2006) The Arabidopsis WRKY33 transcription factor is required for resistance to necrotropic fungal pathogens. Plant J. 48:592-605.

Kim, K.-C. Fan, B. and Chen, Z. (2006).  Pathogen-induced WRKY7 transcription factor is a transcriptional repressor and enhances plant susceptibility to Pseudomonas syringae.  Plant Physiol. 142:1180-1192.

Xing, D., and Chen, Z. (2006) Effects of mutations and constitutive overexpression of EDS1 and PAD4 on resistance to different types of microbial pathogens.  Plant Science 171:251-262.

Xu, X., Chen, C., Fan, B., and Chen, Z. (2006) Physical and functional interactions between pathogen-induced Arabidopsis WRKY18, WRKY40 and WRKY60 transcription factors.  Plant Cell 18:1310-1326.

Menke, F. L. H., Kang, H.-G., Chen, Z., Park, J. M., Kumar, D., and Klessig, D. F. (2005)  Transcription factor NtWRKY1 is phosphorylated by MAP kinase SIPK and mediates HR-like cell death in tobacco. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 18:1027-1034.

Chen, K., Fan, B., and Chen, Z. (2004) Activation of hypersensitive cell death by pathogen-induced receptor-like protein kinases from Arabidopsis.  Plant Mol. Biol.  56:271-283.

Chen, K., Du, L., and Chen, Z . (2003) Sensitization of defense response and activation of programmed cell death by a pathogen-induced receptor-like protein kinase from Arabidopsis. Plant Mol. Biol. 53:61-74.

Yu, D., Fan, B., S. MacFarlane and Chen, Z . (2003) Involvement of an inducible Arabidopsis RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in plant antiviral defense.   Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 16:206-216.

Dong, J., Chen, C. and Chen, Z . (2003)   Expression profiles of the WRKY gene superfamily from Arabidopsis during plant defense responses.   Plant Mol. Biol. 51:21-37.

Chen, C. and Chen, Z. (2002) Potentiation of developmentally regulated defense response by AtWRKY18, a pathogen-induced Arabidopsis transcription factor. Plant Physiol. 129:706-716.

Xie, Z., Fan, B., Chen, C., and Chen, Z. (2001) An important role of an inducible RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in plant antiviral defense. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98:6516-6521.

Yu, D. Chen, C. and Chen, Z. (2001) Evidence for an important role of WRKY DNA-binding proteins in the regulation of the NPR1 gene expression. Plant Cell 13:1527-1539.

Chen, Z. (2001).  A superfamily of proteins with novel cysteine-rich repeats.  Plant Physiol. 126:473-476.

Yang, P. Fan, B. and Chen, Z. (2001).  A family of dispersed repetitive DNA sequences in tobacco contain clusters of W-box elements recognized by pathogen-induced WRKY DNA-binding proteins.  Plant Sciences 161:655-664.

Du, L. and Chen, Z. (2000) Identification of genes encoding novel receptor-like protein kinases as target genes of pathogen-induced WRKY DNA-binding proteins. Plant J. 24:837-847.

Xie, Z. and Chen, Z. (2000) Harpin-induced hypersensitive cell death is associated with altered mitochondrial functions in tobacco cells. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 13:183-190.

Chen, C. and Chen, Z. (2000).  Isolation and characterization of two pathogen- and salicylic acid-induced genes encoding WRKY DNA-binding proteins from tobacco.  Plant Mol. Biol. 42:387-396.

Yang, P., Wang, Z., Fan, B., Chen, C. and Chen, Z. (1999) A pathogen- and salicylic acid-induced WRYK DNA-binding activity recognizes the elicitor response element of tobacco class I chitinase gene promoter.  Plant J. 18:141-149.

Xie, Z. and Chen, Z. (1999) Salicylic acid induces rapid inhibition of mitochondrial electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation in tobacco cells.  Plant Physiol. 120:217-225.

Yu, D., Xie, Z., Chen, C., Fan, B., and Chen, Z. (1999)  Expression of tobacco class II catalase activates the endogenous homologous gene and enhances disease resistance in transgenic potato plants.  Plant Mol. Biol.  39:477-488.

Wang, Z., Yang, P., Fan, B., and Chen, Z. (1998) An oligo selection procedure for identification of sequence-specific DNA-binding activities associated with plant defense response.  Plant J. 16:515-522.

Xie, Z., Fan, B., and Chen, Z. (1998) Induction of PR-1 proteins and potentiation of pathogen signals by salicylic acid exhibits the same dose response and structural specificity in plant cell cultures.  Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact.  11:568-571.

Wendehenne, D., Durner, J., Chen, Z., and Klessig, D. F. (1998)  Benzothiadiazole, an inducer of plant defenses, inhibits catalase and ascorbate peroxidase.  Phytochem.  47:651-657.

Chen, Z., Anderson, M.D., and Klessig, D.F. (1998)  Possible involvement of lipid peroxidation in SA-mediated induction of PR-1 gene expression.  Phytochem. 47:555-566.

Yu, D., Liu, Y., Klessig, D. F., Fan, B., and Chen, Z. (1997) Is the high basal level of salicylic acid important for disease resistance in potato?  Plant Physiol. 115:343-349.

Chen, Z., Iyer, S., Caplan, A., Klessig, D. F., and Fan, B. (1997) Differential accumulation of salicylic acid and salicylic acid-sensitive catalase in different rice tissues.  Plant Physiol. 114:193-201.

Takahashi, H., Chen, Z., Liu, Y., and Klessig, D. F. (1997) Development of necrosis and activation of disease resistance in transgenic tobacco plants with severely reduced catalase levels.  Plant J. 11:993-1005.

Conrath, U., Chen, Z. and Klessig, D. F. (1995) Two inducers of plant defense responses, 2,6-dichloroisonicotinic acid and salicylic acid, inhibit catalase activity in tobacco.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92:7143-7147.

Chen, Z., Malamy J., Hennig J., Conrath, U., Sanchez-Casas, P., Ricigliano, J., Silva, H. and Klessig, D. F. (1995) Induction, modification and transduction of the salicylic acid signal in plant defense responses.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92:4134-4137.

Chen, Z., Silva, H. and Klessig, D.F. (1993) Active oxygen species in the induction of plant systemic acquired resistance by salicylic acid.  Science 262:1883-1886.

Chen, Z., Ricigliano, J. W. and Klessig, D. F. (1993) Purification and characterization of a soluble salicylic acid-binding protein from tobacco.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:9533-9537.

Chen, Z. and Klessig, D. F. (1991) Identification of a soluble salicylic acid-binding protein that may function in signal transduction in the plant disease resistance response.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:8179-8183.