SELF-INTRODUCTION：

Dr. Zhirong ZHANG is an assistant professor at College of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology. In 2013, he obtained his PhD degree from School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University. From 2013 to 2023, he joined the Institute of Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC) in France as a postdoctoral researcher. Since December 2023, he became an assistant professor leading an independent research group at Southern University of Science and Technology. His research interest mainly focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying inflammasome-mediated immune responses, leading to a series of publications on many high impact journals, including Science, Nature Immunology, Science Immunology, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Nature Metabolism, Nature Cell Biology, Nature Communications and Cell Reports. His work has been cited by more than 2,000 times (Google Scholar, H-index 16).

EDUCATION:

· 09/2007 - 07/2013, Ph.D. in Zoology, University of Xiamen, Xiamen, China

· 09/2003 - 07/2007, B.A. in National Base of Biotechnology, University of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, China     

WOKRING EXPERIENCE:

· 12/2023 - present, assistant professor, College of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

· 09/2013 - 11/2023, postdoctoral researcher, IGBMC, Strasbourg, France  

HONORS AND AWARDS:

· USIAS postdoctoral fellowship, 2017

· EMBO meeting travel grant, Mannheim, Germany, 2016

· EFSD/CDS/Lilly Programme, 2013

· National Scholarship, University of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, China, 2006

RESEARCH:

Combining multidisciplinary approaches, including molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, biochemistry, and structural biology, we are aiming to explore 1) mechanisms underlying innate immunity activation (inflammasome complex assembly and activation); 2) host-pathogen interaction; 3) pathological mechanisms of infectious diseases.

MANUSCRIPT REVIEWER AND EDITOR：

· Review editor in Frontiers in Cell Death

· Review editor in Frontiers in Immunology

· Guest associate editor in Frontiers in Immunology

PUBLICATIONS：

[24] Ran L*, Ye T, Erbs E, Ehl S, Spassky N, Sumara I, Zhang Z*# and Ricci R#. KCNN4 links PIEZO-dependent mechanotransduction to NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Science Immunology, in press (#corresponding authors; *equal contribution).

[23] Ran L*, Ye T, Erbs E, Sumara I, Ricci R#, Zhang Z*#. KCNN4 links PIEZO-dependent mechanotransduction to NLRP3 inflammasome activation. BioRxiv, doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.03.08.531717 (#corresponding authors; *equal contribution).

[22] Zhang Z#*, Venditti R*, Ran L, Liu Z, Vivot K, Schurmann A, Bonifacino J, de Matteis A#, Ricci R#. Distinct changes in endosomal composition promote NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Nature Immunol. 2023 Jan; 24(1):30-41. (#corresponding authors; *equal contribution)

[21] Zhang Z#, Ricci R#. Hijacking the NLRP3 inflammasome: a mechanism underlying viral respiratory disease? EMBO Rep 2020; 21(7): e50645. (#corresponding authors)

[20] Zhang Z, Meszaros G*, He W*, Xu Y, de Fatima Magliarelli H, Mailly L, Mihlan M, Liu Y, Gámez M, Goginashvili A, Pasquier A, Bielska O, Neven B, Quartier A, Aebersold R, Baument TF, Georgel P, Han J, Ricci R. Protein kinase D at the Golgi controls NLRP3 inflammasome activation. J Exp Med 2017; 214 (9): 2671-2693. (*equal contribution)

[19] Zhang Z*, Xu X*, Ma J, Wu J, Wang Y, Zhou R, Han, J. Gene deletion of Gabarap enhances Nlrp3 inflammasome-dependent inflammatory responses. J. Immunol. 2013; 190(7):3517-24. (*equal contribution)

[18] Vivot K, Meszaros G, Zhang Z, Erbs E, Yeghiazaryan G, Quiñones M, Grandgirard E, Schneider A, Clauss-Creusot E, Charlet A, Faour M, Martin C, Luquet E, Kloppenburg P, Nogueiras R, Ricci R. CaMK1D signaling in AgRP neurons promotes ghrelin-mediated food intake. Nature Metabolism, 2023, 5(6):1045-1058.

[17] Goginashvili A, Zhang Z, Erbs E, Spiegelhalter C, Kessler P, Mihlan M, Pasquier A, Krupina K, Schieber N, Cinque L, Morvan J, Sumara I, Schwab Y, Settembre C, Ricci R. Insulin secretory granules control autophagy in pancreatic β cells. Science 2015; 347:878–882.

[16] Niu T, De Rosny C, Chautard S, Rey A, Patoli D, Groslambert M, Cosson C, Lagrange B, Zhang Z, Visvikis O, Hacot S, Hologne M, Walker O, Wong J, Wang P, Ricci R, Henry T, Boyer L, Petrilli V, Py B. NLRP3 phosphorylation in its LRR domain critically regulates inflammasome assembly. Nat Commun 2021; 12(1):5862

[15] Pangou E*, Bielska O*, Guerber L, Schmucker S, Agote-Aran Arantxa, Ye T, Liao Y, Puig-Gamez M, Grandgirard E, Kleiss C, Liu Y, Compe E, Zhang Z, Aebersold R, Ricci R#, Sumara I#. A PKD-MFF signaling axis couples mitochondrial fission to mitotic progression. Cell Rep 2021; 35(7):109129. (#corresponding authors; *equal contribution)

[14] Pasquier A, Vivot K, Erbs E, Spiegelhalter C, Zhang Z, Aubert V, Liu Z, Senkara M, Maillard E, Pinget M, Kerr-Conte J, Pattou F, Marciniak G, Ganzhorn A, Ronchi P, Schieber N, Schwab Y, Saftig P, Goginashvili A#, Ricci R#. Lysosomal degradation of newly formed insulin granules contributes to β cell failure in diabetes. Nat Commun 2019;10(1):3312. (#corresponding authors)

[13] Ma H, Liu Z, Zhong C, Liu Y, Zhang Z, Liang Y, Li J, Han S, Han J. Inactivation of cyclic AMP response element transcription caused by constitutive p38 activation is mediated by hyperphosphorylation-dependent CRTC2 nucleocytoplasmic transport. Mol Cell Biol 2019; 39(9): e00554-18.

[12] Xu Y, Ma H, Fang L, Zhang Z, Shao J, Hong M, Huang C, Liu J, Chen R. Cisplatin-induced necroptosis in TNFα dependent and independent pathways. Cell Signal 2017; 31:112-123.

[11] de Fatima Magliarelli H, Matondo M, Mészáros G, Goginashvili A, Erbs E, Zhang Z, Mihlan M, Wolfrum C, Aebersold R, Sumara I, Ricci R. Liver ubiquitome uncovers nutrient-stress-mediated trafficking and secretion of complement C3. Cell Death Dis 2016; 7(10):e2411.

[10] Chen W, Wu J, Li L, Zhang Z, Ren J, Liang Y, Chen F, Yang C, Zhou Z, Su S, Zheng X, Zhang Z, Zhong C, Wan H, Xiao M, Lin X, Feng X, Han J. Ppm1b negatively regulates necroptosis through dephosphorylating Rip3. Nat. Cell Biol. 2015 17, 434–444.

[9] Xu Y, Ma H, Shao J, Wu J, Zhou L, Zhang Z, Wang Y, Huang Z, Ren J, Liu S, Chen X, Han J. A Role for Tubular Necroptosis in Cisplatin-Induced AKI. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 2015; 26:2647–2658.

[8] Xu X, Leng J, Gao F, Zhao Z, Deng W, Liang X, Zhang Y, Zhang Z, Li M, Sha A, Yang Z. Differential expression and anti-oxidant function of glutathione peroxidase 3 in mouse uterus during decidualization. FEBS Lett. 2014 ; 588: 1580–1589.

[7] Wu J, Huang Z, Ren J, Zhang Z, He P, Li Y, Ma J, Chen W, Zhang Y, Zhou X, Yang Z, Wu S, Chen L, Han J. Mlkl knockout mice demonstrate the indispensable role of Mlkl in necroptosis. Cell Res. 2013; 23:994–1006.

[6] Lin J*, Li H*, Yang M, Ren J, Huang Z, Han F, Huang J, Ma J, Zhang D, Zhang Z, Wu J, Huang D, Qiao M, Jin G, Wu Q, Huang Y, Du J, Han J. A Role of RIP3-Mediated Macrophage Necrosis in Atherosclerosis Development. Cell Rep 2013; 3:200-210. (*equal contribution)

[5] Zhang X, Liang X, Wang T, Liang X, Zuo R, Deng W, Zhang Z, Qin F, Zhao Z, Yang Z. Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) induction on Snail expression during mouse decidualization. Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 2013; 381:272–279

[4] Lei W, Feng X, Deng W, Ni H, Zhang Z, Jia B, Yang X, Wang T, Liu J, Su R, Liang X, Qi, Q, Yang Z. Progesterone and DNA damage encourage uterine cell proliferation and decidualization through up-regulating ribonucleotide reductase 2 expression during early pregnancy in mice. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:15174-15192.

[3] Zhao Z, Zhang Z, Xu X, Deng W, Li M, Leng J, Liang X, Yang Z. Arachidonic acid regulation of the cytosolic phospholipase A 2alpha/cyclooxygenase-2 pathway in mouse endometrial stromal cells. Fertil Steril 2012; 97 :1199-1205 e1191-1199.

[2] Tian Z, Zhao Z, Liang X, Zhang X, Sha A, Zhang Z, Yu Y, Yang, Z. Expression and function of fatty acid-binding protein 4 during mouse decidualization. Fertil Steril 2011; 95:2749-2752 e2741-2745.

[1] Su R, Lei W, Liu J, Zhang Z, Jia B, Feng X, Ren G, Hu S, Yang Z. The integrative analysis of microRNA and mRNA expression in mouse uterus under delayed implantation and activation. PLoS One 2010; 5:e15513.