Zhang Fei

College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, HZAU > Connect with Faculty > Zhang Fei
Zhang Fei

Degree: Ph.D.
Title: Professor
Graduation School:  Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Office: 730, South Building

Fei Zhang’s lab combines multidisciplinary approaches to study citrus development, in particular shoot meristem development. By using transcriptomics, RNA in situ hybridization and genome editing approaches, they study the determinacy of shoot meristems in citrus, which can produce branches, thorns and flowers. The long-term goal of the lab is to improve the citrus tree architecture for creating ideal citrus trees.

[1] 2004.9-2010.12 Shanghai Jiao Tong University. PhD Biotechnology, advisor: Dr. Kexuan Tang
[2] 2007.9-2009.4 University of California, Riverside. Visiting PhD student, advisor: Dr. Jian-Kang Zhu
[3] 2000.9-2004.7 Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Bachelor in Horticulture. With honor.

[1] 2021.4-now Professor, Huazhong Agricultural University
[2] 2018.1-2021.2 Associate Research Scientist, Yale University, advisor: Dr. Vivian Irish
[3] 2016.1-2017.12 Postdoc, Yale University, advisor: Dr. Vivian Irish
[4] 2011.5-2015.12 Postdoc, Oklahoma State University, advisor: Dr. Million Tadege

  1. Zhang F, Rossignol P, Huang T, Wang YW, May A, Orbovic V, Irish V. CENTRORADIALIS maintains shoot meristem indeterminacy by antagonizing THORN IDENTITY1 in Citrus,Current Biology, 2021, 31(10): 2237-2242
  2. Zhang F, Rossignol P, Huang T, Wang YW, May A, Orbovic V, Irish V. Reprogramming of stem cell activity to convert thorns into branches. Current Biology. 2020, 30(15): 2951-2961.
  3. Zhang F, Wang Y, Li G, Tang Y, Kramer EM, Tadege M. STENOFOLIA recruits TOPLESS to repress ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2 at the leaf margin and promote leaf blade outgrowth in Medicago truncatula. Plant Cell. 2014, 26(2):650-64.
  4. Zhang F, Wang H, Kalve S, Wolabu T, Nakashima J, Golz JF, Tadege M. Control of leaf blade outgrowth and floral organ development by LEUNIG, ANGUSTIFOLIA3 and WOX transcriptional regulators. New Phytol. 2019, 223:2024–2038.
  5. Zhang F, May A, Irish VF. Type-B ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATORs Directly Activate WUSCHEL.Trends Plant Sci. 2017 22(10):815-817.
  6. Zhang F, Zuo KJ, Zhang JQ, Liu X, Zhang LD, Sun XF, Tang KX An L1 box binding protein, GbML1, interacts with GbMYB25 to control cotton fibre development. J Exp Bot. 2010, 61(13):3599-613
  7. Zhang F, LeBlanc C, Irish VF, Jacob Y. Rapid and efficient CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in Citrus using the YAO promoter. Plant Cell Reports 2017, 36(12):1883-1887.
  8. Zhang F, Tadege M. Repression of AS2 by WOX family transcription factors is required for leaf development in Medicago and Arabidopsis. Plant Signal Behav. 2015, 25:0.
  9. Zhang F, Liu X, Zuo KJ, Zhang JQ, Sun XF, Tang KX Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel Gossypium barbadense L. RAD-Like Gene. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter 2011, 29(2):324-333
  10. Zhang F, Liu X, Zuo KJ, Sun XF, Tang KX Molecular cloning and expression analysis of a novel SANT/MYB gene from Gossypium barbadense. Molecular Biology Repoter 2011,38(4)2329-2336
  11. Zhang F, Wang H, Tadege M. Mechanistic insights in STF-mediated leaf blade outgrowth in Medicago truncatula. In book The Model legume Medicago truncatula. F. de Bruijn, Ed., Wiley-Blackwell Publisher, Chichester, UK..
  12. Zheng XW, Pontes O, Zhu JH, Miki D, Zhang F, Li WX, Iida K, Kapoor A, Pikaard CS, Zhu JK ROS3 is an RNA-binding protein required for DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis. Nature 2008, 455(7217):1259-1262
  13. Ma YN, Xu DB, Li L Zhang F, et al. Jasmonate promotes artemisinin biosynthesis by activating the TCP14-ORA complex in Artemisia annua. Science Advances 2018, 4, eaas9357
  14. LeBlanc C, Zhang F, Mendez J, Lozano Y, Chatpar K, Irish V, Jacob Y. Increased efficiency of targeted mutagenesis by CRISPR/Cas9 in plants using heat stress. Plant J. 2017
  15. Wolabu T, Zhang F, Niu LF, Kalve S, Bhatnagar-Mathur P, Muszynski M and Tadege M. Three FLOWERING LOCUS T-like genes function as potential florigens and mediate photoperiod response in sorghum. New Phytol. 2016, 210(3):946-59
  16. Niu L, Lin H, Zhang F, Watira TW, Li G, Tang Y, Wen J, Ratet P, Mysore KS, Tadege M. LOOSE FLOWER, a WUSCHEL-like Homeobox gene, is required for lateral fusion of floral organs in Medicago truncatula. Plant J. 2015 81(3):480-92.
  17. Jacob Y, Irish, Zhang F, LeBlanc C, Wang Y, May A, Mendez J. Developing improved gene-editing technologies for Citrus. Citrograph. 2019 10(2):34-37.
  18. Irish V, Jacob Y, Zhang F, LeBlanc C, May A, Dickinson L, Mendez J. Developing improved gene-editing technologies for Citrus. Citrograph. 2018 9(2):58-61
  19. Lu X, Jiang W, Zhang L, Zhang F, Zhang F, Shen Q, Wang G, Tang K AaERF1 positively regulates the resistance to Botrytis cinerea in Artemisia annua. PLoS ONE 2013; 8(2):e57657.
  20. Liu X, Zuo KJ, Xu JT, Li Y, Zhang F, Yao HY, Wang Y, Chen Y, Qiu CX, Sun XF, Tang KX Functional analysis of GbAGL1, a D-lineage gene from cotton (Gossypium barbadense). J Exp Bot. 2010 Feb; 61(4):1193-1203
  21. Liu X, Zuo KJ, Zhang F, Li Y, Xu JT, Zhang LD, Sun XF, Tang KX Identification and expression profile of GbAGL2, a C-class gene from Gossypium barbadense. J Biosci. 2009 Dec; 34(6):941-951
  22. Wang YC, Qiu CX, Zhang F, Guo BH, Miao ZQ, Sun XF, Tang KX Molecular cloning, expression profiling and functional analyses of a cDNA encoding isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase from Gossypium barbadense. Biosci Rep. 2009 Apr; 29(2):111-119
  23. Yao HY, Yu SW, Zhang LD, Zuo KJ, Ling H, Zhang F, Tang KX Isolation of a novel lipase gene from Serratia liquefaciens S33 DB-1, functional expression in Pichia pastoris and its properties. Mol Biotechnol. 2008 Feb; 38(2):99-107
  24. Wang YC, Guo BH, Zhang F, Yao HY, Miao ZQ, Tang KX Molecular cloning and functional analysis of the gene encoding 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase from hazel (Corylus avellana L. Gasaway). J Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Nov 30; 40(6):861- 869
  25. Yao HY, Gong YF, Zuo KJ, Ling H, Qiu CX, Zhang F, Wang YC, Pi Y, Liu X, Sun XF, Tang KX Molecular cloning, expression profiling and functional analysis of a DXR gene encoding 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase from Camptotheca acuminata. J Plant Physiol. 2008 Feb; 165(2):203-213
  26. Zhang LD, Zuo KJ, Zhang F, Cao YF, Wang J, Zhang YD, Sun XF, Tang KX Conservation of noncoding microsatellites in plants: implication for gene regulation. BMC Genomics 2006 Dec 25; 7:32