Career

1991-1997: Assistant, Institute of Plant Protection, ZhejiangAcademy of Agricultural Sciences; Department of Plant Protection, Zhejiang Agricultural University

1997-present: Associate Professor, Professor, Biotechnology Institute, ZhejiangUniversity

1996.6-1996.10: Visiting Scientist, Department of Plant Pathology, North Dakota State University, USA

2001.6-2001.11: Visiting Scientist, School of Biological Sciences, University of Exeter, UK

2001.6-2001.11: Visiting Scientist, School of Biological Sciences, University of Exeter, UK

2002.9-2005.9 : Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, University of Exeter, UK

Major Research Interests

We are interested in investigating the molecular mechanisms of fungal pathogens to cause plant diseases. Ongoing project in the laboratory includes identification and characterization of pathogenicity-related genes of Magnaporthe oryzae.

Recent publications

Xia Y, Li Y, Yue XF, Wang CC, Que YW, Kong DD, Ma ZH, Talbot NJ, Wang ZY. 2011. Two novel transcriptional regulators are essential for infection-related morphogenesis and pathogenicity of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. PLoS Pathog 7(12): e1002385.

Zhang H, Tang W, Liu K, Huang Q, Zhang X, , Yan X, Chen Y, Wang J, Qi Z, Wang ZY, Zheng XB, Wang P, Zhang Z. 2011. Eight RGS and RGS-like proteins orchestrate growth, differentiation, and pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae. PLoS Pathog 7(12): e1002450.

Jiang J, Yun Y, Yang Q, Shim WB, Wang ZY, Ma Z. 2011. A type 2C protein phosphatase FgPtc3 is involved in cell wall integrity, lipid metabolism, and virulence in Fusarium graminearum. PLoS ONE 6(9): e25311.

Yan X, Ma WB, Li Y, Wang H, Que YW, Ma ZH, Talbot NJ. Wang ZY. 2011. A sterol 14α -demethylase is required for conidiation, virulence and for mediating sensitivity to sterol demethylation inhibitors by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Fungal Genet Biol. 48（2）：144-153.

Zhang L, Lv R, Dou X, Qi Z, Hua C, Zhang H, Wang ZY, Zheng X, Zhang Z. 2011. The Function of MoGlk1 in Integration of Glucose and Ammonium Utilization in Magnaporthe oryzae. PLoS One. 6(7): e22809.

Liu X, Yu FW, Schnabel G, Wu JB, Wang ZY, and Ma ZH. 2011. Paralogous cyp51 genes in Fusarium graminearummediate differential sensitivity to sterol demethylation inhibitors. Fungal Genet. Biol. 48（2）：113-123.

Li Y, Liang S, Yan X, Wang H, Li DB, Soanes DM, Talbot NJ, Wang ZH, Wang ZY. 2010. Characterization of MoLDB1required for vegetative growth, infection-related morphogenesis, and pathogenicity in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 23(10):1260-1274.

Li Y, Yan X, Wang H, Liang S, Ma WB, Fang MY, Talbot NJ, Wang ZY. 2010. MoRic8 is a novel component of G-protein signaling during plant infection by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 23(3): 317-331.

Fang MY , Yan LY , Wang ZY , Zhang DG , Ma ZH . 2009. Sensitivity of Magnaporthe grisea to the Sterol Demethylation Inhibitor Fungicide Propiconazole. Journal of Phytopathology 157（9）：568-572.

Li W, Wang BH, Wu J, Lu GD, Hu YJ, Zhang X, Zhang ZG, Zhao Q, Feng Q, Zhang HY, Wang ZY, Wang GL, Han B, Wang ZH, Zhou B. 2009. The Magnaporthe oryzae Avirulence Gene AvrPiz-t Encodes a Predicted Secreted Protein That Triggers the Immunity in Rice Mediated by the Blast Resistance Gene Piz-t. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 22(4): 411-420.

Wang ZY, D. M. Soanes, M. J. Kershaw, and N. J. Talbot. 2007. Functional analysis of lipid metabolism in Magnaporthe grisea reveals a requirement for peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation during appressorium-mediated plant infection.Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 20（5）：475-491.

Egan MJ, Wang ZY, Jones MA, Smirnoff N, Talbot NJ.2007. Generation of reactive oxygen species by fungal NADPH oxidases is required for rice blast disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 104(28):11772-11777.

Wilson RA, Jenkinson JM, Gibson RP, Littlechild JA, Wang ZY, TalbotNJ. 2007. Tps1 regulates the pentose phosphate pathway, nitrogen metabolism and fungal virulence. EMBO J. 26(15):3673-3685.

Bhambra GK, Wang ZY, Soanes DM, Wakley GE, Talbot NJ. 2006. Peroxisomal carnitine acetyl transferase is required for elaboration of penetration hyphae during plant infection by Magnaporthe grisea. Mol Microbiol. 61(1):46-60. 

Liang S , Wang ZY, Liu PJ, Li DB. 2006. A Gγ subunit promoter T-DNA insertion mutant—A1-412 of Magnaporthe grisea is defective in appressorium formation, penetration and pathogenicity. Chinese Sc Bull., 51(18):2214-2218.

Wang ZY,Jenkinson JM,Holcombe LJ,Soanes DM, Veneault-Fourrey C, Bhambra GK, Talbot NJ. 2005. The molecular biology of appressorium turgor generation by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea. Biochem. Soc. Trans.33(2):384-388.

Vakalounakis DJ, Wang ZY, Fragkiadakis GA, Li DB. 2004. Characterization of Fusarium oxysporum isolates obtained from cucumber in China by pathogenicity, VCG, and RAPD. Plant Dis. 88:645-649.

Wang ZY, Thornton CR, Kershaw MJ, Debao L, TalbotNJ. 2003. The glyoxylate cycle is required for temporal regulation of virulence by the plant pathogenic fungus Magnaporthe grisea. Mol Microbiol.47(6):1601-1612.