Personal Introduction

Dr. Yu-Feng Yao is a full professor of Department of Microbiology and Immunology at SJTU-SOM and a professor of special appointment at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning. He has been working on bacterial pathogenesis for 20 years, and his research has been recognized internationally through numerous scientific publications, several invited reviews (e.g. Trend Microbiol) and invited book chapters. His research activities have been supported by more than 20 grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, and so on. He is an Ad Hoc reviewer for many professional journals including Nat Chem Biol, mBio, mSystems, J Infect Dis, AAC, Mol Microbiol etc, and grant reviewer for NSFC, RGC and Israel Science Foundation.

Education

• 1991.09-1995.07 Anhui Normal University

• 1995.09-1998.07 Nanjing Agricultural University

• 1998.09-2002.07 Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS

Appointments

• 2002.08-2004.09 National Institutes of Health, Postdoc

• 2004.09-2007.07 Johns Hopkins University SOM, Postdoc

• 2007.07- present Shanghai Jiao Tong University SOM

Scientific Research Projects

• 2019.1-2023.12, The mechanism and significance of post-translational modification in the regulation of PhoP/PhoQ in Salmonella bicomponent system, 81830068, Key project of NSFC

• 2015.1-2019.12, Epigenetic modification and adaptive evolution of pathogenic bacteria, 2015CB554203, 973 project of Ministry of science and technology

• 2014.1-2016.12, Research on the relationship between cell wall lipids and the pathogenicity of rifampicin resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 81361120383, Key international cooperation project of NSFC

• 2016.1-2020.12, Discovery, identification and regulatory mechanism of ribosome regulatory factors of pathogenic bacteria, 2016YFA0500600, Key research and development project of Ministry of science and technology

• 2009.1- 2013.12, Microevolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 2009CB522603, 973 project of Ministry of science and technology

• 2018.1-2021.12, Mechanism and significance of acetylation modification regulating phosphorylation of PhoP in Salmonella bicomponent system , 81772140, General project of NSFC

• 2013.1-2016.12, Identification and function research of secretory proteins of EHEC type VI secretory system , 31270173, General project of NSFC

• 2012.9-2014.8, Research on unknown function ABC superfamily transporters of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, Star Project (tracking)

• 2011.1- 2013.12, Research on DnaA acetylation modification and DNA replication regulation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 31070114, General project of NSFC

• 2009.1- 2011.12, Secretion and mechanism of cytotoxic necrosis factor (CNF1), 30870100, General project of NSFC

• 2009.6- 2011.7, Research on mazg function of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its relationship with phenotype of nontoxic strain H37Ra, Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, Star program

Publications

1. Wang Z, Zhu S, Li C, Lyu L, Yu J, Wang D, Xu Z, Ni J, Gao B, Lu J, Yao YF*, Gene essentiality profiling reveals a novel determinant of stresses preventing protein aggregation in Salmonella. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2022, 11(1):1554-1571

2. Sun Z, Zhou N, Zhang W, Xu Y, Yao YF*, Dual role of CsrA in regulating the hemolytic activity of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Virulence, 2022, 13:1,859-874

3. Su Y, Li J, Zhang W, Ni J, Huang R, Wang Z, Cheng S, Wang Y, Tian Z, Zhou Q, Lin D, Wu W, Christoph M, Liu X, Yao YF*, Methylation of phoP by CheR regulates Salmonella virulence. mBio. 2021, 12(5): e02099-21

4. Li J, Liu S, Su Y, Ren J, Ni J, Lu J, Yao YF*, Acetylation of PhoP K88 is involved in regulating Salmonella virulence. Infect Immun. 2021,89(3):e00588-20

5. Huang W, Wang D, Yao YF*, Understanding the pathogenesis of infectious diseases by single-cell RNA sequencing. Microb Cell. 2021, 8(9):208-222

6. Zhou A, Li J, Xu Z, Ni J, Guo J, Yao YF*, Wu W*. Whole-genome comparative and pathogenicity analysis of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Rissen. G3:Genes Genomes Genetics. 2020, 10(7): 2159-70

7. Ren J, Sang Y, Qin R , Su Y, Cui Z, Mang Z, Li H, Lu S, Zhang J, Cheng S, Liu X, Li J, Lu J, Wu W, Zhao GP, Shao F, Yao YF*. Metabolic intermediate acetyl phosphate modulates bacterial virulence via acetylation. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2019, 8(1): 55-69

8. Xu Z, Zhou A, Wu J, Zhou A, Li J, Zhang S, Wu W, Karakousis PC, Yao YF*. Transcriptional approach for decoding the mechanism of rpoC compensatory mutations for the fitness cost in rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Front Microbiol. 2018, 9:2895

9. Yu X, Fu F, Kong W, Xuan Q, Wen D, Chen X, He Y, He L, Guo J, Zhou A, Xi Y, Ni L, Yao YF*, Wu W*. Streptococcus agalactiae inhibits Candida albicans hyphal development and diminishes host vaginal mucosal TH17 response. Front Microbiol. 2018, 9:198

10. Ren J, Sang Y, Lu J, Yao YF*. 6S RNA is involved in acid resistance and invasion of epithelial cells in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Future Microbiol. 2017, 12:1045-57

11. Ren J, Sang Y, Lu J, Yao YF*. Protein acetylation and its role in bacterial virulence. Trends Microbiol. 2017, 25(9):768-79 (invited review)

12. Li S, Zhang Q, Xu Z, Yao YF*. Acetylation of lysine 243 inhibits the oriC binding ability of DnaA in Escherichia coli. Front Microbiol. 2017, 8:699

13. Sang Y, Ren J, Qin R, Liu S, Cui Z, Cheng S, Liu X, Lu J, Tao J*, Yao YF*. Acetylation regulating protein stability and DNA-binding ability of HilD, thus modulating Salmonella Typhimurium virulence. J Infect Dis. 2017, 216(8):1018-26 (cover story)

14. Wan B, Zhang Q, Ni J, Li S, Wen D, Li J, Xiao H, He P, Ou H, Tao J, Teng Q, Lu J, Wu W*, Yao YF*. Type VI secretion system contributes to Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli virulence by secreting catalase against host reactive oxygen species (ROS). PLoS Pathog. 2017, 13(3): e1006246

15. Qin R, Sang Y, Ren J, Zhang Q, Li S, Cui Z*, Yao YF*. The bacterial two-hybrid system uncovers the involvement of acetylation in regulating of Lrp activity in Salmonella Typhimurium. Front Microbiol. 2016, 7:1864

16. Zhang Q, Zhou A, Li S, Ni J, Tao J, Lu J, Wan B, Li S, Zhang J, Zhao S, Zhao GP, Shao F, Yao YF*. Reversible lysine acetylation is involved in DNA replication initiation by regulating activities of initiator DnaA in Escherichia coli. Sci Rep. 2016, 6:30837

17. Ren J, Sang Y, Tan Y, Tao J, Ni J, Liu S, Fan X, Zhao W, Lu J, Wu W, Yao YF*. Acetylation of lysine 201 inhibits the DNA-binding ability of PhoP to regulate Salmonella virulence. PLoS Pathog. 2016, 12(3):e1005458 (cover story)

18. Wan B, Zhang Q, Tao J, Zhou A, Yao YF*, Ni J*. Global transcriptional regulation by H-NS and its biological influence on the virulence of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. Gene. 2016, 588(2):115-23

19. Sang Y, Ren J, Ni J, Tao J, Lu J, Yao Y*. Protein acetylation is involved in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium virulence and host inflammatory responses. J Infect Dis. 2016, 213 (11): 1836-45

20. Zhang Q, Wan B, Zhou A, Ni J, Xu Z, Li S, Tao J*, Yao YF*. Whole genome analysis of an MDR Beijing/W strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with large genomic 3 deletions associated with resistance to isoniazid. Gene. 2016, 582(2):128-36

21. Tan Y, Xu Z, Tao J, Ni J, Zhao W, Lu J, Yao YF*. A SIRT4-like auto ADP-ribosyltransferase is essential for the environmental growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis. Acta Bioch Bioph Sin. 2016, 48(2):145-52

22. Ren J, Yu S, Ni J, Tao J, Lu J, Zhao M*, Yao YF*. Acetylation regulates survival of Salmonella Typhimurium in acid stress. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2015, 81(17): 5675-82

23. Xu Z, Zhou A, Ni J, Zhang Q, Wang Y, Lu J, Wu W, Karakousis PC, Lu S*, Yao YF*. Differential expression of miRNAs and their relation to active tuberculosis. Tuberculosis. 2015, 95(4):395-403

24. Zhou A, Ni J, Xu Z, Wang Y, Lu S, W Wu, Karakousis PC, Yao YF*. Metabolomics specificity of tuberculosis plasma revealed by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Tuberculosis. 2015, 95(3):294-302

25. Tao J, Sang Y, Teng Q, Ni J, Yang Y, Tsui S, Yao YF*. Heat shock proteins IbpA and IbpB are required for NlpI-participated cell division in Escherichia coli. Front Microbiol. 2015, 6:51

26. Zhou A, Ni J, Xu Z, Wang Y, Lu S, Sha W, Karakousis PC, Yao YF*. Application of 1H-NMR spectroscopy-based metabolomics to sera of tuberculosis patients. J Proteome Res. 2013, 12(10):4642-9

27. Zhou Y, Tao J, Yu H, Ni J, Zeng L, Teng Q, Kim KS, Zhao GP, Guo XK*, Yao YF*. Hcp-family proteins secreted via type VI secretion system coordinately regulate Escherichia coli K1 interaction with human brain microvascular endothelial cells. Infect & Immun, 2012, 80(3):1243-51