Aoshu Zhong, incoming assistant professor at WFU.
Aoshu Zhong, incoming assistant professor at WFU.
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About me
2019-current, Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institutes of Health (NIH); advisor: Gisela (Gigi) Storz.
2018-2019, Postdoctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology; advisor: Jacqueline K. Barton.
2012-2018, Ph.D. in Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin; advisor: Hung-wen (Ben) Liu; thesis title "Biosynthetic Studies of Oxetanocin A and Mechanistic Studies of a B12-Dependent Radical SAM Enzyme".
2008-2012, B.S. in Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; advisor: Zhen Li.
CV (updated June 23, 2025); Google Scholar.
Research interests: investigate the mechanisms of action of known antiphage defense systems and discover novel small antiphage defense molecules with the long-term goal of developing innovative biotechnology and antimicrobial therapeutics.
News
06/23/2025 Aoshu will start a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the Department of Biology at Wake Forest University in January 2026. Stay tuned for lab openings for graduate students and lab technicians.
04/07/2025 Just published in Molecular Cell, our collaborative work shows that regulatory RNA pairing within coding sequences can locally slow translation and enhance enzymatic activity.
10/17/2024 Our collaborative work on identifying a novel family of gut bacteria-encoded reductases that are capable of biotransforming steroid hormones is posted on bioRxiv (doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.04.616736).
07/14/2024 Aoshu gave a talk at the Microbial Stress Response Gordon Research Conference in South Hadley, MA.
04/18/2024 Aoshu is a recipient of a FY24 NICHD Early Career Award.
01/03/2024 Our collaborative work on the identification of bilirubin reductase is published in Nature Microbiology.
11/22/2023 Our Rpn work is highlighted by the NIH Division of Intramural Research.
07/24/2023 Aoshu's paper "Toxic Antiphage Defense Proteins Inhibited by Intragenic Antitoxin Proteins" is published in PNAS.
05/03/2023 Aoshu’s manuscript entitled “Toxic Anti-Phage Defense Proteins Inhibited by Intragenic Antitoxin Proteins” is posted on bioRxiv.
03/22/2023 Aoshu is a recipient of a FY23 NICHD Early Career Award.
Publication
Arp, G.; Jiang, A.; Dufault-Thompson, K.; Levy, S.; Zhong, A.; Talreja Wassan, J.; Grant, M.; Li, Y.; Hall, B.; Jiang, X. “Gut Bacteria Encode Reductases that Biotransform Steroid Hormones.” Nat. Commun. 2025, accepted.
Thongdee, N.; Alaniz, M. M.; Samatova, E.; Zhong, A.; Esnault, C.; Zhang, H.; Dale, R. K.; Rodnina, M. V.; Storz, G. “Modulation of Protein Activity by Small RNA Base Pairing Internal to Coding Sequences.” Mol. Cell, 2025, 85, 1824-1837.e7.
Hall, B.; Levy, S.; Dufault-Thompson, K.; Arp, G.; Zhong, A.; Ndjite, G. M.; Weiss, A.; Braccia, D.; Jenkins, C.; Grant, M. R.; Abeysinghe, S.; Yang, Y.; Jermain, M.D.; Wu, C.H.; Ma, B.; Jiang, X. “BilR Is a Gut Microbial Enzyme That Reduces Bilirubin to Urobilinogen.” Nat. Microbiol. 2024, 9, 173-184.
Zhong, A.; Jiang, X.; Hickman, A. B.; Katherine, K.; Teodoro, G. I. C.; Dyda, F.; Laub, M. T.; Storz, G. “Toxic Antiphage Defense Proteins Inhibited by Intragenic Antitoxin Proteins.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2023, 120, e2307382120.
Lee, Y.-h.; Yeh, Y.-c.; Fan, P.-h; Zhong, A.; Ruszczycky, M. W.; Liu, H.-w. “Changing Fates of the Substrate Radicals Generated in the Active Sites of the B12-Dependent Radical SAM Enzymes OxsB and AlsB.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 3656-3664.
Fan, P.-h; Geng, Y; Romo, A. J.; Zhong, A.; Zhang, J.; Yeh, Y.-c.; Lee, Y.-h.; Liu, H.-w. “Two Radical SAM Enzymes Are Necessary and Sufficient for the In Vitro Production of the Oxetane Nucleoside Antiviral Agent Albucidin.” Angew. Chem. 2022, 61, e202210362.
Aoyama, J. J.; Raina, M.; Zhong, A.; Storz, G. “Dual-Function Spot 42 RNA Encodes a 15-Amino Acid Protein that Regulates the CRP Transcription Factor.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2022, 119, e2119866119.
Zhong, A.*; Lee, Y.-h.*; Liu, Y.-n.; Liu, H.-w. “Biosynthesis of Oxetanocin-A Includes a B12-Dependent Radical SAM Enzyme That Can Catalyze both Oxidative Ring Contraction and the Demethylation of SAM.” Biochemistry 2021, 60, 537-646. (Zhong, A. and Lee, Y.-h. contributed equally)
Ruszczycky, M. W.; Zhong, A.; Liu, H.-w. “Following the Electrons: Peculiarities in the Catalytic Cycles of Radical SAM Enzymes.” Nat. Prod. Rep. 2018, 35, 615-621.
Bridwell-Rabb, J.*; Zhong, A.*; Sun, H. G.; Drennan, C. L.; Liu, H.-w. “A B12-Dependent Radical SAM Enzyme Involved in Oxetanocin A Biosynthesis.” Nature 2017, 544, 322-326. (Bridwell-Rabb, J. and Zhong, A. contributed equally)
Highlighted by Nat. Chem. Biol. (2017, 13, 569).
Recommended by F1000.
Bridwell-Rabb, J.; Kang, G.; Zhong, A.; Liu, H.-w.; Drennan, C. L. “An HD Domain Phosphohydrolase Active Site Tailored for Oxetanocin-A Biosynthesis.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2016, 113, 13750-13755.
Lin, C.-I.; Sasaki, E.; Zhong, A.; Liu, H.-w. “In Vitro Characterization of LmbK and LmbO: Identification of GDP-D-erythro-α-D-gluco-octose as a Key Intermediate in Lincomycin A Biosynthesis.” J. Am. Chem. Soc.2014, 136, 906-909.
Li, S.; Zhao, B.; He, Z.; Chen, S. a.; Yu, J.; Zhong, A.; Tang, R.; Wu, H.; Li, Q.; Qin, J.; Li, Z. “Synthesis, Characterization and Photovoltaic Performances of D-A Copolymers Based On BDT and Dbpz: The Largely Improved Performance Caused by Additional Thiophene Blocks.” J. Mater. Chem. A 2013, 1, 4508-4515.
Li, S.; Li, A.; Yu, J.; Zhong, A.; Chen, S. a.; Tang, R.; Deng, X.; Qin, J.; Li, Q.; Li, Z. “A New Low-Bandgap Polymer Containing Benzene-Fused Quinoxaline: Significantly Enhanced Performance Caused by One Additional Benzene Ring.” Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2013, 34, 227-233.
Li, S.; He, Z.; Yu, J.; Chen, S. a.; Zhong, A.; Wu, H.; Zhong, C.; Qin, J.; Li, Z. “2,3-bis(5-Hexylthiophen-2-yl)-6,7-bis(octyloxy)-5,8-di(thiophen-2-yl) Quinoxaline: A Good Construction Block with Adjustable Role in the Donor-p-acceptor System for Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells.” J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 2012, 50, 2819-2828.
Li, S.; He, Z.; Yu, J.; Chen, S. a.; Zhong, A.; Tang, R.; Wu, H.; Qin, J.; Li, Z. “How the Linkage Positions Affect the Performance of Bulk-Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells.” J. Mater. Chem. 2012, 22, 12523-12531.
Cheng, X.; Li, S.; Jia, H.; Zhong, A.; Zhong, C.; Feng, J.; Qin, J.; Li, Z. “Fluorescent and Colorimetric Probes for Mercury(II): Tunable Structures of Electron Donor and π-Conjugated Bridge.” Chem. Eur. J. 2012, 18, 1691-1699.
Li, S.; He, Z.; Zhong, A.; Yu, J.; Wu, H.; Zhou, Y.; Chen, S. a.; Zhong, C.; Qin, J.; Li, Z. “New Alternating Copolymers of Fluorene and Triphenylamine Bearing Terthiophene and Acceptor Groups in the Side Chains: Synthesis and Photovoltaic Properties.” Polymer 2011, 52, 5302-5311.
Li, Q.; Zhong, A.; Liu, H.; Peng, M.; Liu, J.; Pei, Z.; Huang, Z.; Qin, J.; Li, Z. “Two-Photon Absorption in V-Type Chromophores with Electron-Rich Heterocyclevinylene Bridges.” Science China-Chemistry 2011, 54, 625-630.
Li, Q.; Huang, J.; Zhong, A.; Zhong, C.; Peng, M.; Liu, J.; Pei, Z.; Huang, Z.; Qin, J.; Li, Z. “N-Arylpyrrole-Based Chromophores of Donor-pi-Donor Type Displaying High Two-Photon Absorption.” J. Phys. Chem. B 2011, 115, 4279-4285.
Li, Q.; Huang, J.; Pei, Z.; Zhong, A.; Peng, M.; Liu, J.; Huang, Z.; Qin, J.; Li, Z. “Synthesis and Two-Photon Absorption Properties of Conjugated Polymers with N-Arylpyrrole as Conjugated Bridge and Isolation Moieties.” J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 2011, 49, 2538-2545.
Cheng, X.; Li, S.; Zhong, A.; Qin, J.; Li, Z. “New Fluorescent Probes for Mercury(II) with Simple Structure.” Sens. Actuator B-Chem. 2011, 157, 57-63.
Li, Q.; Wu, W.; Zhong, A.; Peng, M.; Huang, J.; Shi, J.; He, T.; Qin, J.; Li, Z. “Synthesis and Photovoltaic Property of Pyrrole-Based Conjugated Oligomer as Organic Dye for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.” Front. Optoelectron. 2011, 4, 87-92.
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