Ligang Zhou

Prof. Ligang Zhou

Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University
orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

37Years (1990-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 February 2011 in Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry
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Journal Article
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JZJ. Zhao
J. Zhao
TST. Shan
T. Shan
YMY. Mou
Y. Mou
Ligang ZhouLigang Zhou
Ligang Zhou
Plant endophytic fungi are an important and novel resource of natural bioactive compounds with their potential applications in agriculture, medicine and food industry. In the past two decades, many valuable bioactive compounds with antimicrobial, insecticidal, cytotoxic, and anticancer activities have been successfully discovered from endophytic fungi. During the long period of co-evolution, a friendly relationship was formed between each endophyte and its host plant. Some endophytes have the ability to produce the same or similar bioactive compounds as those originated from their host plants. This review mainly deals with the research progress on endophytic fungi for producing plant-derived bioactive compounds such as paclitaxel, podophyllotoxin, camptothecine, vinblastine, hypericin, and diosgenin. The relations between endophytic fungi and their host plants, biological activities and action mechanisms of these compounds from endophytic fungi, some available strategies for efficiently promoting production of these bioactive compounds, as well as their potential applications in the future will also be discussed. It is beneficial for us to better understand and take advantage of plant endophytic fungi.

21 May 2013 in Molecules
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Journal Article
Open access
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JLJingfeng Lou
Jingfeng Lou
LFLinyun Fu
Linyun Fu
YPYouliang Peng
Youliang Peng
Ligang ZhouLigang Zhou
Ligang Zhou
Alternaria is a cosmopolitan fungal genus widely distributing in soil and organic matter. It includes saprophytic, endophytic and pathogenic species. At least 268 metabolites from Alternaria fungi have been reported in the past few decades. They mainly include nitrogen-containing metabolites, steroids, terpenoids, pyranones, quinones, and phenolics. This review aims to briefly summarize the structurally different metabolites produced by Alternaria fungi, as well as their occurrences, biological activities and functions. Some considerations related to synthesis, biosynthesis, production and applications of the metabolites from Alternaria fungi are also discussed.

2 March 2010 in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
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Journal Article
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JZJiang-Lin Zhao
Jiang-Lin Zhao
Ligang ZhouLigang Zhou
Ligang Zhou
Jian-Yong WuJian-Yong Wu
Jian-Yong Wu

20 May 2014 in Nature Communications
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Journal Article
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YZYong Zhang
Yong Zhang
KZKang Zhang
Kang Zhang
AFAnfei Fang
Anfei Fang
YHYanqing Han
Yanqing Han
Jun YangJun Yang
Jun Yang
WSWenxian Sun
Wenxian Sun
Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke) Takah is an ascomycetous fungus that causes rice false smut, a devastating emerging disease worldwide. Here we report a 39.4 Mb draft genome sequence of U. virens that encodes 8,426 predicted genes. The genome has ~25% repetitive sequences that have been affected by repeat-induced point mutations. Evolutionarily, U. virens is close to the entomopathogenic Metarhizium spp., suggesting potential host jumping across kingdoms. U. virens possesses reduced gene inventories for polysaccharide degradation, nutrient uptake and secondary metabolism, which may result from adaptations to the specific floret infection and biotrophic lifestyles. Consistent with their potential roles in pathogenicity, genes for secreted proteins and secondary metabolism and the pathogen–host interaction database genes are highly enriched in the transcriptome during early infection. We further show that 18 candidate effectors can suppress plant hypersensitive responses. Together, our analyses offer new insights into molecular mechanisms of evolution, biotrophy and pathogenesis of U. virens.

1 March 2004 in Crop Protection
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Journal Article
Closed access
WSWeitang Song
Weitang Song
Ligang ZhouLigang Zhou
Ligang Zhou
CYChengzong Yang
Chengzong Yang
XCXiaodong Cao
Xiaodong Cao
LZLiqun Zhang
Liqun Zhang
XLXili Liu
Xili Liu

6 April 2021 in Toxins
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Journal Article
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DXDan Xu
Dan Xu
MXMengyao Xue
Mengyao Xue
ZSZhen Shen
Zhen Shen
XJXiaowei Jia
Xiaowei Jia
XHXuwen Hou
Xuwen Hou
Ligang ZhouLigang Zhou
Ligang Zhou
Fungal phytotoxic secondary metabolites are poisonous substances to plants produced by fungi through naturally occurring biochemical reactions. These metabolites exhibit a high level of diversity in their properties, such as structures, phytotoxic activities, and modes of toxicity. They are mainly isolated from phytopathogenic fungal species in the genera of Alternaria, Botrytis, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Helminthosporium, and Phoma. Phytotoxins are either host specific or non-host specific phytotoxins. Up to now, at least 545 fungal phytotoxic secondary metabolites, including 207 polyketides, 46 phenols and phenolic acids, 135 terpenoids, 146 nitrogen-containing metabolites, and 11 others, have been reported. Among them, aromatic polyketides and sesquiterpenoids are the main phytotoxic compounds. This review summarizes their chemical structures, sources, and phytotoxic activities. We also discuss their phytotoxic mechanisms and structure–activity relationships to lay the foundation for the future development and application of these promising metabolites as herbicides.