Dejian Zhao, PhD
Associate Research Scientist in GeneticsCards
About
Research
Publications
2026
Pharmaco-behavioral profiling identifies suppressors of autism gene–associated phenotypes in zebrafish
Jamadagni P, Dai Y, Liu Y, Mendes H, Pruitt A, Khan S, Yang L, Huang T, Huang X, Deans P, Balafkan N, Zhao D, Xu G, Liu Y, Li N, Wu W, Fitzpatrick S, Neelakantan U, Chen T, Szialta C, Jin D, Lacadie C, Umlauf S, Papademetris X, Surovtseva Y, Brennand K, Wang Z, Hoffman E. Pharmaco-behavioral profiling identifies suppressors of autism gene–associated phenotypes in zebrafish. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2026, 123: e2518846123. PMID: 41838920, PMCID: PMC13012064, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2518846123.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsASD genesAutism spectrum disorder genesAutism spectrum disorderBehavioral phenotypesHigh-throughput assayRegional brain activity deficitsGene mutantsUS Food and Drug AdministrationBrain activity deficitsMutantsMetabolic pathwaysFood and Drug AdministrationEstrogen receptor agonistMitochondrial modulatorsGenesReceptor agonistsPhenotypeSignaling deficitsGlutamatergic neuronsSuppressorMicrotubule inhibitorsCarnitine supplementationSpectrum disorderBehavioral profileDrug rescue
2025
LZTR1 is a melanoma oncogene that promotes invasion and suppresses apoptosis
Bacchiocchi A, Mak M, Khan Z, Gong X, Sznol M, Na Z, Su H, Chan L, Yan Q, Zhao D, Mortlock R, Knight J, Slavoff S, Halaban R. LZTR1 is a melanoma oncogene that promotes invasion and suppresses apoptosis. Oncogene 2025, 44: 3974-3984. PMID: 40885854, PMCID: PMC12500468, DOI: 10.1038/s41388-025-03538-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDegradation of ubiquitinated proteinsActin-related proteinsActin cytoskeleton organizationUbiquitin-proteasome systemSrc tyrosine kinaseAnchorage-independent growthNormal cell survivalCargo adapterActin organizationProximity biotinylationCytoskeleton organizationLC-MS/MS proteomicsLeucine zipperProteasome systemUbiquitinated proteinsCo-ImmunoprecipitationTargeting Pyk2Cell spreadingMelanoma cellsEnvironmental stressGrowth advantageMolecular characterizationCell migrationCell survivalLZTR1Auto-sumoylation of the yeast Ubc9 E2 SUMO-conjugating enzyme extends cellular lifespan
Jeong D, Lee D, Kim S, Jeoung S, Zhao D, Knight J, Lam T, Jin J, Lee H, Hochstrasser M, Ryu H. Auto-sumoylation of the yeast Ubc9 E2 SUMO-conjugating enzyme extends cellular lifespan. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 3735. PMID: 40254622, PMCID: PMC12009981, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58925-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsE2 SUMO-conjugating enzymeSUMO-conjugating enzymeSUMO-specific proteasesPost-translational levelIn vitro evolutionSevere cellular stressCalorie restrictionRegulation of multiple targetsGene expression profilesIncreased mitochondrial activityCellular lifespanLifespan extensionReplicative lifespanCellular stressMitochondrial activityYeastCR-mediated lifespan extensionEnhanced growth rateEnzyme resultsDiverse processesExpression profilesLifespan effectsReplication abilityEnergy metabolismAged cellsSrsf3-Dependent APA Drives Macrophage Maturation and Limits Atherosclerosis
Yang X, Zhang X, Tian Y, Yang J, Jia Y, Xie Y, Cheng L, Chen S, Wu L, Qin Y, Zhao Z, Zhao D, Wei Y. Srsf3-Dependent APA Drives Macrophage Maturation and Limits Atherosclerosis. Circulation Research 2025, 136: 985-1009. PMID: 40160097, DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.124.326111.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAlternative polyadenylationAssociated with atherosclerosis progressionUntranslated regionRNA sequencingExpression of chemokinesRegulation of cell fateAlternative polyadenylation patternsEfficient mitochondrial translationMetabolic labeling assaysSingle-cell RNA sequencingIntegrated stress responseMyeloid deletionLow-density lipoproteinMonocytes to macrophagesImpairment of protein synthesisPhagocytic impairmentMetabolomic profilesMacrophage maturationPrecursor nicotinamide mononucleotideCirculating monocytesIntegrated stress response inhibitorLesional cellsHistopathological analysisProatherosclerotic effectsNicotinamide mononucleotide treatment
2024
TET3-overexpressing macrophages promote endometriosis
Lv H, Liu B, Dai Y, Li F, Bellone S, Zhou Y, Mamillapalli R, Zhao D, Venkatachalapathy M, Hu Y, Carmichael G, Li D, Taylor H, Huang Y. TET3-overexpressing macrophages promote endometriosis. Journal Of Clinical Investigation 2024, 134: e181839. PMID: 39141428, PMCID: PMC11527447, DOI: 10.1172/jci181839.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDisease-associated macrophagesTET3 overexpressionHuman endometriosis lesionsPathophysiology of endometriosisPro-inflammatory cytokine productionChronic inflammatory diseaseReproductive age womenEndometriosis lesionsE3 ubiquitin ligasePathogenic macrophagesCytokine productionEndometriosisInflammatory diseasesTET3 knockdownEndometriosis progressionPathogenic contributorsLet-7 miRNA expressionAge womenMacrophagesMouse macrophagesTherapeutic targetUbiquitin ligaseTET3MiceDiseaseUp-regulated PLA2G10 in cancer impairs T cell infiltration to dampen immunity
Zhang T, Yu W, Cheng X, Yeung J, Ahumada V, Norris P, Pearson M, Yang X, van Deursen W, Halcovich C, Nassar A, Vesely M, Zhang Y, Zhang J, Ji L, Flies D, Liu L, Langermann S, LaRochelle W, Humphrey R, Zhao D, Zhang Q, Zhang J, Gu R, Schalper K, Sanmamed M, Chen L. Up-regulated PLA2G10 in cancer impairs T cell infiltration to dampen immunity. Science Immunology 2024, 9: eadh2334. PMID: 38669316, DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adh2334.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsT cell infiltrationT cell exclusionT cellsResistance to anti-PD-1 immunotherapyPoor T-cell infiltrationAnti-PD-1 immunotherapyImmunogenic mouse tumorsT cell mobilizationHuman cancer tissuesTherapeutic immunotherapyCancer immunotherapyMouse tumorsChemokine systemImmunotherapyTumor tissuesImpaired infiltrationTumorLipid metabolitesHuman cancersCancer tissuesInfiltrationA2 groupCancerPLA2G10Up-regulatedAuto-sumoylation of the Ubc9 E2 SUMO-conjugating Enzyme Extends Cellular Lifespan.
Ryu HY, Jeong DW, Kim SY, Jeoung SW, Zhao D, Knight J, Lam T, Jin JH, Lee HS, Hochstrasser M. Auto-sumoylation of the Ubc9 E2 SUMO-conjugating Enzyme Extends Cellular Lifespan. Res Sq 2024 PMID: 38562857, DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4016606/v1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchASCL1 Drives Tolerance to Osimertinib in EGFR Mutant Lung Cancer in Permissive Cellular Contexts.
Hu B, Wiesehöfer M, de Miguel F, Liu Z, Chan L, Choi J, Melnick M, Arnal Estape A, Walther Z, Zhao D, Lopez-Giraldez F, Wurtz A, Cai G, Fan R, Gettinger S, Xiao A, Yan Q, Homer R, Nguyen D, Politi K. ASCL1 Drives Tolerance to Osimertinib in EGFR Mutant Lung Cancer in Permissive Cellular Contexts. Cancer Research 2024, 84: 1303-1319. PMID: 38359163, PMCID: PMC11142404, DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-0438.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTyrosine kinase inhibitorsPatient-derived xenograftsEGFR mutant lung cancerMutant lung cancerPre-treatment tumorsResidual diseaseDrug toleranceLung cancerResidual tumor cells in vivoEGFR mutant lung adenocarcinomaTyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinibEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitorsTyrosine kinase inhibitor treatmentTumor cells in vivoMutant lung adenocarcinomaMaximal tumor regressionTranscription factor Ascl1Drug-tolerant cellsTime of maximal responseEvidence of cellsCells in vivoOsimertinib treatmentTumor regressionSingle cell transcriptional profilingTumor cells
2023
Transcriptomic identification of genes expressed in invasive S. aureus diabetic foot ulcer infection
Agidigbi T, Kwon H, Knight J, Zhao D, Lee F, Oh I. Transcriptomic identification of genes expressed in invasive S. aureus diabetic foot ulcer infection. Frontiers In Cellular And Infection Microbiology 2023, 13: 1198115. PMID: 37434783, PMCID: PMC10332306, DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1198115.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDiabetic foot ulcersPeripheral blood mononuclear cellsHost immune responseActive infectionImmune responseDiabetic foot ulcer infectionsInfected diabetic foot ulcersFoot ulcer infectionsPatients 8 weeksIntravenous antibiotic therapyBlood mononuclear cellsWound healing statusDFU infectionsPBMC expressionSalvage therapyUlcer infectionDifferent time pointsAntibiotic therapyMajor complicationsSurgical treatmentFoot ulcersMononuclear cellsPotential intervention optionsSpecies-specific infectionTreatment responseHigh-throughput functional analysis of autism genes in zebrafish identifies convergence in dopaminergic and neuroimmune pathways
Mendes H, Neelakantan U, Liu Y, Fitzpatrick S, Chen T, Wu W, Pruitt A, Jin D, Jamadagni P, Carlson M, Lacadie C, Enriquez K, Li N, Zhao D, Ijaz S, Sakai C, Szi C, Rooney B, Ghosh M, Nwabudike I, Gorodezky A, Chowdhury S, Zaheer M, McLaughlin S, Fernandez J, Wu J, Eilbott J, Vander Wyk B, Rihel J, Papademetris X, Wang Z, Hoffman E. High-throughput functional analysis of autism genes in zebrafish identifies convergence in dopaminergic and neuroimmune pathways. Cell Reports 2023, 42: 112243. PMID: 36933215, PMCID: PMC10277173, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112243.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGene lossFunctional analysisHigh-throughput functional analysisZebrafish mutantsGene discoverySelect mutantsASD genesAutism genesKey pathwaysASD biologyBrain size differencesMutantsGenesSize differencesPathwayGlobal increaseRelevant mechanismsBiologyCentral challengeNeuroimmune dysfunctionRegionFunctionDiscoveryAutism spectrum disorder
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