Education

Ph.D. in Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 2010

Current position

Professor at Huazhong Agricultural University, Working on Maize innate immunity

Publications

1. Liao, C., Lai, Z., Lee, S., Yun, D. and Mengiste, T. (2016). Arabidopsis HOOKLESS1 regulates responses to pathogens and abscisic acid through interaction with MED18 and acetylation of WRKY33 and ABI5 chromatin. Plant Cell. 28: 1662-1681.
2. Lai, Z., Schluttenhofer, C. M., Bhide, K., Shreve, J., Thimmapuram, J., Lee, S. Y., Yun, D. J. and Mengiste, T. (2014). MED18 interaction with distinct transcription factors regulates multiple plant functions. Nat Commun 5: 3064.
3. Lai, Z. and Mengiste, T. (2013). Genetic and cellular mechanisms regulating plant responses to necrotrophic pathogens. Curr Opin Plant Biol 16(4): 505-512.
4. Lai, Z., Li, Y., Wang, F., Cheng, Y., Fan, B., Yu, J. Q. and Chen, Z. (2011). Arabidopsis sigma factor binding proteins are activators of the WRKY33 transcription factor in plant defense. Plant Cell 23(10): 3824-3841.
5. Laluk, K., Luo, H., Chai, M., Dhawan, R., Lai, Z. and Mengiste, T. (2011). Biochemical and genetic requirements for function of the immune response regulator BOTRYTIS-INDUCED KINASE1 in plant growth, ethylene signaling, and PAMP-triggered immunity in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 23(8): 2831-2849.
6. Lai, Z., Wang, F., Zheng, Z., Fan, B. and Chen, Z. (2011). A critical role of autophagy in plant resistance to necrotrophic fungal pathogens. Plant J 66(6): 953-968.
7. Ellwood, S. R., Liu, Z., Syme, R. A., Lai, Z., Hane, J. K., Keiper, F., Moffat, C. S., Oliver, R. P. and Friesen, T. L. (2010). A first genome assembly of the barley fungal pathogen Pyrenophora teres f. teres. Genome Biol 11(11): R109.
8. Luo, H., Laluk, K., Lai, Z., Veronese, P., Song, F. and Mengiste, T. (2010). The Arabidopsis Botrytis Susceptible1 Interactor defines a subclass of RING E3 ligases that regulate pathogen and stress responses. Plant Physiol 154(4): 1766-1782.
9. Huang, J., Gu, M., Lai, Z., Fan, B., Shi, K., Zhou, Y. H., Yu, J. Q. and Chen, Z. (2010). Functional analysis of the Arabidopsis PAL gene family in plant growth, development, and response to environmental stress. Plant Physiol 153(4): 1526-1538.
10. Chen, H., Lai, Z., Shi, J., Xiao, Y., Chen, Z. and Xu, X. (2010). Roles of arabidopsis WRKY18, WRKY40 and WRKY60 transcription factors in plant responses to abscisic acid and abiotic stress. BMC Plant Biol 10: 281.
11. Chen, Z., Zheng, Z., Huang, J., Lai, Z. and Fan, B. (2009). Biosynthesis of salicylic acid in plants. Plant Signal Behav 4(6): 493-496.
12. Lai, Z., Wang, F., Zheng, Z., Fan, B. and Chen, Z. (2011). A critical role of autophagy in plant resistance to necrotrophic fungal pathogens. Plant J 66(6): 953-968.
13. Lai, Z., Vinod, K., Zheng, Z., Fan, B. and Chen, Z. (2008). Roles of Arabidopsis WRKY3 and WRKY4 transcription factors in plant responses to pathogens. BMC Plant Biol 8: 68.
14. Xing, D. H., Lai, Z. B., Zheng, Z. Y., Vinod, K. M., Fan, B. F. and Chen, Z. X. (2008). Stress- and pathogen-induced Arabidopsis WRKY48 is a transcriptional activator that represses plant basal defense. Mol Plant 1(3): 459-470.
15. Lai, Z., Faris, J. D., Weiland, J. J., Steffenson, B. J. and Friesen, T. L. (2007). Genetic mapping of Pyrenophora teres f. teres genes conferring avirulence on barley. Fungal Genet Biol 44(5): 323-329.
16. Friesen, T. L., Faris, J. D., Lai, Z. and Steffenson, B. J. (2006). Identification and chromosomal location of major genes for resistance to Pyrenophora teres in a doubled-haploid barley population. Genome 49(7): 855-859.
17. Lai, Z., Shao, M., Song, C., Chen, G. and Wang, J. (2004). Cloning of a dsp gene from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola. Acta of Nanjing Agricultural University (Chinese) 67: 324-332.