Desen Zheng

Cornell University New York State Agricultural Experiment Station

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Desen Zheng
Research Associate

Cornell University
Department of Plant Pathology
New York State Agriculture Experiment Station
Geneva, NY 14456

1990. PhD, Agronomy, Plant Genetics & Breeding, Fujian Agric. & Forest University

1984. MS in Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture & Forestry University

1982. BS Agronomy, Fujian Agriculture & Forestry University

E-mail: dz19@cornell.edu

Host: Thomas J. Burr

Research Focus

My research focuses primarily on the microbe side of the interaction between the bacterial pathogen, Agrobacterium vitis and grapevines. A. vitis causes grape crown gall disease. It induces a host-specific necrosis on grapevine and a hypersensitive response (HR) on non-hosts such as tobacco. Some non-tumorigenic strains function as biological controls by preventing pathogenic strains from developing disease. My primary effort is to identify and characterize the genes in A. vitis involved in induction of necrosis in grape and HR in tobacco, and eventually reveal the biological control mechanism at molecular level.

Professional Experience

2007-present.	Research Associate in Department of Plant Pathology, New York State Agricultural Experimental Station, Cornell University.
2004-2007.	Research Associate in Department of Food Science & Technology, New York State Agricultural Experimental Station, Cornell University. Research Project: 1.Gene expression and regulation in flavonoid pathway during fruit ripening in raspberry. 2. Molecular basis of fruit softening in raspberry.
2002-2004.	Research Support Specialist II in Department of Food Science & Technology, New York State Agricultural Experimental Station, Cornell University. Research Project: Same as above.

2001.	Postdoctoral Associate in Department of Plant Pathology, New York State Agricultural Experimental Station, Cornell University. Research Project: Determination, cloning and characterization of the genes encoding elicitors and virulent factors in Agrobacterium vitis.
1999-2000.	Research Associate II in Department of Food Science & Technology, New York State Agricultural Experimental Station, Cornell University. Research Project: Cloning and characterization of the gene responding to aroma production in raspberry.
1995-1998.	Postdoctoral Associate in Department of Plant Pathology, New York State Agricultural Experimental Station, Cornell University. Research Project: 1.Molecular basis of fungicide resistance of Vineaqualis. 2. Cloning and characterization of cutinase gene from V. inaequalis.
1993-1995.	Postdoctoral Fellow in Department of Botany & Microbiology, Auburn University, Alabama. Research Project: Isolation, mapping and characterization of DNA replication origin in the maize cmsT mitochondrial genome.
1992.	Visiting Scientist in Department of Botany, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK. Joined in research project of Arabidopsis gene tagging with T-DNA insertional mutagenesis.
1990-1992.	Assistant Professor in Sugarcane Institute, Fujian Agriculture & Forestry University, Fujian, China. Research project: 1. Improvement of sugarcane cultivars. 2. Breeding and selection of sugarcane new cultivars of sugarcane.

Publications

Desen Zheng and Geza Hrazdina. 2008. Molecular and biochemical characterization of benzalacetone synthase and chalcone synthase genes and proteins from raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.). Arch. Biochem. Biophys. (in press).

Geza Hrazdina and Desen Zheng. 2007. Expression and Function of aromatic Polyketide synthase Genes in Raspberries (Rubus idaeus sp.) In ACS symposium series 955. Polyketides Biosynthesis, Biological Activity and Genetic Engineering, Chapter 9. Agnes M. Rimando and Scott R. Baerson, eds. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC. PP128-140.

Guixia Hao, Hongsheng Zhang, Desen Zheng and Thomas J. Burr. 2005. luxR Homolog avhR in Agrobacterium vitis Affects the Development of a Grape- Specific Necrosis and a Tobacco Hypersensitive Response. Journal of Bacteriology, 187(1):185-192.

Desen Zheng, Hongsheng Zhang, Sigrid Carl, Guixia Hao, Michele R. Holden,Thomas J. Burr. 2003. A luxR homolog, avR1, in Agrobacterium vitis is associated with induction of necrosis on grape and a hypersensitive response on tobacco. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. 7:650-658.

T. C. Herlache, H. S. Zhang, C. L. Ried, S. A. Carle, D. Zheng, P. Basaran, M. Thaker, A.T. Burr and T. J. Burr. 2001. Mutations that affect Agrobacterium vitis-induced grape necrosis also alter its ability to cause a hypersensitive response on tobacco. Phytopathology. 91:966-972.

Desen Zheng, Gudrun Schröder, Joachim Schröder and Geza Hrazdina. 2001. Molecular and biochemical characterization of three polyketide synthases genes from raspberry cell suspension cultures. Plant Molecular Biology 46(1):1-15.

Wolfram Köller, Gilberto Olaya, C. Avila-Adame and Desen Zheng. 2001. Resistance to strobilurine fungicides. In ACS symposium Series 808. Agrochemical Resistance Extent, Mechanism, and Detection, Chapter 14. J. M. Clark and I. Yamaguchi, eds. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC. PP215-229.

Desen Zheng, Gilberto Olaya and Wolfram Köller. 2000. Characterization of V. inaequalis mutants resisting the strobilurin-related fungicide kresoxim-methyl. Current Genetics. 38: 148-155.

Gilberto Olaya, Desen Zheng and Wolfram Köller. 1998. Differential responses of germinating Venturia inaequalis conidia to kresoxim-methyl. Pestic Sci. 54:230-236.

Desen Zheng and Wolfram Koeller. 1997. Characterization of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from Venturia inaequalis. Current Genetics 32(5): 361-366.

Desen Zheng, Brent L. Nielsen and Henry Daniell. 1997. A 7.5 kbp fragment of the maize cmsT mt genome contains a ct-like trnI (CAT) pseudo-gene and many short segments homologous to the portions of chloroplast and other known genes. Current Genetics 32(2):125-131.

H. Daniell, D. Zheng and B.L. Nielsen. 1995. Isolation and characterization of an in vitro DNA replication system from maize mitochondria. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comun. Vol.208 No1: 287-294.

Q. Xue and D. Zheng. 1991. Analysis of agronomic and isozymatic variations in sugarcane subclone populations derived from tissue culture. Journal of Fujian agricultural University, 21: 1-6.

Desen Zheng. 1990. A cluster analysis of cane and sugar yield components in sugarcane. Proc. SSCT, China 1990.

Desen Zheng. 1990. Activities of leaf amylase during ontogeny in sugarcane plants. Journal of Fujian Agricultural University, 19:1-6.

Desen Zheng. 1989. Isozyme analysis on the relationship between Saccharum species and varieties. Journal of Fujian Agricultural University, 18: 163-167.

Desen Zheng. 1987. Comparison of isozymees in 12 species and varieties of sugarcane. Journal of Fujian Agricultural University, 16: 101-110.

New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, 630 West North Street, Geneva, New York 14456
Telephone: 315.787.2011

Last Modified: January 30, 2008
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