Curriculum Vitae: XianZhi He

XianZhi He, Ph.D
Plant Biology Division
Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
2510 Sam Noble Parkway
Ardmore, OK 73401 USA

Phone: 580-224-6640
E-mail: xianzhihe@noble.org

• Improve alfalfa disease and herbivore resistant traits through understanding the molecular regulation of the isoflavone phytoalexin and saponin biosynthesis by genetic engineering approach.
• Understanding the substrate specificity and regiospecificity of small molecular glycotransferase and O-methyltransferase through protein structure biology.

1. Angelika I. Reichert, XianZhi He and Richard A. Dixon (2009) Genetic and biochemical characterization of the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene family from Nicotiana tabacum.  Biochemical Journal (Submitted).
2. Marina Naoumkina, XianZhi He and Richard A. Dixon (2008) Elicitor-induced transcription factors for metabolic reprogramming of secondary metabolism in Medicago truncatula. BMC Plant Biology 8: 132.
3. He, X.-Z., Li, W.-S., Blount, J.W. and Dixon, R.A. (2008). Regioselective synthesis of plant flavonoid glycosides in E.coli. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 80: 253-260.
4. He, X., Wang, X. and Dixon, R.A. (2006) Mutational analysis of the Medicago glycosyltransferase UGT71G1 reveals residues that control regio-selectivity for (iso)flavonoid glycosylation. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 281: 34441-34447.
5. Wang, X.Q., He, X.Z., Lin, J.Q., Shao, H., Chang, Z.Z. and Dixon, R.A.  (2006) Crystal structure of isoflavone reductase from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). J. Mol. Biol. 358: 1341-1352.  
6. Shao, H., He, X.Z., Achnine, L., Blount, J.W., Dixon, R.A. and Wang, X.Q. (2005) Crystal structures of a multifunctional triterpene / flavonoid glycosyltransferase from Mecargo truncatula.  The Plant Cell  17: 3141-3154 .(first co author)
7. Lindsay, W.P., McAlister, F.M., Zhu, Q., He, X. Z., Drogelaser, W., Hedrick, S., Doerner, P., Lamb, C. and Dixon, R.A.  (2002)  KAP-2, a protein that binds to the H-box in a bean chalcone synthase promoter, is a novel plant transcription factor with sequence identity to the large subunit of human Ku autoantigen.  Plant Molecular Biology 49: 503-514.
8. Zubieta, C., He, X.Z., Dixon, R.A. and Noel, J.P. (2001)  Structures of two natural product methyltransferases reveal the basis for substrate specificity in plant O-methyltransferases.  Nature Structural Biology 8: 271-279.
9. He, X.Z. and Dixon, R.A.  (2000)  Genetic manipulation of isoflavone 7-O-methyltrasferase enhances biosynthesis of 4’-O-methylated isoflavonoid phytoalexins and disease resistance in alfalfa.  The Plant Cell 12: 1689-1702.
10. He, X.Z., Reddy, J.T. and Dixon, R.A. (1998)  Stress response in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L). XXII. cDNA cloning and characterization of an elicitor-inducible 7-O-methyltransferase.  Plant Molecular Biology 36: 43-54.
11. He, X.Z. and Dixon, R.A.  (1998) A cDNA of an additional member of the isoflavone-O-methyltransferase (IOMT2) gene family in Medicago sativa.  Plant Physiology 115: 1289.
12. Deom, C.M. and He X.Z.  (1997)  Second-site reversion of a dysfunctional mutation in a conserved region of the tobacco mosaic tobamovirus movement protein.  Virology 232: 13-18.
13. Deom, C.M., Quan, S. and He, X.Z.  (1997)  Replicase proteins as determinants of phloem-dependent long-distance movement of tobamoviruses in tobacco.  Protoplasma 199: 1-8.
14. He, X.Z. and Dixon, R.A.  (1996)  Affinity chromatography, substrate/product specificity, and amino acid sequence analysis of an isoflavone-O-methyltransferase from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).  Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 336: 121-129.
15. He, X.Z. and Roth, D.A.  (1994)  Micropreparative purification and characterization of a plant encoded dsRNA dependent protein kinase.  Molecular Biology in Life Science Advance 13: 247-259.
16. Roth, D.A. and He, X.Z.  (1994)  Viral-dependent phosphorylation of a dsRNA-dependent kinase.  Progress in Molecular and Subcellular Biology 14: 29-47.
17. Deom, C.M., He, X.Z., Beachy, R.N. and Weissinger, K.  (1994)  Influence of heterologous tobamovirus movement protein and chimeric-movement protein genes on cell-to-cell and long-distance movement.  Virology 205: 198-209.
18. Dixon, R.A., Chen, F.,  He, X.-Z.,  Noel, J.P. and Zubieta, C. (2001). Properties and metabolic engineering of alfalfa O-methyltransferases of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Recent Advances in Phytochemistry 35: 131-151.
19. Dixon, R.A., Canovas, P., Guo, Z.J., He, X.Z., Lamb, C. and McAlister, F.  (1999)  Molecular controls for isoflavonoid biosynthesis in relation to plant and human health 133-157.  In Phytochemicals in Human Health Protection, Nutrition, and Plant Defense, edited by Romeo.  Kluwer Academic / plenum publishers, New York.
20. Dixon, R.A., Howles, P., Lamb, C., Korth, Ken., He, X.Z., Sewalt, V.J.H. and Rasmussen, S.  (1999)  Plant secondary metabolism: Control point and prospects for genetic manipulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis 7-22. in Plant Cell and Tissue Culture for the Production of Food Ingredients, edited by Fu et al. Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York.
21. Dixon, R.A., Howles, P.A., Lamb, C., He, X.Z. and Reddy, J.T.  (1998)  Prospects for the metabolic engineering of bioactive flavonoids and related phenylpropanpoid compounds 55-66. In Flavonoids in the living System, edited by Manthey and Buslig.  Plenum Press, New York.

1. XianZhi He, Jack W. Blount, Ji He, Tui Ray, Patrick Zhao, Yuhong Tang and Richard A. Dixon (2009) (iso)flavonoid glycosylation in kudzu (Pueraria lobata). Gordon Research Conferences, NH.
2. XianZhi He, Jack W. Blount, Ji He, Patrick Zhao and Richard A. Dixon (2008)Generation and analysis of expressed sequence tags from a medicinal plant, kudzu (Pueraria lobata), root tissues. Phytochemical Society of North America. June 25-30, Pullman, WA. Xian-Zhi He, Wen-Sheng Li, Jack W. Blount and Richard A. Dixon (2007) Regioselective production of plant flavonoid glycosides in E.coli. Gordon Research Conferences, Tilton, NH.
3. Dixon, R.A., Blount, J.W., He, X.Z., Pang, Y.Z., Peel, G.J. and Tian, L. (2007) Genetic engineering of plant natural product pathway.  Annual meeting of Phytochemical Society of Europe, Helsinki, Finland.
4. Dixon, R.A., Deavours, B., Blount, J.W., He, X.Z., Modolo, L., Naoumkina, M., Pang, Y.Z., Peel, G., Tian, L. and Wang, X.Q. (2006) Functional and structural genomics for gene discovery and metabolic engineering in the phenylpropanoid pathway.  XXIII International conference on polyphenols, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
5. He, X.Z., Shao, H., Achnine, L., Blount, J.W., Dixon, R.A. and Wang, X.Q. (2005) Purification, crystallization and mutational analysis of the plant natural product glycosyltransferase UGT71G1.  Annual Meeting of  Phytochemical Society of North America.  La Jolla, CA. USA. 
6. He, X.Z., Suzuki, H., Achnine, L., Shadle, G., Dixon, R.A. (2004)  Characterization of Squalene epoxidase promoter in tobacco cell suspension cultures.  In XVTH  International Plant Protection Conference, Beijing, China.
7. He, X.Z., Suzuki, H., Achnine, L., Shadle, G., Clouse, J. and Dixon, R.A.  (2003)  Differential regulation of squalene epoxidase in response to methyl jasmonate induction in tobacco and alfalfa cell suspension cultures.  In Gordon Conference in Agricultural Science, Vetura, CA.
8. He, X.Z., Suzuki, H., Achnine, L., Shadle, G. and Dixon, R.A. (2002) Isolation and characterization of the squalene epoxidase promoter.  First International Conference on Legume Genomics and Genetics, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
9. He, X.Z., Clouse, J. and Dixon, R.A. (2001)  Molecular regulation of alfalfa isoflavone O-methyltransferase.  Annual Meeting of Phytochemical Society of North America.  Oklahoma City, OK. USA.
10. He, X.Z. and Dixon, R.A. (1998)  A transgenic approach to understanding potential metabolic channeling involved in isoflavone O-methylation during medicarpin biosynthesis in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).  Annual Meeting of Phytochemical Sosiety of North America.   Phytochemicals in Human Health Protection, Nutrition, and Plant Defense.  Pullman, WA. USA.
11. He, X.Z. and Dixon, R.A. (1998)  Understanding potential metabolic channeling involved in isoflavone O-methylation during medicarpin biosynthesis in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) by transgenic approach.  Annual Meeting of the American Sosiety of Plant Physiologists.  Madison, WI. USA.
12. He, X.Z., Reddy, J.T., Guo, Z.J. and Dixon, R.A. (1997) Molecular cloning of an isoflavone O-methyltransferase from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.): A component of a metabolic channel?  Keystone Symposia, Metabolic Engineering in Transgenic Plants.  Copper Mountain, CO. USA.
13. He, X.Z., Reddy, J.T., Guo, Z.J. and Dixon, R.A.  (1997)  cDNA cloning and characterization of an isoflavone-O-methyltransferase from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) 713  in American Society of Plant Physiology Annual Meeting, Vancouver, Canada.
14. He, X.Z. and Dixon, R.A.  (1996)  Purification of Isoflavone-O-methyltransferase by affinity chromatography, 409. In Americam Society of Plant Physiology, San Antonio, TX.
15. Dixon, R.A., Che, F., Guo, D.J., He, X.Z., Liu, C.J., Noel, J., Kota, P. and Zubieta, C. (2002) Metabolic engineering of the phenylpropanoid pathway for palnt and animal health.  Polyphenols Communication, Marrakech-Morocco.
16. Dixon, R.A., He, X.Z., Steele, C.L., Liu, C.J. and Noel, J.  (2000)  Metabolic engineering of Flavonoid / isoflavonoid biosynthesis.  In American Chemistry Society Annual Meeting, SanFrancisco, CA.
17. Dixon, R.A., Steele, C.L. and He, X.Z.  (1998)  Anticancer isoflavonoids: Biosynthesis and strategies for genetic manipulation, 34. In International Symposium Antitumor Products from Higher Plants.  Paris, French. 
18. Dixon, R.A., Canovas, P., He, X.Z., Lamp, C., McAlister, F. and Steele, C.L. (1998) Molecular controls for isoflavonoid biosynthesis in relation to plant and human health.  Annual Meeting of Phytochemical Sosiety of North America, Phytochemicals in Human Health Protection, Nutrition, and Plant Defense.  Pullman, WA. USA.
19. Dixon, R.A. He, X.Z. and Reddy, J.T.  (1997)  Metabolic channeling in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, 713. In 5th International Congress of Plant Molecular Biology, Singapore.
20. Deom, C.M. and He X.Z.  (1995)  Mutational analysis of a conserved region of the tobacco mosaic tobamovirus (TMA) movement protein (MP) and a second site revertant that restores function.  In American Phytopathology Society Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
21. Deom, C.D. and He X.Z.  (1995)  Role of Sunn-Hemp tobamovirus coat protein in modulating the rate of long-distance movement in tobacco.  In 14th Annual Meeting of American Society for Virology, Austin, TX.

1. Dixon, R.A., Modolo, L.V., Blount, J.W., He, X.Z., Wang, X.Q. (2006) (Iso)flavonoid glycosyltransferases from the model legume Medicago truncatula.  Pending.
2. Dixon, R.A., Achnin, L., Suzuki, H., He, X.Z., Wang, L.J. (2004) Genes for the manipulation of triterpene saponins.
3. Dixon, R.A. and He, X.Z.  (2001)  Isoflavonoid methylation enzymes.  US patent number: 6,878,859