Expertise
Our lab is currently investigating these following topics:
- Proteolytic processing and posttranslational arginylation of cytoskeletal proteins in relation to cellular adhesions
- The role of arginylation and Ate1 in mitochondria and stress response in relation to cancer and other diseases
- Molecular mechanism of arginylation and its interaction with other posttranslational modifications
My own laboratory’s major focus is the effects of posttranslational modifications ((including arginylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, and proteolysis) on cellular behaviors such as cell adhesion/migration, stress response and programmed cell death.
Dr. Zhang’s lab is one of the very few groups studying arginyltransferase Ate1, a posttranslational modification enzyme with a potential evolution root from a mitochondrial ancestor, alpha-proteobacteria. Their recent studies have shown that Ate1 is essential for stress response and related to cell cycle checkpoint, mutation suppression, and metabolism regulation. They found that the changes of Ate1 affect many diseases including cancer development and acute injuries.