Guihua Li, Ph.D., associate professor

Dept. of Plant Protection, College of Plant Sciences

Jilin University

5333 Xi’an Road, Changchun, Jilin 130062, China

Tel: +86-0431-87835707

Email: liguihua@jlu.edu.cn

Research Interests

I currently focus on genome-wide functional analysis of virulence-associated factors of Botrytis cinerea, the gray mold fungus that infects over 1000 plant species and annually causes enormous economic losses worldwide. At present, with the forward genetics strategy, our team has obtained more than 1000 mutants of B. cinerea with significantly reduced virulence, and identified more than a dozen genes involved in pathogenesis. Other plant fungal pathogens, e.g. the rice blast fungus, are also involved in my research.

Professional Experience

07/2010 - Present, Associate professor: Dept. of Plant Protection, College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, China

Education & Training

Visiting scholar, 10/2019 - 08/2020, Dept. of Microbiology, Miami University, USA

Postdoc, 07/2008 - 06/2010，School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, China

Ph.D.,   09/2002–06/2008, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

M.S.,   09/1999–07/2002, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China

B.S.,   09/1995–07/1999, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China

Publications

1. Hou J, Feng HQ, Chang HW, Liu Y, Li GH, Yang S, Sun CH, Zhang MZ, Yuan Y, Sun J, Zhu-Salzman K, Zhang H, Qin QM. The H3K4 demethylase Jar1 orchestrates ROS production and expression of pathogenesis-related genes to facilitate Botrytis cinerea virulence. New Phytologist, 2020, 225(2):930-947. doi: 10.1111/nph.16200.

2. Wei Y, Li L, Hu W, Ju H, Zhang M, Qin Q, Zhang S, Li G*. Suppression of Rice Blast by Bacterial Strains Isolated from Cultivated Soda Saline-Sodic Soils. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020, 17(14):5248. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17145248. (corresponding author)

3. Zhang MZ, Sun CH, Liu Y, Feng HQ, Chang HW, Cao SN, Li GH, Yang S, Hou J, Zhu-Salzam K, Zhang H, Qin QM. Transcriptome analysis and functional validation reveal a novel gene BcCGF1 that enhances fungal virulence by promoting infection-related development and host penetration. Molecular plant pathology, 2020, 21(6):834-853.

4. Liu Y, Liu JK, Li GH, Zhang MZ, Zhang YY, Wang YY, Hou J, Yang S, Sun J, Qin QM. A novel Botrytis cinerea-specific gene BcHBF1 enhances virulence of the grey mould fungus via promoting host penetration and invasive hyphal development. Molecular plant pathology, 2019, 20(5):731-747. doi: 10.1111/mpp.12788.

5. Liu JK, Chang HW, Liu Y, Qin YH, Ding YH, Wang L, Zhao Y, Zhang MZ, Cao SN, Li LT, Liu W, Li GH^*, Qin QM^*. The key gluconeogenic gene PCK1 is crucial for virulence of Botrytis cinerea via initiating its conidial germination and host penetration. Environmental Microbiology, 2018, 20(5), 1794-1814. (co-corresponding author)

6. Cao SN, Yuan, Y, Qin YH, Zhang MZ, de Figueiredo P, Li GH^*, and Qin, QM^*. The pre-rRNA processing factor Nop53 regulates fungal development and pathogenesis via mediating production of reactive oxygen species. Environmental Microbiology, 2018, 20(4):1531-1549. (co-corresponding author)

7. Feng HQ^#, Li GH^#, Du SW, Yang S, Li XQ, de Figueiredo, P. and Qin QM^*. The septin protein Sep4 facilitates host infection by plant fungal pathogens via mediating initiation of infection structure formation. Environmental Microbiology，2017, 19(5): 1730-1749. (co-first author)

8. Cui YZ, Tao L, Sun CH, Liu P, Li GH^*, Qin QM. The ABC transporter，BcAtm1，is involved in conidial germination and pathogenicity of Botrytis cinerea. Acta Phytopathologica Sinica, 2016, (05): 614 ~ 623. (corresponding author)

9. Zhou ZZ, Pang ZQ, Li GH, Lin CH, Wang J, Lv QM, He CZ^*, and Zhu LH^*, Endoplasmic reticulum membrane-bound MoSec62 is involved in suppression of rice immunity and is essential for pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae. Molecular Plant Pathology, 2016, 17(8): 1211–1222.

10. Long B^#, Li GH^#, Feng RR, Tao L, Liu DD, Feng HQ, and Qin QM^*, NTPDase Specific Inhibitors Suppress Rice Infection by Magnaporthe oryzae. Journal of Phytopathology, 2015, 163(3): 227-232. (co-first author)

11. Sun G, Liu JL, Li GH, Zhang XH, Chen TT, Chen JY, Zhang H, Wang DP, Sun FJ, and Pan HY^*. Quick and accurate detection and quantification of Magnaporthe oryzae in rice using Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction. Plant Disease, 2015, 99:219-224.

12. Qu XY, Yu BD, Liu JL, Zhang XH, Li GH, Zhang DJ, Li L, Wang XL, Wang L, Chen JY, Pan HY^*, and Zh YH^*, MADS-Box Transcription Factor SsMADS Is Involved in Regulating Growth and Virulence in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2014, 15(5): 8049-8062.

13. Luo MN, Cao MQ, Kan YN, Li GH, Snell W, and Pan JM^*, The phosphorylation state of an aurora-like kinase marks the length of growing flagella in Chlamydomonas. Current Biology, 2011, 21(7): 586-591.

14. Zhou Z, Li G, Lin C, and He C^*, Conidiophore stalk-less1 encodes a putative zinc-finger protein involved in the early stage of conidiation and mycelial infection in Magnaporthe oryzae. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 2009, 22(4): 402-410.

15. Li GH^#, Zhou ZZ^#, Liu GF, Zheng FC, and He CZ^*, Characterization of T-DNA insertion patterns in the genome of rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Current Genetics, 2007, 51(4): 233-243.

Research Projects in Recent Years

1. National key research and development plan (Grant #: SQ2018YFD020224), Ministry of Science and Technology, P.R. China, 01/2018-12/2020, Role: PI.

2. National key research and development plan (Grant #: 2016YFD0300700), Ministry of Science and Technology, P.R. China, 01/2016-12/2020, Role: Participant.

3. The Chinese Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (Grant #: 201303025), Ministry of Agriculture, P.R. China, 01/2013-12/2017, Role: Participant.

Teaching

1. Advance in Life Science Research（for Ph.D. Students）

2. Integrated Pest Management (for Graduate Students)

3. Molecular Plant Pathology (for Undergraduate Students)

4. Horticultural Plant Pathology (for Undergraduate Students)