Xinzhuan Su, Ph.D.

Senior Investigator

Malaria Functional Genomics Section

NIAID/DIR

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TW3 Building, Room 3E24
12735 Twinbrook Pkwy
Rockville, MD 20852

301-402-0876

xsu@niaid.nih.gov

Research Topics

Our laboratory develops and uses genetic and genomic approaches to study host-malaria parasite interaction and molecular mechanisms of the interaction using the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii as a model. We have characterized large numbers of microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from several P. yoelii parasites and performed various genetic crosses to identify parasite genes linked to parasite development, virulence, and drug resistance. We are studying host immune signaling pathways in response to parasite infections, focusing on innate signaling and regulation of type I interferon production and inflammatory responses after malaria infection.

We are also interested in screening and development of new antimalarial drugs, particularly compounds that can block malaria transmission.

Biography

Dr. Su received his Ph.D. in parasitology from the University of Georgia in 1990. He joined the NIAID Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases in 1992 and became an investigator in the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research in 2001 and a senior investigator in 2006.

Selected Publications

  1. Peng YC, Wu J, He X, Dai J, Xia L, Valenzuela-Leon P, Tumas KC, Singh BK, Xu F, Ganesan S, Munir S, Calvo E, Huang R, Liu C, Long CA, Su XZ. NAD activates olfactory receptor 1386 to regulate type I interferon responses in Plasmodium yoelii YM infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024;121(23):e2403796121.
  2. Wu J, Xia L, Yao X, Yu X, Tumas KC, Sun W, Cheng Y, He X, Peng YC, Singh BK, Zhang C, Qi CF, Bolland S, Best SM, Gowda C, Huang R, Myers TG, Long CA, Wang RF, Su XZ. The E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCH1 regulates antimalaria immunity through interferon signaling and T cell activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(28):16567-16578.
  3. Nair SC, Xu R, Pattaradilokrat S, Wu J, Qi Y, Zilversmit M, Ganesan S, Nagarajan V, Eastman RT, Orandle MS, Tan JC, Myers TG, Liu S, Long CA, Li J, Su XZ. A Plasmodium yoelii HECT-like E3 ubiquitin ligase regulates parasite growth and virulence. Nat Commun. 2017;8(1):223.
  4. Wu J, Cai B, Sun W, Huang R, Liu X, Lin M, Pattaradilokrat S, Martin S, Qi Y, Nair SC, Bolland S, Cohen JI, Austin CP, Long CA, Myers TG, Wang RF, Su XZ. Genome-wide Analysis of Host-Plasmodium yoelii Interactions Reveals Regulators of the Type I Interferon Response. Cell Rep. 2015;12(4):661-72.
  5. Yuan J, Cheng KC, Johnson RL, Huang R, Pattaradilokrat S, Liu A, Guha R, Fidock DA, Inglese J, Wellems TE, Austin CP, Su XZ. Chemical genomic profiling for antimalarial therapies, response signatures, and molecular targets. Science. 2011;333(6043):724-9.

Related Scientific Focus Areas

This page was last updated on Tuesday, July 30, 2024