Zheng Dong, Ph.D.

  Regents' Professor

  Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy

  Research Career Scientist

  Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center

 

  Office:   R&E Building, CB1124

  Phone:  706-721-2825

  Fax:       706-721-6120

  E-mail:   zdong@georgiahealth.edu

   

Research Lab

R&E Building , CB1124

Phone: 706-721-3551, 706-721-4292

Lab Personnel:

        Qingqing Wei, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

        Man Jiang, Ph.D., Assistant Research Scientist

        Shixuan Wang, Ph.D., Assistant Research Scientist

        Zhengwei Ma, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow       

        Guie Dong, Research Associate 

        Sung Gyu Cho, Graduate Student

        Mallikarjun Patil, Graduate Student

        Xiao Xiao, Graduate Student

        Diongshan Zhang, M.D., Visiting Researcher

        Rory Liu, M.D., Visiting Researcher 

 

Education
1985-1989         B.Sc.       Microbiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China

1989-1994         Ph.D.       Physiology, Shanghai Institute of Physiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

 

Post-doctoral Training

1994-1998         Postdoc  University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) at San Antonio

 

Honors and Awards

2000      Lyndon B. Johnson Research Award                 American Heart Association                  

2001      Carl W. Gottschalk Scholar Award                     American Society of Nephrology

2001      Patricia W. Robinson Young Investigator           National Kidney Foundation

2004      Career Development Award                               VISN 7, Department of Veterans Affairs

2005      Distinguished Faculty Award (Basic Science)   Medical College of Georgia, MCG

2005      Distinguished Research Award                          College of Graduate Studies, MCG

2008      Career Scientist Award                                      Department of Veterans Affairs

 

Editorial Board Member

Kidney International

American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology 

Bioinorganic Chemistry and Applications

World Journal of Biological Chemistry

Journal of Geriatric Cardiology

Frontiers in Non-coding RNA

Frontiers in Translational Physiology 

Journal of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation

International Journal of Experimental and Clinical Pathology

Open Pathology Journal

 

Book Editor

1) Essentials of Apoptosis: A Guide for Basic and Clinical Research

Editors: Xiao-Ming Yin and Zheng Dong

1st edition, Humana Press, 259 pages.

ISBN: 978-1-59259-361-3, 2003

 

2nd edition, Humana Press , 707 pages.

ISBN: 978-1-60327-380-0, 2009

http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/cell+biology/book/978-1-60327-380-0\

  

2) Cell Death in Biology and Diseases

Series Editor: Xiao-Ming Yin and Zheng Dong

Publisher: Springer

 

 

Grant Review Panelist

NIH:

PCD Study Section 2002.2

CSD Study Section 2006.2

Special panel ZRG1 DKUS-G 02, 2009.2

Special panel ZRG1 DKUS-A 58 2009.7

Special panel ZRG1 DKUS-K11 2009.8

Special panel ZRG1 DKUS-G 03, 2009.9

Special panel ZRG1 DKUS-G11, 2010.3

Special panel ZRG1 DKUS-A 05, 2011.8

PBKD Study Section 2006.10

PBKD Study Section 2007.6

PBKD Study Section 2008.2

PBKD Study Section 2010.10

PBKD Study Section 2011.2

PBKD Study Section 2011.6

PBKD Study Section: Charter member 2012-2016

VA:

Career Development Award Program 2006.8

Merit Review Panel for Nephrology 2010.6

Merit Review Panel for Nephrology 2010.12

Merit Review Panel for Nephrology 2011.6

Merit Review Panel for Nephrology 2011.12

Merit Review Panel for Nephrology 2012.6

DoD:

U.S. Army Research Program 2004.6

EPSCoR IDeA Program 2006. 

PRCRP 2011 D-Kidney Cancer panel 2011.11       

Research Interests

 The long-term goal of our research is to delineate the molecular mechanism of cell injury/death, its protection and subsequent regeneration. Our focus has continued to be the response of kidney and cancer cells/tissues to pathological conditions of hypoxia/ischemia, metabolic stress, and DNA damage.  Our current work includes the investigation of cell death, cell cycle, DNA damage response, autophagy, and microRNA regulation. We have thus far published over 130 full-length articles in these and related fields.  (1) We have delineated the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis during hypoxic/ischemic kidney cell injury (Oncogene 1998; JBC 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007; AJP-renal 2004, 2006; JASN 2006; KI 2007).  (2) We have revealed a rapid DNA damage response during cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and have further determined its pathogenic role (AJP-renal 2004, 2007; Oncogene 2006; KI 2008; JBC 2008, 2011).  (3) We have discovered a novel role of Bcl-2 proteins in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics (PNAS 2007; Cell Cycle 2007; AJP-cell 2011).  Our recent work has further demonstrated the first evidence for disruption of mitochondrial dynamics in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury-AKI (JCI 2009; AJP-renal 2010).  (4) We have also demonstrated the first evidence for autophagy and its renoprotective role in AKI (KI 2008, AJP-renal 2010; AJPath 2010; KI 2012).  (5) We have recently demonstrated the first evidence for an important role of microRNAs in ischemia- and cisplatin-induced AKI (JASN 2010, Mol Med 2010; AJP-renal 2011). (6) We have shown a role of PKCδ in cisplatin-induced AKI and inhibition of PKCδ may protect kidneys while enhancing cancer therapy (JCI 2011; Oncotarget 2012). (7) Our latest work has discovered Chk1-S as a new regulator of cell cycle and DNA damage response (PNAS, 2012). These studies have contributed to the understanding of the cellular responses to stress.

 

Confocal image of mitochondria. In control cells, mitochondria are elongated and filamentous. After injury, mitochondria are fragmented into short rods or spheres. The morphological change contributes to mitochondrial damage and apoptosis (Brooks et al. PNAS 104: 11649-11654, 2007. JCI 119:1275-85, 2009).

  

Approaches :

Gene cloning, transfection, expression, knockout (antisense and RNAi), promoter assay, genotyping, Northern/Southern blot, microRNA analysis, immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and light/fluorescence/confocal microscopy. In vitro and in vivo experimental models, gene knockout mice.

 

Grant Support :

National Institutes of Health; Department of Veterans Affairs; American Heart Association; MCG CVDI

 

Representative Publications (selected from 137):

1.   

Brooks C, Wei Q, Feng L, Dong G, Tao Y, Mei L, Xie Z, Dong Z. Bak regulates mitochondrial morphology and pathology during apoptosis by interacting with Mitofusins.  Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (USA) 104: 11649-11654, 2007. PMCID: PMC1913853

2.   

Jiang M, Pabla N, Murphy RF, Yang T, Yin XM, Degenhardt K, White E, .Dong Z. Nutlin-3 Protects Kidney Cells during Cisplatin Therapy by Suppressing Bax/Bak activation. Journal of Biological Chemistry 282:2636-45, 2007. PMCID: PMC2859169

3.   

Wei Q, Dong G, Franklin J, Dong Z.  The pathological role of Bax in cisplatin nephrotoxicity. Kidney International 72:53-62, 2007. PMID: 17410096

4.   

Pabla N, Huang S, Mi QS, Daniel R, Dong Z. ATR-Chk2 signaling in p53 activation and DNA damage response during cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Journal of Biological Chemistry 283: 6572 – 6583, 2008 . PMID: 18162465

5.   

Periyasamy-Thandavan S, Jiang M, Wei Q, Smith R, Yin X, Dong Z. Autophagy is cytoprotective during cisplatin injury of renal proximal tubular cells.  Kidney International 74, 631–640, 2008. PMID: 18509315. (Editorial Commentary: Lieberthal. Kidney International 74, 555-7).

6.   

Brooks C, Wei Q, Cho S, Dong Z.  Regulation of mitochondrial dynamics in acute kidney injury in cell culture and rodent models. Journal of Clinical Investigation 119: 1275-85, 2009.PMCID: PMC2673870

7.   

Bhatt K, Zhou L, Mi Q, Huang S, She JX, Dong Z. microRNA-34a is induced via p53 during cisplatin nephrotoxicity and contributes to cell survival.  Molecular Medicine 16:409-16, 2010. PMCID: PMC2935954

8.   

Dong G, Luo J, Kumar V, Dong Z. Inhibitors of histone deacetylases suppress cisplatin-induced p53 activation and apoptosis in renal tubular cells. American Journal of Physiology (renal) 298:F293-300, 2010. PMCID: PMC2822515

9.   

Jiang M, Liu K, Luo J, Dong Z. Autophagy is a renoprotective mechanism during in vitro hypoxia and in vivo ischemia-reperfusion injury. American Journal of Pathology 176:1181-92, 2010. PMCID: PMC2832141 (Highlighted by Kidney International 77, 563–564).

10. 

Wei Q, Bhatt K, He H, Mi Q, Haase VH, Dong Z. Targeted deletion of Dicer from proximal tubules protects against ischemic acute kidney injury. Journal of American Society of Nephrology 21: 756-761, 2010. PMCID: PMC2865746

11. 

Li X, Pabla N, Wei Q, Dong G, Messing RO, Wang C, Dong Z. PKC-δ regulates renal tubular cell apoptosis associated with proteinuria or albuminuria.  Journal of American Society of Nephrology 21, 1115‑1124, 2010. PMCID:PMC3152238(Editorial Commentary by Lelongt. JASN  21:1063-1065).

12. 

Brooks C, Cho SG, Wang CY, Yang T, Dong Z  Fragmented mitochondria are sensitized to Bax insertion and activation during apoptosis. American Journal of Physiology (Cell) 300:C447-55, 2011. PMCID:PMC3063970

13. 

Pabla N, Ma Z, McIlhatton MA, Fishel R, Dong Z. hMSH2 recruits ATR to DNA damage sites for activation during DNA damage-induced apoptosis. Journal of Biological Chemistry286:10411-8. 2011. PMCID: 3060494

14. 

Pabla N, Dong G, Jiang M, Huang S, Kumar MV, Messing R, Dong Z. PKCd is a novel regulator of cisplatin nephrotoxicity and effective target for renoprotection during cancer therapy. Journal of Clinical Investigation 121: 2709-2722, 2011. PMCID: PMC3223835

15. 

Pabla N, Bhatt K, Dong Z. Chk1-S is a splice variant and endogenous inhibitor of Chk1 that regulates cell cycle and DNA damage checkpoints. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (USA)109(1): 197-202, 2012.

PMCID: PMC3252905