Yunlong Zhao, PhD
Yunlong Zhao, PhD

Yunlong Zhao, PhD

Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty

Departments

Divisions

Education

  • BS – Inner Mongolia University, China
  • PhD – Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship – University of California, San Diego, United States

Research Interests

  • Investigating cis-interactions, where receptors and ligands on the same cell engage, to gain new insights into immune system regulation.
  • Exploring molecular and cellular cues that influence anti-tumor responses utilizing membrane reconstitution systems and advanced imaging.
  • Translating research findings into novel therapeutic strategies that improve immunotherapy outcomes beyond current standards.

Contact Information

Yunlong Zhao, PhD Center of Excellence for Pediatric Immuno-Oncology MS 1160 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 262 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, TN 38105-3678

Selected Publications

Tang Z, Zhong MC, Qian J, Galindo CC, Davidson D, Li J, Zhao Y, Hui E, Veillette A. CD47 masks pro-phagocytic ligands in cis on tumor cells to suppress antitumor immunity. Nat Immunol. 2023 Dec;24(12):2032-2041. doi: 10.1038/s41590-023-01671-2. Epub 2023 Nov 9.

Xu X, Dennett P, Zhang J, Sherrard A, Zhao Y, Masubuchi T, Bui JD, Chen X, Hui E. CTLA4 depletes T cell endogenous and trogocytosed B7 ligands via cis-endocytosis. J Exp Med. 2023 Jul 3;220(7). doi: 10.1084/jem.20221391. Epub 2023 Apr 12.

Zhao Y, Caron C, Chan YY, Lee CK, Xu X, Zhang J, Masubuchi T, Wu C, Bui JD, Hui E. cis-B7:CD28 interactions at invaginated synaptic membranes provide CD28 co-stimulation and promote CD8(+) T cell function and anti-tumor immunity. Immunity. 2023 Jun 13;56(6):1187-1203.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.04.005. Epub 2023 May 8.

Xu X, Masubuchi T, Cai Q, Zhao Y, Hui E. Molecular features underlying differential SHP1/SHP2 binding of immune checkpoint receptors. Elife. 2021 Nov 4;10. doi: 10.7554/eLife.74276.

Xu X, Hou B, Fulzele A, Masubuchi T, Zhao Y, Wu Z, Hu Y, Jiang Y, Ma Y, Wang H, Bennett EJ, Fu G, Hui E. PD-1 and BTLA regulate T cell signaling differentially and only partially through SHP1 and SHP2. J Cell Biol. 2020 Jun 1;219(6). doi: 10.1083/jcb.201905085.

Zhao Y, Lee CK, Lin CH, Gassen RB, Xu X, Huang Z, Xiao C, Bonorino C, Lu LF, Bui JD, Hui E. PD-L1:CD80 Cis-Heterodimer Triggers the Co-stimulatory Receptor CD28 While Repressing the Inhibitory PD-1 and CTLA-4 Pathways. Immunity. 2019 Dec 17;51(6):1059-1073.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2019.11.003. Epub 2019 Nov 19.

Zhao Y, Harrison DL, Song Y, Ji J, Huang J, Hui E. Antigen-Presenting Cell-Intrinsic PD-1 Neutralizes PD-L1 in cis to Attenuate PD-1 Signaling in T Cells. Cell Rep. 2018 Jul 10;24(2):379-390.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.06.054.

Wu XM#, Zhang BS#, Zhao Y#, Wu HW, Gao F, Zhang J, Zhao JH, Guo HS. DeSUMOylation of a Verticillium dahliae enolase facilitates virulence by derepressing the expression of the effector VdSCP8. Nat Commun. 2023 Aug 10;14(1):4844. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-40384-w.

Zhou TT, Zhao Y, Guo HS. Secretory proteins are delivered to the septin-organized penetration interface during root infection by Verticillium dahliae. PLoS Pathog. 2017 Mar;13(3):e1006275. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006275. eCollection 2017 Mar.

Zhao Y, Zhang T, Guo HS. Penetration Assays, Fungal Recovery and Pathogenicity Assays for Verticillium dahliae. Bio Protoc. 2017 Feb 20;7(4):e2133. doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.2133. eCollection 2017 Feb 20.

Zhang T#, Zhao Y#, Zhao JH#, Wang S, Jin Y, Chen ZQ, Fang YY, Hua CL, Ding SW, Guo HS. Cotton plants export microRNAs to inhibit virulence gene expression in a fungal pathogen. Nat Plants. 2016 Sep 26;2(10):16153. doi: 10.1038/nplants.2016.153.

Zhao Y, Zhou TT, Guo HS. Hyphopodium-Specific VdNoxB/VdPls1-Dependent ROS-Ca2+ Signaling Is Required for Plant Infection by Verticillium dahliae. PLoS Pathog. 2016 Jul;12(7):e1005793. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005793. eCollection 2016 Jul.

Zhao P, Zhao Y, Jin Y, Zhang T, Guo HS. Colonization process of Arabidopsis thaliana roots by a green fluorescent protein-tagged isolate of Verticillium dahliae. Protein Cell. 2014 Feb;5(2):94-8. doi: 10.1007/s13238-013-0009-9.

Gao F, Zhou BJ, Li GY, Jia PS, Li H, Zhao Y, Zhao P, Xia GX, Guo HS. A glutamic acid-rich protein identified in Verticillium dahliae from an insertional mutagenesis affects microsclerotial formation and pathogenicity. PLoS One. 2010 Dec 7;5(12):e15319. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015319.

Last update: August 2024

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