Yunlong Zhao, PhD

Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty

Departments

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.

Yunlong Zhao Lab

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

Email: yunlong.zhao@stjude.org
Phone: (901) 595-4420

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