Associate Professor
Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy
Office: R&E Building | CB2916A
Research Laboratory | CB2916B
Phone: 706-721-6772
Fax: 706-721-6120
mzhang@augusta.edu
1992 - Tongji Medical University, PhD.; Specialty: Pediatric Infectious Diseases
1988 - Tongji Medical University, MS; Specialty: Pediatric Infectious Diseases
1985 - Hubei Medical University, MD; Specialty: Medicine
Post Doctoral Training
1996 - 2000 - Dept. of Cellular and Structural Biology, Univ. of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
1992 -1995 - Division of infectious diseases, Dept. of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical University, China
The primary objective of our research program is to understand the pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus ocular infections by using mouse models and organatypic retinal culture models. Our current work includes the investigation of the mechanisms of death of bystander retinal cells during ocular murine cytomegalovirus infection and also investigates if and how cytomegalovirus contributes to the development of age related macular degeneration (AMD), a complex, multifactorial, progressive disease that is the leading cause of irreversible visual dysfunction in older individuals
Ongoing Research Support
Principal Investigator: NIH, NEI, RO1, " Ocular MCMV latency and AMD-like pathology"
Principal Investigator: Retinal Research Foundation, Pilot Study Grant, " The roles of RIP kinase 3 in the development of AMD-like pathologies during cytomegalovirus ocular latency
1. Liu J, Livingston MJ, Dong G, Wei Q, Zhang M, Mei S, Zhu J, Zhang C, Dong Z. HIF-1 contributes to autophagy activation via BNIP3 to facilitate renal fibrosis in hypoxia in vitro and UUO in vivo. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2024;326:C935-C947 doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00458.2023. PMID: 38284121
2. Livingston MJ, Zhang M, Kwon SH, Chen JK, Li H, Manicassamy S, Dong Z. Autophagy activates EGR1 via MAPK/ERK to induce FGF2 in renal tubular cells for fibroblast activation and fibrosis during maladaptive kidney repair. Autophagy 2024; 20:1032-1053 doi: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2281156. PMID: 37978868
3. Zhang X, Xu J, Marshall B, Dong Z, Liu Y, Espinosa-Heidmann DG, Zhang M*. Transcriptome analysis of retinal and choroidal pathologies in aged BALB/c mice following systemic neonatal murine cytomegalovirus infection. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023; 24(5):4322. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms2405432 PMCID: PMC10001583; PMID: 36901754
4. Ma Z, Hu X, Ding HF, Zhang M, Huo Y, Dong Z. Single-Nucleus Transcriptional Profiling of Chronic Kidney Disease after Cisplatin Nephrotoxicity. Am J Pathol. 2022;192(4):613-628. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2021.12.012. Epub 2022 Jan 31. PubMed PMID: 35092726; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8978211.
5. Xu J, Liu X, Zhang X, Marshall B, Dong Z, Smith SB, Espinosa-Heidmann DG, Zhang M*. Retinal and Choroidal Pathologies in Aged BALB/c Mice Following Systemic Neonatal Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection. Am J Pathol. 2021 Oct;191(10):1787-1804. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2021.06.008. Epub 2021 Jun 28. PubMed PMID: 34197777; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8485058.
6. Zhang X, Xu J, Marshall B, Dong Z, Smith SB, Zhang M*. The Role of caspase-12 in retinal bystander cell death and innate immune responses against MCMV retinitis. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021; 22(15):8135. doi: 10.3390/ijms22158135. PubMed PMID: 34360899; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8348425.
7. Li Y, Shi S, Xia F, Shan C, Ha Y, Zou J, Adam A, Zhang M, Wang T, Liu H, Shi PY, Zhang W. Zika virus induces neuronal and vascular degeneration in developing mouse retina. Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2021 May 25;9(1):97. doi: 10.1186/s40478-021-01195-6. PubMed PMID: 34034828; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8147371.
8. Ma Z, Li L, Livingston MJ, Zhang D, Mi Q, Zhang M, Ding HF, Huo Y, Mei C, Dong Z. p53/microRNA-214/ULK1 axis impairs renal tubular autophagy in diabetic kidney disease. J Clin Invest. 2020;130(9):5011-5026. doi: 10.1172/JCI135536. PubMed PMID: 32804155; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7456229.
9. Xu J, Liu X, Zhang X, Marshall B, Dong Z, Liu Y, Espinosa-Heidmann DG, Zhang M*. Ocular cytomegalovirus latency exacerbates the development of choroidal neovascularization. J Pathol. 2020;251(2):200-212. doi: 10.1002/path.5447. Epub 2020 May 21. PubMed PMID: 32243583; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7356643.
10. Yang H, Li R, Zhang L, Zhang S, Dong W, Chen Y, Wang W, Li C, Ye Z, Zhao X, Li Z, Wu Y, Zhang M, Liu S, Dong Z, Liang X. p53-cyclophilin D mediates renal tubular cell apoptosis in ischemia-reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2019;317(5):F1311-F1317. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00072.2019. Epub 2019 Jul 24. PubMed PMID: 31339772.
11. Wei Q, Su J, Dong G, Zhang M, Huo Y, Dong Z. Glycolysis inhibitors suppress renal interstitial fibrosis v ia divergent effects on fibroblasts and tubular cells. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2019; 316(6):F1162-F1172. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00422.2018. Epub 2019 Apr 10. PubMed PMID: 30969803; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6620587.
12. Xu J, Mo J, Liu X, Marshall B, Atherton SS, Dong Z, Smith SB and Zhang M*. Depletion of the Receptor-Interacting Protein Kinase 3 (RIP3) Decreases Photoreceptor Cell Death During the Early Stages of Ocular Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS). 2018; 59(6):2445-2458. doi: 10.1167/iovs.18-24086. PubMed PMID: 29847649; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5957522
13. Xu J, Liu X, Mo J, Marshall B, Perry L, Dong Z, Zhang M*. Inflammation and outer blood-retina barrier (BRB) compromise following choroidal murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infections. Molecular vision. 2018; 24:379-394. PubMed PMID: 29853772; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5957546.
14. Ma Z, Wei Q, Zhang M, Chen JK, Dong Z. Dicer deficiency in proximal tubules exacerbates renal injury and tubulointerstitial fibrosis and upregulates Smad2/3. American journal of physiology. Renal physiology. 2018; 315(6):F1822-F1832. PubMed PMID: 30280598; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6337000.
15. Yang D, Livingston MJ, Liu Z, Dong G, Zhang M, Chen JK, Dong Z. Autophagy in diabetic kidney disease: regulation, pathological role and therapeutic potential. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2018;75(4):669-688. PubMed PMID: 28871310; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5771948.
16. Zhou X, Zhang W, Yao Q, Zhang H, Dong G, Zhang M, Liu Y, Chen JK, Dong Z. Exosome production and its regulation of EGFR during wound healing in renal tubular cells. Accepted by American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2017;312(6):F963-F970. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00078.2017. Epub 2017 Mar 29. PubMed PMID: 28356285; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5495889.
17. Mo J, Marshall B, Covar J, Smith SB, Atherton SS, Zhang M.* Role of Bax in death of uninfected retinal cells during murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) retinitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014; 55:7137-46.
18. Marshall B, Mo J, Covar J, Atherton SS, Zhang M.* Decrease of Murine Cytomegalovirus Induced Retinitis by Intravenous Delivery of Immediate Early Protein-3 Specific siRNA. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014;55:4151-7.
19. Mo J, Zhang M, Smith S, Marshall B, Atherton SS. Interplay of autophagy and apoptosis during MCMV infection of RPE cells. Molecular Vision. 2014;20:1161-1173.
20. Zhang M*, Covar J, Zhang YN., Marshall B, Mo, J, Atherton, S.S. 2013. Virus spread and immune response following anterior chamber inoculation of HSV-1 lacking the Beclin-Binding Domain (BBD). J Neuroimmunol. 260:82-91.
21. Marshall B, Zhang M, Atherton SS. The effect of murine cytomegalovirus IE-3 specific shRNA is dependent on intragenic target site due to multiple transcription initiation sites. Herpesviridae. 2011;8;2(1):9.
22. Gnana-Prakasam JP, Ananth S, Prasad PD, Zhang M, Atherton SS, Martin PM, Smith SB, Ganapathy V. Expression and Iron-dependent Regulation of Succinate Receptor GPR91 in Retinal Pigment Epithelium. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52(6):3751-8
23. Zhang M, Covar J, Marshall B, Dong Z, Atherton SS. Lack of TNF-{alpha} promotes caspase 3 independent apoptosis during murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) retinitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52(3):1800-1808.
24. Gnana-Prakasam JP, Zhang M, Martin PM, Atherton SS, Smith SB, Ganapathy V. Expression of the iron-regulatory protein haemojuvelin in retina and its regulation during cytomegalovirus infection. Biochem J. 2009;419(3):533-43.
25. Zhang M, Marshall B, Atherton SS. Murine cytomegalovirus infection and apoptosis in organotypic retinal cultures. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008;49(1):295-303.
26. Zhou J, Zhang M, Atherton SS. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis in murine cytomegalovirus retinitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48(4):1691-700.
27. Zhang M, Zhou J, Marshall B, Xin H, Atherton SS. Lack of iNOS facilitates MCMV spread in the retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48(1):285-92.
28. Fields, M., Zheng, M., Zhang, M., Atherton SS.Tumor necrosis factor alpha and macrophages in the brain of herpes simplex virus type 1-infected BALB/c mice. J Neurovirol. 2006; 12:443-455.
29. Zhang M, Xin H, Atherton SS. Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) spreads to and replicates in the retina after endotoxin-induced disruption of the blood-retinal barrier of immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. J Neurovirol. 2005;11(4):365-75.
30. Zhang M, Xin H, Roon P, Atherton SS. Infection of retinal neurons during murine cytomegalovirus retinitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005;46(6):2047-55.
31. Zhang M, Xin H, Duan Y, Atherton SS. Ocular Reactivation of MCMV after Immunosuppression of Latently Infected BALB/c Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005;46(1):252-8.
32. Zhang M, Atherton SS. Apoptosis in the retina during MCMV retinitis in immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. J Clin Virol. 2002;25 Suppl 2:S137-47.
33. Bigger JE. Tanigawa M. Zhang M, Atherton SS. Murine cytomegalovirus infection causes apoptosis of uninfected retinal cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2000, 41(8):22487.
34. Tan D, Manchester LC, Reiter RJ, Qi W, Zhang M, Weintraub ST, Cabrera J, Sainz, RM, Mayo JC. Identification of highly elevated levels of melatonin in bone marrow: its origin and significance. Biochemica et Biophysica Acta 1999, 1472: 206-214