Yizhi Jane Tao

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Yizhi Jane Tao
Occupation(s)Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Rice University, mapped atomic structure of the influenza A virus nucleoprotein trimer, named among the top ten most influential Chinese of 2006 by a consortium of China’s leading media outlets

Yizhi Jane Tao is a Chinese biochemist, structural biologist, and professor of biochemistry and cell biology at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Professor Tao led a team of researchers to be the first to map the structure of the influenza A virus nucleoprotein to an atomic level, a feat which circulated widely in the popular press. [1] [2] She was named among the top ten most influential Chinese of 2006 by a consortium of China's leading media outlets including Phoenix Satellite Television, China News Service, Asia Newsweek, and World Journal. [3] [4]

Contents

All negative-sense RNA viruses encode a nucleoprotein that surrounds the virus and allows for replication. Tao discovered that the nucleoprotein for influenza A has a distinctive loop that is necessary for the viral genome to be organized into its double-helix hairpin structure. Tao then compared the amino acid sequences of different influenza viruses and found that the nucleoprotein loop she identified is conserved among influenza viruses. [5] [6] Since then, Tao has also solved the structure of a capsid protein coat for a double-stranded fungal RNA virus. [5] [7]

Education

Born in China, Yizhi Jane Tao received a B.Sc. degree in biology from Peking University in Beijing, China in 1992. She later received her Ph.D. in biological sciences from Purdue University while studying bacteriophages under the German-American biophysicist Michael Rossmann, whose lab uncovered a 3D viral structure. [5] [8] She completed a postdoctoral fellowship under Stephen C. Harrison at Harvard University from 1999 to 2002, which also focused on uncovering virus structures. [5] [9] Upon completing her postdoctoral studies, Tao joined the faculty of Rice University, where she has made important contributions to the study of influenza, hepatitis, and birnaviruses. In 2018, Tao became a full professor at the university, and she currently leads The Tao Laboratory.

Academic research

Research in the Tao Laboratory in the Department of BioSciences at Rice University focuses on RNA viruses. While RNA is known for being the intermediate between the genetic information in DNA and the proteins created from it, in RNA viruses, RNA contains the genetic information. Many RNA viruses can cause disease in humans, such as Hepatitis C, Ebola, HIV, and influenza. [10] RNA viruses can also infect bacterial and yeast hosts. RNA viruses are categorized into single- or double-stranded and plus or minus sense. RNA viruses work by reverse transcription, where DNA is created from RNA templates. [11] The reactions necessary for reverse transcription to occur are catalyzed by RNA-dependent RNA polymerases, a class of enzymes involved in replication and transcription. [12]

The Tao Lab uses electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, and other biochemical and biophysical methods to understand the infection mechanism of RNA viruses. The lab hopes to help prevent and control viral disease by understanding the mechanism behind these viruses. [12]

Current Projects

Current projects in the Tao Lab are focused on Orsay virus, influenza viruses, picobirnavirus, ccFV-1, dinornavirus, and human astrovirus, some of which are described below. [12]

Human Astrovirus

Astroviruses are small, single-stranded RNA viruses that can infect humans, birds, and other mammals. They are not surrounded by a viral envelope. Astroviruses have an icosahedral shape made of 20 identical equilateral triangular sides and are plus-sense, meaning the genetic information can be directly translated into proteins. Human astroviruses have a genome with approximately 7,000 bases. This genome encodes three important proteins: nonstructural proteins 1a and 1ab and the viral capsid protein (CP). The Tao Lab has determined the structure of the capsid protein core and surface spike. The lab also discovered that the capsid protein has a similar structure in astroviruses and the hepatitis E virus. The Tao Lab is currently investigating structural changes to the capsid protein that allows for the virus to infect a host cell even when treated with protease, which is used to slow the progression of other RNA virus infections. [12]

Orsay Virus

The Tao Lab is working to better understand the Orsay virus life cycle. Caenorhabditis elegans is a model organism in biology research. Orsay virus is the only type of virus known to infect C. elegans worms. Orsay infection in C. elegans is chronic and not lethal. Since C. elegans are frequently handled in the lab and can remain infected with Orsay virus for a long time, they are a convenient way to study Orsay virus. The positive sense, single-stranded Orsay genome encodes an RNA polymerase, a viral capsid protein (CP) and a nonstructural protein delta. Previous Tao Lab research has discovered that bound CP-delta proteins form a fiber that is part of the infectious virion. The CP-delta head fiber is involved in receptor binding and host entry, helping the virus infect its host cell. The delta protein on its own is involved in nonlytic viral egress. [12] [13]

Influenza Viruses

Influenza viruses, also called the “flu” and known for the annual vaccine, are a serious public health concern. There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C, and D. Influenza D Virus (IDV) was first isolated in 2011. IDV infects cattle, pigs, and other ruminants. The Tao Lab aims to understand how the IDV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) compares to the Influenza A Virus nonstructural protein 1. The lab also hopes to uncover the mechanism that creates IDV matrix proteins M1 and M2. Understanding the structure and function of NS1 and M1 proteins will help the lab understand IDV replication and pathogenesis. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RNA virus</span> Subclass of viruses

An RNA virus is a virus—other than a retrovirus—that has ribonucleic acid (RNA) as its genetic material. The nucleic acid is usually single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) but it may be double-stranded (dsRNA). Notable human diseases caused by RNA viruses include the common cold, influenza, SARS, MERS, Covid-19, Dengue Virus, hepatitis C, hepatitis E, West Nile fever, Ebola virus disease, rabies, polio, mumps, and measles.

<i>Hepadnaviridae</i> Family of viruses

Hepadnaviridae is a family of viruses. Humans, apes, and birds serve as natural hosts. There are currently 18 species in this family, divided among 5 genera. Its best-known member is hepatitis B virus. Diseases associated with this family include: liver infections, such as hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinomas, and cirrhosis. It is the sole accepted family in the order Blubervirales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Picornavirus</span> Family of viruses

Picornaviruses are a group of related nonenveloped RNA viruses which infect vertebrates including fish, mammals, and birds. They are viruses that represent a large family of small, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses with a 30 nm icosahedral capsid. The viruses in this family can cause a range of diseases including the common cold, poliomyelitis, meningitis, hepatitis, and paralysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubella virus</span> Species of virus

Rubella virus (RuV) is the pathogenic agent of the disease rubella, transmitted only between humans via the respiratory route, and is the main cause of congenital rubella syndrome when infection occurs during the first weeks of pregnancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viral protein</span>

A viral protein is both a component and a product of a virus. Viral proteins are grouped according to their functions, and groups of viral proteins include structural proteins, nonstructural proteins, regulatory proteins, and accessory proteins. Viruses are non-living and do not have the means to reproduce on their own, instead depending on their host cell's resources in order to reproduce. Thus, viruses do not code for many of their own viral proteins, and instead use the host cell's machinery to produce the viral proteins they require for replication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nucleoprotein</span> Type of protein

Nucleoproteins are proteins conjugated with nucleic acids. Typical nucleoproteins include ribosomes, nucleosomes and viral nucleocapsid proteins.

<i>Pseudomonas virus phi6</i> Species of virus

Φ6 is the best-studied bacteriophage of the virus family Cystoviridae. It infects Pseudomonas bacteria. It has a three-part, segmented, double-stranded RNA genome, totalling ~13.5 kb in length. Φ6 and its relatives have a lipid membrane around their nucleocapsid, a rare trait among bacteriophages. It is a lytic phage, though under certain circumstances has been observed to display a delay in lysis which may be described as a "carrier state".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H5N1 genetic structure</span>

H5N1 genetic structure is the molecular structure of the H5N1 virus's RNA.

<i>Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus</i> Species of virus

Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus, known by the abbreviation CCMV, is a virus that specifically infects the cowpea plant, or black-eyed pea. The leaves of infected plants develop yellow spots, hence the name "chlorotic". Similar to its "brother" virus, Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), CCMV is produced in high yield in plants. In the natural host, viral particles can be produced at 1–2 mg per gram of infected leaf tissue. Belonging to the bromovirus genus, cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) is a small spherical plant virus. Other members of this genus include the brome mosaic virus (BMV) and the broad bean mottle virus (BBMV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double-stranded RNA viruses</span> Type of virus according to Baltimore classification

Double-stranded RNA viruses are a polyphyletic group of viruses that have double-stranded genomes made of ribonucleic acid. The double-stranded genome is used as a template by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) to transcribe a positive-strand RNA functioning as messenger RNA (mRNA) for the host cell's ribosomes, which translate it into viral proteins. The positive-strand RNA can also be replicated by the RdRp to create a new double-stranded viral genome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virus</span> Infectious agent that replicates in cells

A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Since Dmitri Ivanovsky's 1892 article describing a non-bacterial pathogen infecting tobacco plants and the discovery of the tobacco mosaic virus by Martinus Beijerinck in 1898, more than 11,000 of the millions of virus species have been described in detail. Viruses are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth and are the most numerous type of biological entity. The study of viruses is known as virology, a subspeciality of microbiology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase</span>

Hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase is a hepatitis B viral protein. It is a DNA polymerase that can use either DNA or RNA templates and a ribonuclease H that cuts RNA in the duplex. Both functions are supplied by the reverse transcriptase (RT) domain.

<i>Nodamura virus</i> Species of virus

Nodamura virus (NoV) is a member of the family Nodaviridae, which was originally isolated from mosquitoes in Japan near the village of Nodamura in 1956. Other members of Nodaviridae are flock house virus (FHV) and black beetle virus (BBV). NoV has been found to multiply in several insect and tick species; however, these infected individuals seem to be asymptomatic. Nodamura virus is the only member of the genus Alphanodavirus that can infect insects, fish, and mammals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Positive-strand RNA virus</span> Class of viruses in the Baltimore classification

Positive-strand RNA viruses are a group of related viruses that have positive-sense, single-stranded genomes made of ribonucleic acid. The positive-sense genome can act as messenger RNA (mRNA) and can be directly translated into viral proteins by the host cell's ribosomes. Positive-strand RNA viruses encode an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) which is used during replication of the genome to synthesize a negative-sense antigenome that is then used as a template to create a new positive-sense viral genome.

Orsay virus is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that infects Caenorhabditis elegans nematode. It resembles nodaviruses, but has yet to be formally classified.

Triatoma virus (TrV) is a virus belonging to the insect virus family Dicistroviridae. Within this family, there are currently 3 genera and 15 species of virus. Triatoma virus belongs to the genus Cripavirus. It is non-enveloped and its genetic material is positive-sense, single-stranded RNA. The natural hosts of triatoma virus are invertebrates. TrV is a known pathogen to Triatoma infestans, the major vector of Chagas disease in Argentina which makes triatoma virus a major candidate for biological vector control as opposed to chemical insecticides. Triatoma virus was first discovered in 1984 when a survey of pathogens of triatomes was conducted in the hopes of finding potential biological control methods for T. infestans.

<i>Woolly monkey hepatitis B virus</i> Species of virus

The woolly monkey hepatitis B virus (WMHBV) is a viral species of the Orthohepadnavirus genus of the Hepadnaviridae family. Its natural host is the woolly monkey (Lagothrix), an inhabitant of South America categorized as a New World primate. WMHBV, like other hepatitis viruses, infects the hepatocytes, or liver cells, of its host organism. It can cause hepatitis, liver necrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Because nearly all species of Lagothrix are threatened or endangered, researching and developing a vaccine and/or treatment for WMHBV is important for the protection of the whole woolly monkey genus.

<i>Orthornavirae</i> Kingdom of viruses

Orthornavirae is a kingdom of viruses that have genomes made of ribonucleic acid (RNA), those genomes encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). The RdRp is used to transcribe the viral RNA genome into messenger RNA (mRNA) and to replicate the genome. Viruses in this kingdom also share a number of characteristics involving evolution, including high rates of genetic mutations, recombinations, and reassortments.

<i>Botourmiaviridae</i> Family of viruses

Botourmiaviridae is a family of positive-strand RNA viruses which infect plants and fungi. The family includes four genera: Ourmiavirus, Botoulivirus, Magoulivirus and Scleroulivirus. Members of genus Ourmiavirus infect plants and the other genera infect fungi. The member viruses have genomes which range from 2900 to 4800 nucleotides.

<i>Astroviridae</i> Family of viruses

Astroviridae is a family of non-enveloped ssRNA viruses that cause infections in different animals. The family name is derived from the Greek word astron ("star") referring to the star-like appearance of spikes projecting from the surface of these small unenveloped viruses. Astroviruses were initially identified in humans but have since been isolated from other mammals and birds. This family of viruses consists of two genera, Avastrovirus (AAstV) and Mamastrovirus (MAstV). Astroviruses most frequently cause infection of the gastrointestinal tract but in some animals they may result in encephalitis, hepatitis (avian) and nephritis (avian).

References

  1. ↑ "Researchers find flu 'weak spot'". BBC News. 2006-12-07. Retrieved 2009-12-31.
  2. ↑ "Scientists Find Potential 'Achilles' Heel' in Bird-Flu Virus". The Washington Post. 2006-12-06.
  3. ↑ "Biochemist among most influential Chinese".
  4. ↑ "Full list of "You Bring Charm to the World" winners". Archived from the original on April 7, 2007.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Dougherty, Elizabeth (June 14, 2013). "Brush with Fame: Yizhi Jane Tao".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ↑ Ye, Qiaozhen; Krug, Robert M.; Tao, Yizhi Jane (2006-12-21). "The mechanism by which influenza A virus nucleoprotein forms oligomers and binds RNA". Nature. 444 (7122): 1078–1082. Bibcode:2006Natur.444.1078Y. doi:10.1038/nature05379. ISSN   0028-0836. PMID   17151603. S2CID   4303369.
  7. ↑ Pan, Junhua; Dong, Liping; Lin, Li; Ochoa, Wendy F.; Sinkovits, Robert S.; Havens, Wendy M.; Nibert, Max L.; Baker, Timothy S.; Ghabrial, Said A.; Tao, Yizhi Jane (2009-03-17). "Atomic structure reveals the unique capsid organization of a dsRNA virus". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (11): 4225–4230. Bibcode:2009PNAS..106.4225P. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0812071106 . ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   2657383 . PMID   19246376.
  8. ↑ "The Rossmann Laboratory - Alumni".
  9. ↑ "The Stephen C. Harrison Laboratory of Structural Cell Biology - Alumni".
  10. ↑ Poltronieri, Palmiro; Sun, Binlian; Mallardo, Massimo (2015). "RNA Viruses: RNA Roles in Pathogenesis, Coreplication and Viral Load". Current Genomics. 16 (5): 327–335. doi:10.2174/1389202916666150707160613. PMC   4763971 . PMID   27047253.
  11. ↑ Choi, Kyung H. (2012), Rossmann, Michael G.; Rao, Venigalla B. (eds.), "Viral Polymerases", Viral Molecular Machines, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Boston, MA: Springer US, vol. 726, pp. 267–304, doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-0980-9_12, ISBN   978-1-4614-0979-3, PMC   4711277 , PMID   22297518
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "RESEARCH". Tao Lab. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  13. ↑ Yuan, Wang; Zhou, Ying; Fan, Yanlin; Tao, Yizhi J.; Zhong, Weiwei (2018-07-15). Pfeiffer, Julie K. (ed.). "Orsay δ Protein Is Required for Nonlytic Viral Egress". Journal of Virology. 92 (14): e00745–18. doi:10.1128/JVI.00745-18. ISSN   0022-538X. PMC   6026750 . PMID   29743360.
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