Gong Cheng
Email：gongcheng@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
Tel：+86-10-62788494 (Office)
Research Statement：
Cheng’s Lab primarily focuses on investigating the infection and transmission mechanisms of emerging and re-emerging viral infectious diseases transmitted by insects, such as mosquito-borne viruses. Their research includes studying the infection mechanisms of mosquito-borne viruses, such as DENV, JEV, WNV, and CHIKV, in mammalian hosts and arthropod vectors. They aim to identify host or vector targets highly relevant to viral infection through various experimental methods and develop novel intervention strategies using these targets to interrupt the transmission of mosquito-borne viruses in nature. Currently, the main scientific questions addressed in the laboratory include: (1) pathogenic mechanisms and immune regulation of mosquito-borne viruses; (2) evolution and transmission mechanisms of mosquito-borne viruses; (3) interactions between vector insects and microbial communities; (4) insect behavioral biology.
Selected Publications：
1.Zhang LM, Wang DX, Shi PB, Li JZ, Niu JC, Chen JL, Wang G, Wu LJ, Chen L, Yang ZX, Li SS, Meng JX, Ruan FC, He YW, Zhao HL, Ren ZR, Wang YBN, Liu Y, Shi XL, Wang YF, Liu QY, Li JH, Wang PH, Wang JL #, Zhu YB #, Cheng G #. (2024) A naturally isolated symbiotic bacterium suppresses flavivirus transmission by Aedes mosquitoes. Science. 384: eadn9524.
2.Zhang H, Zhu YB, Liu ZW, Peng YM, Peng WY, Tong LQ, Wang JL, Liu QY, Wang PH, Cheng G #. (2022) A volatile from the skin microbiota of flavivirus-infected hosts promotes mosquito attractiveness. Cell. 185: 2510–2522.
3.Liu Y, Liu JY, Du SY, Shan C, Nie KX, Zhang RD, Li XF, Zhang RL, Wang T, Qin CF, Wang PH, Shi PY #, Cheng G #. (2017) Evolutionary enhancement of Zika virus infectivity in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Nature. 545: 482-486.
4.Yu X, Shan C, Zhu YB, Ma EH, Wang JL, Wang PH, Shi PY, Cheng G #. (2021) A mutation-mediated evolutionary adaptation of Zika virus in mosquito and mammalian host. Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences. 118: e2113015118.
5.Wu P, Sun P, Nie KX, Zhu YB, Shi MY, Xiao CG, Liu H, Liu QY, Zhao TY, Chen XG, Zhou HN, Wang PH, Cheng G #. (2019) A gut commensal bacterium promotes mosquito permissiveness to arboviruses. Cell Host & Microbe. 25: 101-112.
6.Zhu YB, Tong LQ, Nie KX, Wiwatanaratanabutr I, Sun P, Li QQ, Yu X, Wu P, Wu TS, Yu C, Liu QY, Bian ZQ, Wang PH, Cheng G #. (2019) Host serum iron modulates dengue virus acquisition by mosquitoes. Nature Microbiology. 4: 2405–2415.
7.Xiao XP, Yang LJ, Pang XJ, Zhang RD, Zhu YB, Wang PH, Gao GJ #, Cheng G #. (2017) A Mesh-Duox pathway regulates homeostasis in the insect gut. Nature Microbiology. 2: 17020.
8.Liu JY, Liu Y, Nie KX, Du SY, Qiu JJ, Pang XJ, Wang PH, Cheng G #. (2016) Flavivirus NS1 protein in infected host sera enhances viral acquisition by mosquitoes. Nature Microbiology. 1: 16087.
9.Pang XJ, Xiao XP, Liu Y, Zhang RD, Liu JY, Liu QY, Wang PH, Cheng G #. (2016) Mosquito C-type lectins maintain gut microbiome homeostasis. Nature Microbiology. 1: 16023.
10.Cheng G, Cox J, Wang PH, Krishnan MN, Dai JF, Qian F, Anderson JF, Fikrig E #. (2010) A C-Type Lectin collaborates with a CD45 phosphatase homolog to facilitate West Nile Virus infection of mosquitoes. Cell. 142: 714-725.
