Peijun Zhang
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Phone (412) 383-5907
Fax (412) 648-9008
University of Pittsburgh
2050 Biomedical Science Tower 3
We are interested in structural and functional characterization of macromolecular assemblies using three-dimensional cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) and biochemical, biophysical methods. Proteins carry out their cellular functions through formation of dynamic multi-protein complexes and macromolecular assemblies. These complexes or machines are usually too large and/or too heterogeneous for structural solution by X-ray crystallography or NMR spectroscopy methods. CryoEM is uniquely poised for structure determination of large complexes and macromolecular assemblies, and their conformational changes to provide structural snapshots along dynamic processes. Our interest is to combine structural information obtained through cryoEM methods, with biochemical, physiological analysis to understand molecular mechanisms of protein complexes and machines. We currently focus on three research areas: (I) Understanding HIV-1 and host cell interactions during the early stages of virus infection; (II) Eliciting 3D architectures of the chemotaxis receptor signaling complexes and their assemblies to understand the molecular mechanism of signal transduction in bacterial chemotaxis; and (III) Technology development to enhance the capability of cryo-electron tomography for 3D architectures of native mammalian cells at different signaling state.
Visit Peijun's lab website
Education & Training
Undergraduate
Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
B.S., 1987 in Electrical Engineering
Graduate
Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
M.S., 1990 in Solid State Physics
University of Virginia
Ph.D., Physiology and Biophysics
Postgraduate
National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH
Visiting Fellow 1998 – 2000, Program Director: Dr. Hinshaw
National Cancer Institute, NIH
Postdoctoral Fellow 2000 – 2002, Program Director: Dr. Subramanian
Awards & Honors
1999 Philips Best in Show Award, Chesapeake Society for Microscopy
2003 United States Department of Health and Human Services “On-the-Spot Award”
2005 Leica Best General Microscopy Presentation, Chesapeake Society for Microscopy
2007 Senior Vice Chancellor’s Award, University of Pittsburgh
2010 Travel award at the “Recent Advances and Future Prospects for Visualizing Macromolecular Complexes and Cellular Structures Workshop”
Representative Publications
Yang Y., Bhatti A., Ke D., Gonzalez-Juarrero M., Lenaerts A., Kremer L., Guerardel Y., Zhang P. and Ojhaa A. K.(2013) Exposure to a cutinase-like serine esterase triggers rapid lysis of multiple mycobacterial species. J. Biol. Chem. 288(1):382-92.
Gao X., Huang Y., Makhov A., Epperly M, Lu J., Grab S., Zhang P., Rohan L., Xie X., Wipf P., Greenberger J. and Li S. (2013) Nano-assembly of Surfactants with Interfacial Drug-Interactive Motifs as Tailor-Designed Drug Carriers. Mol. Pharmaceut.10(1):187-98.
Zhao G, Perilla J. R., Yufenyuy E. L., Meng X., Chen B., Ning J., Ahn J., Gronenborn A. M., Schulten K., Aiken C. and Zhang P. (2013). Structure of the Mature HIV-1 Capsid by Cryo-EM and All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Nature 497, 643-646
Hickey R. J., Meng X., Zhang P. and Park S. (2013) Low-dimensional Nanoparticle Clustering in Polymer Micelles and Their Transverse Relaxivity Rates. ACS Nano 7(7):5824-33.
Zhang P., Huang Y., Makhov A.M., Gao X., Zhang P. and Li S. (2013). Characterization of Spherulites as a Lipidic Carrier for Low and High Molecular Weight Agents. Pharm Res. 30(6):1525-35. PMCID: 3654020
Active Grants
University of Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions (PCHPI)
08/27/07 – 07/31/17
National Institutes of Health
P50
Structure and Function of Membrane Receptor Signaling Complex in Bacterial Chemotaxis
08/01/12 – 07/31/15
National Institutes of Health
R01
