Introduction
Riemerella anatipestifer is a gram-negative bacterium, which belonging to the family Weeksellaceae and genus Riemerella. R. anatipestifer infection lead to high morbidity and mortality to ducks, resulting in huge economic loss in the duck industry. So far, at least 21 serotypes have been identified and no cross-protection between them.
Our research team is mainly focus on the fundamental research of following areas: iron/heme utilization system, natural transformation mechanism, drug resistance and pathogenic mechanism, biosynthesis mechanisms of surface polysaccharides, vaccine development.
Current research interests
1. Iron/heme utilization system of R. anatipestifer.
The interest of our study is how does R. anatipestifer obtain the source of iron from the host and the mechanism of iron detoxification.
2. Mechanisms of drug resistance
R. anatipestifer is resistant to a variety of antibiotics, and its resistance spectrum is becoming more and more extensive. However, the resistance genes and mechanisms keep largely unknown. Our interest focuses on the drug resistance mechanism and drug resistance gene transmission mechanisms.
3. Natural transformation system of R. anatipestifer.
Natural transformation, a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer, plays an important role in the generation of genetic diversity. R. anatipestifer is the first bacterium of Flavobacteriaceae found to be able to undergo natural transformation. We have identified the essential genes involved in natural transformation by screening the mutant library. Our interest focuses on the mechanism of natural transformation in this bacterium and the identification of factors that inhibit natural transformation.
4. Vaccine development
Our interest is focused on the development of live attenuated vaccines or multivalent inactivated vaccines against R. anatipestifer infection.
Selected publications
1. Huang M, Liu M, Liu J, Zhu D, Tang Q, Jia R, Chen S, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Ou X, Mao S, Gao Q, Sun D, Wang M, Cheng A. Functional characterization of Fur in iron metabolism, oxidative stress resistance and virulence of Riemerella anatipestifer. Vet Res. 2021 Mar 19;52(1):48.
2. Huang L, Liu M, Zhu D, Xie L, Huang M, Xiang C, Biville F, Jia R, Chen S, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Ou X, Mao S, Gao Q, Sun D, Tian B, Wang M, Cheng A. Natural Transformation of Riemerella columbina and Its Determinants. Front Microbiol. 2021 Mar 3;12:634895.
3. Liu M, Liu S, Huang M, Wang Y, Wang M, Tian X, Li L, Yang Z, Wang M, Zhu D, Jia R, Chen S, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Ou X, Mao S, Gao Q, Sun D, Yu Y, Cheng A. An exposed outer membrane haemin-binding protein facilitates haemin transport by a TonB-dependent receptor in Riemerella anatipestifer. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2021 May 14:AEM.00367-21.
4. Zhang L, Huang L, Huang M, Wang M, Zhu D, Wang M, Jia R, Chen S, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Ou X, Mao S, Gao Q, Tian B, Cheng A, Liu M. Effect of Nutritional Determinants and TonB on the Natural Transformation of Riemerella anatipestifer. Front Microbiol. 2021 Aug 10;12:644868.
5. Huang M, Liu M, Huang L, Wang M, Jia R, Zhu D, Chen S, Zhao X, Zhang S, Gao Q, Zhang L, Cheng A. The activation and limitation of the bacterial natural transformation system: The function in genome evolution and stability. Microbiol Res. 2021 Aug 24;252:126856.
6. Tian X, Huang L, Wang M, Biville F, Zhu D, Jia R, Chen S, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Zhang L, Yu Y, Cheng A, Liu M. The functional identification of Dps in oxidative stress resistance and virulence of Riemerella anatipestifer CH-1 using a new unmarked gene deletion strategy. Vet Microbiol. 2020 Aug;247:108730.
7. Liu M, Huang M, Wang M, Zhu D, Jia R, Chen S, Zhang L, Pan L, Cheng A. The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat System and Argonaute: An Emerging Bacterial Immunity System for Defense Against Natural Transformation? Front Microbiol. 2020 Oct 22;11:593301.
8. Zhu D, Zheng M, Xu J, Wang M, Jia R, Chen S, Liu M, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Liu Y, Zhang L, Yu Y, Pan L, Chen X, Cheng A. Prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance and mutations in the gyrA, parC and parE genes of Riemerella anatipestifer isolated from ducks in China [J]. BMC Microbiol. 2019 Dec 3;19(1):271.
9. Zhu D, Yang Z, Xu J, Wang M, Jia R, Chen S, Liu M, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Liu Y, Zhang L, Yu Y, Pan L, Chen X, Cheng A. Pan-genome analysis of Riemerella anatipestifer reveals its genomic diversity and acquired antibiotic resistance associated with genomic islands [J]. Funct Integr Genomics .2019.
10. Sun J, Zhu D, Xu J, Jia R, Chen S, Liu M, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Liu Y, Zhang L, Yu Y, You Y, Wang M, Cheng A. Rifampin resistance and its fitness cost in Riemerella anatipestifer [J]. BMC Microbiol. 2019 May 23;19(1):107.
11. Zhu D, Wan J, Yang Z, Xu J, Wang M, Jia R, Chen S, Liu M, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Liu Y, Zhang L, Yu Y, Chen X, Cheng A. First Report of Integrative Conjugative Elements in Riemerella anatipestifer Isolates From Ducks in China [J]. Front Vet Sci. 2019 Apr 24;6:128.
12. Liu J, Zeng Q, Wang M, Cheng A, Liu M, Zhu D, Chen S, Jia R, Zhao XX, Wu Y, Yang Q, Zhang S, Liu Y, Yu Y, Zhang L, Chen X. Comparative genome-scale modelling of the pathogenic Flavobacteriaceae species Riemerella anatipestifer in China [J]. Environ Microbiol. 2019;21(8):2836–2851.
13. Yuan H, Huang L, Wang M, Jia R, Chen S, Liu M, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Liu Y, Zhang L, Yu Y, You Y, Chen X, Zhu D, Cheng A. Role of the gldK gene in the virulence of Riemerella anatipestifer [J]. Poult Sci. 2019;98(6):2414–2421.
14. Huang L, Tian X, Liu M, Wang M, Biville F, Cheng A, Zhu D, Jia R, Chen S, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Tian B, Yu Y, Liu Y, Zhang L, Pan L, Rehman MU, Chen X. DprA Is Essential for Natural Competence in Riemerella anatipestifer and Has a Conserved Evolutionary Mechanism [J]. Front Genet, 2019, 10, 429.
15. Liu M, Huang M, Huang L, Biville F, Zhu D, Wang M, Jia R, Chen S, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Tian B, Chen X, Liu Y, Zhang L, Yu Y, Pan L, Ur Rehman M, Cheng A. New perspectives on Galleria mellonella larvae as a host model using Riemerella anatipestifer as a proof of concept [J]. Infect Immun, 2019.
16. Liu M, Tian X, Wang M, Zhu D, Wang M, Jia R, Chen S, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Tian B, Chen X, Liu Y, Zhang L, Yu Y, Biville F, Pan L, Rehman MU, Cheng A. Development of a markerless gene deletion strategy using rpsL as a counterselectable marker and characterization of the function of RA0C_1534 in Riemerella anatipestifer ATCC11845 using this strategy [J]. PLoS One, 2019, 14(6): e0218241.
17. Huang L, Wang M, Mo T, Liu M, Biville F, Zhu D, Jia R, Chen S, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Tian B, Liu Y, Zhang L, Yu Y, Pan L, Rehman MU, Chen X, Cheng A. Role of LptD in Resistance to Glutaraldehyde and Pathogenicity in Riemerella anatipestifer. Front Microbiol. 2019 Jun 21;10:1443.
18. He Y, Wang M, Liu M, Huang L, Liu C, Zhang X, Yi H, Cheng A, Zhu D, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhao X, Chen S, Jia R, Zhang S, Liu Y, Yu Y, Zhang L. Cas1 and Cas2 From the Type II-C CRISPR-Cas System of Riemerella anatipestifer Are Required for Spacer Acquisition [J]. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2018;8:195.
19. Liu J, Wang M, Yi H, Liu M, Zhu D, Wu Y, Jia R, Sun K, Yang Q, Chen S, Zhao X, Chen X, Cheng A. ATPase activity of GroEL is dependent on GroES and it is response for environmental stress in Riemerella anatipestifer [J]. Microb Pathog. 2018;121:51–58.
20. Zhu D, Luo H, Liu M, Zhao X, Jia R, Chen S, Sun K, Yang Q, Wu Y, Chen X, Cheng A, Wang M. Various Profiles of tet Genes Addition to tet(X) in Riemerella anatipestifer Isolates From Ducks in China [J]. Front Microbiol. 2018;9:585.
Selected invention Patents
1. Anchun Cheng, Qun Gao, Mingshu Wang, Dekang Zhu, Qiao Yang, Xiaoyue Chen. Recombinant protein of Riemerella anatipestifer OmpH and its ELISA kit. Chinese Patent No.: CN201510333609.5.
2. Anchun Cheng, Liping Wu, Hao Qiu, Mingshu Wang. Application of gyrA gene PNA combined with transmembrane peptide and antibiotics in the preparation of drugs against Riemerella anatipestifer. Chinese Patent No.: CN201810845490.3.
3. Dekang Zhu, Zhishuang Yang, Anchun Cheng, Mingshu Wang. Primers for PCR identification of serum types 1, 2 and 11 Riemerella anatipestifer. Chinese Patent No.: CN201911141963.2.
4. Dekang Zhu, Anchun Cheng, Mingshu Wang, Xiaoyue Chen. Medium for Riemerella anatipestifer. Chinese Patent No.: CN201110163742.2.
5. Dekang Zhu, Anchun Cheng, Mingshu Wang, Minghong He, Renyong Jia, Xiaoyue Chen. Method for extraction of lipid A from Riemerella anatipestifer. Chinese Patent No.: CN201110217849.0.
6. Mafeng Liu, Mengyi Wang, Jiajun Liu, Anchun Cheng, Mingshu Wang, Renyong Jia, Dekang Zhu, Shun Chen, Qiao Yang, Ying Wu, Kunfeng Sun. RpsL mutation gene of Riemerella anatipestifer and its application. Chinese Patent No.: CN201610903474.6.
7. Mafeng Liu, Li Zhang, Mengyi Wang, Anchun Cheng, Mingshu Wang, Renyong Jia, Dekang Zhu, Shun Chen, Kunfeng Sun, Qiao Yang, Ying Wu. Efficient gene deletion of Riemerella anatipestifer. Chinese Patent No.: CN201610905578.0.
8. MaFeng Liu, Yan Yun, Mi Huang, Anchun Cheng, Mingshu Wang, Dekang Zhu, Renyong Jia, Shun Chen. A gene deletion attenuated strain of Riemerella anatipestifer and its construction method and application. Chinese Patent No.: CN201710022087.6.
9. Mafeng Liu, Li Zhang, Yue Huang, Anchun Cheng, Mingshu Wang, Renyong Jia, Dekang Zhu, Shun Chen, Kunfeng Sun, Qiao Yang, Ying Wu. A method for rapid replacement of the missing gene of Riemerella anatipestifer. Chinese Patent No.: CN201611116704.0.
10. Mafeng Liu, Mengyi Wang, Huixian Qiu, Anchun Cheng, Mingshu Wang, Renyong Jia, Dekang Zhu, Shun Chen, Qiao Yang, Ying Wu, Kunfeng Sun. Method and application of shuttle plasmid pMY03 in interfering with the expression of target gene of Riemerella anatipestifer. Chinese Patent No.: CN201610225412.4.
Contact Details
Anchun Cheng, Ph.D, Professor
Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine
Sichuan Agricultural University
No. 211, Huimin Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
Email:
chenganchun@163.vip.com
Dekang Zhu, Ph.D, Professor
Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine
Sichuan Agricultural University
No. 211, Huimin Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
Email:
zdk24@sicau.edu.cn
Mafeng Liu, Ph.D, Professor
Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine
Sichuan Agricultural University
No. 211, Huimin Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
Email:
14049@sicau.edu.cn
