一、分子微生物学

致病菌感染的第一步是细菌黏附于宿主细胞。菌毛存在于细菌表面，由菌毛蛋白结构亚基聚合而成，是革兰氏阴性菌重要的毒力因子。菌毛介导细菌与宿主细胞的黏附，帮助细菌躲避宿主防御系统，促进与感染、耐药相关的生物被膜（biofilm）形成，且菌毛蛋白为原核生物所特有，因此菌毛是抗感染药物的理想靶标。作为细菌附属器官，以菌毛为靶点的抗菌药的优点在于阻断细菌对宿主细胞的识别、黏附却不抑制细菌生长，这种抗感染方式可以减轻药物赋予细菌的压力，从而减少甚至消除抗性发生。菌毛最主要的生物合成途径是分子伴侣/引领蛋白(chaperone/usher, CU)通路，最近我们在粘细菌中鉴定了一条 CU通路，目前聚焦该通路介导蛋白分泌的分子过程和调节机制，为作用机制独特的抗感染药物研制提供新靶点。

二、炎症性自身免疫病

主要以类风湿性关节炎（RA）为代表。RA是常见的慢性进行性炎症性自身免疫病，其病理特征为炎性细胞增生浸润为主的滑膜炎症并侵及软骨和骨，导致关节破坏、功能障碍甚至残废，在我国RA患病率超过0.3%，全球患病率达0.5%。RA一直无特效疗法，1998年全球第一个治疗RA的生物制剂—TNFα单抗的诞生使RA治疗取得突破性的进展，但TNFα阻断剂仅在60-70% RA患者显示疗效，且这种治疗作用往往只是部分改善关节炎症和骨质损伤。本实验室致力于RA发病分子机制研究，以发现、鉴定新的RA诊断标记和治疗靶标。

江苏省普通高校优秀中青年骨干教师

近期论文（通讯作者）

•Xiaohua Mao, Zhenyi Su, Adnan K. Mookhtiar. Long non-coding RNA: a versatile regulator of the NF-κB signaling circuit.  Immunology 2017, 150(4):379-388.

• Gui Zhao, Zhenyi Su , Dan Song, Yimin Mao, Xiaohua Mao. The long noncoding RNA MALAT1 regulates the lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation response through its interaction with NF-kB. FEBS Lett. 2016, 590:2884.

• Daoyong Wang, Shihui Xu, Dan Song, Stefan Knight, Xiaohua Mao.  A gene encoding a potential adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate kinase is necessary for timely development of Myxococcus xanthus. Microbiology 2016, 162(4):672-83.

‍• Shanshan Cao, Miaomiao Wu, Shihui Xu, Xiuwen Yan, Xiaohua Mao. Identification of a putative flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding monooxygenase as a regulator for Myxococcus xanthus development. J Bacteriol 2015, 197(7):1185-1196.

• Juanli Duan, Jinlai Dong, Tiantian Zhang, Zhenyi Su, Jie Ding, Yu Zhang, Xiaohua Mao. Polyethyleneimine-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles for systemic siRNA delivery in experimental arthritis. Nanomedicine 2014; 9(6):789.

• Miaomiao Wu, Shihui Xu, Wei Zhu, Xiaohua Mao. The archaic chaperone-usher pathways may depend on donor strand exchange for intersubunit interactions. Microbiology 2014; 160:2200.

• Wei Zhu, Miaomiao Wu, Shanshan Cao, Yongxing Peng, Xiaohua Mao. Characterization of McuB, a periplasmic chaperone-like protein involved in the assembly of Myxococcus spore coat. J Bacteriol. 2013;195(13):3105-14.

• Tiantian Zhang, Xuehua Bai, Xiaohua Mao. Systemic Delivery of Small Interfering RNA Targeting the Interleukin-2/15 Receptor β Chain Prevents Disease Progression in Experimental Arthritis. PLoS ONE 2013; 8(11): e78619.

• Xiaoyan Leng, Wei Zhu,Jing Jin, Xiaohua Mao. Evidence that a chaperone–usher-like pathway of Myxococcus xanthus functions in spore coat formation. Microbiology 2011, 157:1886–1896

• Deling Wang, Xianglei Deng, Xiaoyan Leng, Xiaohua Mao. Interleukin-15 receptor-directed immunotoxins atteunuate disease severity in rat adjuvant arthritis. Mol Immunol 2010, 47:1535-43

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