Zhen-Ming Pei | Scholars@Duke

Zhen-Ming Pei
Associate Professor of Biology

My laboratory is interested in the early signaling events by which plants sense environmental signals and decode to give the appropriate responses. Upon perception of external signals, cell surface receptors trigger an increase in cytosolic free calcium concentration, which is mediated by ion channels. Our long-term goals are to identify these receptors and ion channels, isolate their interacting components, and assign molecular functions to them. Currently, we are using multidisciplinary approaches of biophysics, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular genetics, and function genomics to dissect the signaling cascades of external calcium as well as nitric oxide in the model plant Arabidopsis.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Associate Professor of Biology, Biology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2008

Contact Information

3102 Ffsc, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-1000
Box 90338, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-1000
zpei@duke.edu (919) 613-8152

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology 1993
- M.S., Fudan University (China) 1990
- B.S., Lanzhou University (China) 1985
Duke Appointment History
- Assistant Professor of Biology, Biology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2001 - 2007
- Visiting Assistant Professor, Biology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2000
Recognition
In the News
- AUG 28, 2014 Ag Professional
  
  Water 'thermostat' could help engineer drought-resistant crops
- AUG 27, 2014
  
  Water ‘Thermostat’ Could Help Engineer Drought-Resistant Crops
Research
Selected Grants
- Genetics Training Grant awarded by National Institutes of Health 1979 - 2020
- Plant Osmosensors awarded by National Science Foundation 2015 - 2019
- Multi-functional Plasmonics Nanoprobes for Cellular Sensing and Imaging awarded by Department of Energy 2015 - 2019
- Functional analysis of Arabidopsis NSC1/DMI1 Ca2+ permeable channels awarded by National Science Foundation 2009 - 2013
- Molecular Genetic Analysis of Ca2+Channel-Mediated Cold Sensing awarded by Department of Agriculture 2006 - 2009
- Nutrient Ca2 Sensed by CAS Regulates the Floral Transition in Arabidopsis and Rice awarded by Department of Agriculture 2005 - 2009
- External-calcium Signal Transduction in Arabidopsis Guard Cells awarded by National Science Foundation 2005 - 2008
- Calcium Channel Regulation in Arabidopsis Guard Cells awarded by National Science Foundation 2002 - 2005
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Journal Articles
  - Zhu, Y-H, and Pei, Z-M. "GSK2193874 treatment at heatstroke onset reduced cell apoptosis in heatstroke mice." Cellular and Molecular Biology 64, no. 7 (June 12, 2018): 36-36. Full Text
  - Li, Q, Wang, YJ, Liu, CK, Pei, ZM, and Shi, WL. "The crosstalk between ABA, nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and calcium in stomatal closing of Arabidopsis thaliana." Biologia (Poland) 72, no. 10 (October 26, 2017): 1140-1146. Full Text
  - A.R. Webb, A, Kuchitsu, K, Kwak, J, Pei, Z-M, and Iida, H. "Sensors Make Sense of Signaling." Plant and Cell Physiology 58, no. 7 (July 2017): 1121-1125. Full Text
  - Cao, X-Q, Jiang, Z-H, Yi, Y-Y, Yang, Y, Ke, L-P, Pei, Z-M, and Zhu, S. "Biotic and Abiotic Stresses Activate Different Ca2+ Permeable Channels in Arabidopsis." Frontiers in plant science 8 (January 31, 2017): 83-. Full Text
  - Kong, D, Hu, H-C, Okuma, E, Lee, Y, Lee, HS, Munemasa, S, Cho, D, Ju, C, Pedoeim, L, Rodriguez, B, Wang, J, Im, W, Murata, Y, Pei, Z-M, and Kwak, JM. "L-Met Activates Arabidopsis GLR Ca2+ Channels Upstream of ROS Production and Regulates Stomatal Movement." Cell Reports 17, no. 10 (December 2016): 2553-2561. Full Text
  - Yuan, F, Yang, H, Xue, Y, Kong, D, Ye, R, Li, C, Zhang, J, Theprungsirikul, L, Shrift, T, Krichilsky, B, Johnson, DM, Swift, GB, He, Y, Siedow, JN, and Pei, ZM. "Corrigendum: OSCA1 mediates osmotic-stress-evoked Ca(2+) increases vital for osmosensing in Arabidopsis." Nature (February 2015).
  - Li, Y, Yuan, F, Wen, Z, Li, Y, Wang, F, Zhu, T, Zhuo, W, Jin, X, Wang, Y, Zhao, H, Pei, Z-M, and Han, S. "Genome-wide survey and expression analysis of the OSCA gene family in rice." BMC plant biology 15 (January 2015): 261-. Full Text
  - Yuan, F, Yang, H, Xue, Y, Kong, D, Ye, R, Li, C, Zhang, J, Theprungsirikul, L, Shrift, T, Krichilsky, B, Johnson, DM, Swift, GB, He, Y, Siedow, JN, and Pei, Z-M. "OSCA1 mediates osmotic-stress-evoked Ca2+ increases vital for osmosensing in Arabidopsis." Nature 514, no. 7522 (October 2014): 367-371. Full Text
  - Hu, W-J, Chen, J, Liu, T-W, Wu, Q, Wang, W-H, Liu, X, Shen, Z-J, Simon, M, Chen, J, Wu, F-H, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "Proteome and calcium-related gene expression in Pinus massoniana needles in response to acid rain under different calcium levels." Plant and Soil 380, no. 1-2 (July 2014): 285-303. Full Text
  - Wu, X, Wu, F-H, Wang, X, Wang, L, Siedow, JN, Zhang, W, and Pei, Z-M. "Molecular evolutionary and structural analysis of the cytosolic DNA sensor cGAS and STING." Nucleic acids research 42, no. 13 (July 2014): 8243-8257. Full Text
  - Hu, WJ, Chen, J, Liu, TW, Wu, Q, Wang, WH, Liu, X, Shen, ZJ, Simon, M, Chen, J, Wu, FH, Pei, ZM, and Zheng, HL. "Proteome and calcium-related gene expression in Pinus massoniana needles in response to acid rain under different calcium levels." Plant and Soil 380, no. 1 (January 1, 2014): 285-303. Full Text
  - Liu, W-Z, Kong, D-D, Gu, X-X, Gao, H-B, Wang, J-Z, Xia, M, Gao, Q, Tian, L-L, Xu, Z-H, Bao, F, Hu, Y, Ye, N-S, Pei, Z-M, and He, Y-K. "Cytokinins can act as suppressors of nitric oxide in Arabidopsis." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 110, no. 4 (January 14, 2013): 1548-1553. Full Text
  - Jiang, Z, Zhu, S, Ye, R, Xue, Y, Chen, A, An, L, and Pei, Z-M. "Relationship between NaCl- and H2O2-induced cytosolic Ca2+ increases in response to stress in Arabidopsis." Plos One 8, no. 10 (January 2013): e76130-null. Full Text
  - Wu, X, Pang, E, Lin, K, and Pei, Z-M. "Improving the Measurement of Semantic Similarity between Gene Ontology Terms and Gene Products: Insights from an Edge- and IC-Based Hybrid Method." PLoS ONE 8, no. 5 (2013). Full Text
  - Chen, J, Wu, F-H, Liu, T-W, Chen, L, Xiao, Q, Dong, X-J, He, J-X, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "Emissions of nitric oxide from 79 plant species in response to simulated nitrogen deposition." Environmental Pollution 160, no. 1 (2012): 192-200. Full Text
  - Huang, S-S, Chen, J, Dong, X-J, Patton, J, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "Calcium and calcium receptor CAS promote Arabidopsis thaliana de-etiolation." Physiologia Plantarum 144, no. 1 (2012): 73-82. Full Text
  - Liu, T-W, Hu, W-J, Wang, X-Q, Niu, L, Fu, B, Wu, F-H, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: A 2-D DIGE analysis of simulated acid rain-responsive proteins in Pinus massoniana needles." Trees - Structure and Function 26, no. 5 (2012): 1677--. Full Text
  - Wang, W-H, Yi, X-Q, Han, A-D, Liu, T-W, Chen, J, Wu, F-H, Dong, X-J, He, J-X, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "Calcium-sensing receptor regulates stomatal closure through hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide in response to extracellular calcium in Arabidopsis." Journal of Experimental Botany 63, no. 1 (January 2012): 177-190. Full Text
  - Liu, T, Jiang, X, Shi, W, Chen, J, Pei, Z, and Zheng, H. "Comparative proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in β-aminobutyric acid enhanced Arabidopsis thaliana tolerance to simulated acid rain." Proteomics 11, no. 10 (May 2011): 2079-2094. Full Text Link to Item
  - Chen, J, Wu, F-H, Wang, W-H, Zheng, C-J, Lin, G-H, Dong, X-J, He, J-X, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "Hydrogen sulphide enhances photosynthesis through promoting chloroplast biogenesis, photosynthetic enzyme expression, and thiol redox modification in Spinacia oleracea seedlings." Journal of Experimental Botany 62, no. 13 (2011): 4481-4493. Full Text
  - Liu, T-W, Fu, B, Niu, L, Chen, J, Wang, W-H, He, J-X, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "Comparative proteomic analysis of proteins in response to simulated acid rain in Arabidopsis." Journal of Proteome Research 10, no. 5 (2011): 2579-2589. Full Text
  - Liu, T-W, Wu, F-H, Wang, W-H, Chen, J, Li, Z-J, Dong, X-J, Patton, J, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "Effects of calcium on seed germination, seedling growth and photosynthesis of six forest tree species under simulated acid rain." Tree Physiology 31, no. 4 (2011): 402-413. Full Text
  - Tang, X, Chen, J, Wang, W-H, Liu, T-W, Zhang, J, Gao, Y-H, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "The changes of nitric oxide production during the growth of Microcystis aerugrinosa." Environmental Pollution 159, no. 12 (2011): 3784-3792. Full Text
  - Zhu, Z, Pei, ZM, and Zheng, HL. "Effect of salinity on osmotic adjustment characteristics of Kandelia candel." Russian Journal of Plant Physiology 58, no. 2 (2011): 226-232. Full Text
  - Chen, J, Xiao, Q, Wu, F, Dong, X, He, J, Pei, Z, and Zheng, H. "Nitric oxide enhances salt secretion and Na(+) sequestration in a mangrove plant, Avicennia marina, through increasing the expression of H(+)-ATPase and Na(+)/H(+) antiporter under high salinity." Tree Physiol 30, no. 12 (December 2010): 1570-1585. Full Text Link to Item
  - Chen, J, Xiao, Q, Wu, FH, Pei, ZM, Wang, J, Wu, YG, and Zheng, HL. "Nitric oxide emission from barley seedlings and detached leaves and roots treated with nitrate and nitrite." Plant, Soil and Environment 56, no. No. 5 (May 7, 2010): 201-208. Full Text
  - Chen, J, Wu, F-H, Xiao, Q, Yang, Z-H, Huang, S-K, Wang, J, Wu, Y-G, Dong, X-J, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "Diurnal variation of nitric oxide emission flux from a mangrove wetland in Zhangjiang River Estuary, China." Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 90, no. 4 (2010): 212-220. Full Text
  - Chen, L, Wu, F-H, Liu, T-W, Chen, J, Li, Z-J, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "Soil acidity reconstruction based on tree ring information of a dominant species Abies fabri in the subalpine forest ecosystems in southwest China." Environmental Pollution 158, no. 10 (2010): 3219-3224. Full Text
  - Wu, F, Liu, T, Pei, Z, and Zheng, H. "Calcuim depletion in forest ecosystem induced by acid rain: A review." Shengtai Xuebao/ Acta Ecologica Sinica 30, no. 4 (2010): 1081-1088.
  - Chen, J, Xiao, Q, Wu, F-H, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "Effects of environmental stress on nitric oxide emission from Hordeum vulgare seedlings." Chinese Journal of Ecology 28, no. 10 (2009): 1971-1976.
  - Ru, QM, Xiao, Q, Lin, P, Pei, ZM, and Zheng, HL. "Short- and long-term effects of NaCl on physiological and biochemical characteristics in leaves of a true mangrove, Kandelia candel." Russian Journal of Plant Physiology 56, no. 3 (2009): 363-369. Full Text
  - Ru, QM, Zhang, LR, Chen, JD, Pei, ZM, and Zheng, HL. "Microwave-assisted extraction and identification of polysaccharide from Lycoris aurea." Chemistry of Natural Compounds 45, no. 4 (2009): 474-477. Full Text
  - Wang, XQ, Yang, PF, Liu, Z, Liu, WZ, Hu, Y, Chen, H, Kuang, TY, Pei, ZM, Shen, SH, and He, YK. "Exploring the mechanism of Physcomitrella patens desiccation tolerance through a proteomic strategy ^1[W][OA]." Plant Physiology 149, no. 4 (2009): 1739-1750. Full Text
  - Wu, F-H, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "Eco-physiological effect of calcium imbalance caused by environmental acidification; A review." Chinese Journal of Ecology 28, no. 7 (2009): 1373-1380.
  - Liu, WZ, Zhang, RJ, Pei, Z-M, and He, YK. "The signal transduction of nitric oxide in plants." Prog Nat Sci 18, no. 1 (2008): 10-24. (Academic Article)
  - Pei, Z-M, and Gilroy, S. "Calcium signals and their regulation." Annual Plant Reviews: Intracellular Signaling in Plants 33 (2008): 137-162. (Academic Article)
  - Ru, Q-M, Pei, Z-M, and Zheng, H-L. "In vitro studies on antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of polysaccharide from Lycoris aurea." Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials 31, no. 10 (2008): 1536-1540.
  - Tang, R-H, Han, S, Zheng, H, Cook, CW, Choi, CS, Woerner, TE, Jackson, RB, and Pei, Z-M. "Coupling diurnal cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations to the CAS-IP3 pathway in Arabidopsis." Science 315, no. 5817 (March 9, 2007): 1423-1426. Full Text Link to Item
  - Qiang, X, Qiaomei, R, Feihua, W, Xuan, H, Zhenming, P, and Hailei, Z. "Nitric Oxide Alleviates Oxidative Stress Caused by Lanthanum in Rice Leaves." Journal of Rare Earths 25, no. 5 (2007): 631-636. Full Text
  - Zhao, X, Pei, Z-M, and He, Y-K. "Extracellular Ca2+ signaling: first messenger in animals and plants." Yi chuan = Hereditas / Zhongguo yi chuan xue hui bian ji 29, no. 3 (2007): 269-275.
  - Pei, Z-M, and Kuchitsu, K. "Early ABA signaling events in guard cells." Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 24, no. 4 (2005): 296-307. Full Text
  - He, Y, Tang, R-H, Hao, Y, Stevens, RD, Cook, CW, Ahn, SM, Jing, L, Yang, Z, Chen, L, Guo, F, Fiorani, F, Jackson, RB, Crawford, NM, and Pei, Z-M. "Nitric oxide represses the Arabidopsis floral transition." Science (New York, N.Y.) 305, no. 5692 (September 2004): 1968-1971. Full Text
  - Han, S, Tang, R, Anderson, LK, Woerner, TE, and Pei, Z-M. "A cell surface receptor mediates extracellular Ca(2+) sensing in guard cells." Nature 425, no. 6954 (September 2003): 196-200. Full Text
  - Kwak, JM, Mori, IC, Pei, Z-M, Leonhardt, N, Torres, MA, Dangl, JL, Bloom, RE, Bodde, S, Jones, JDG, and Schroeder, JI. "NADPH oxidase AtrbohD and AtrbohF genes function in ROS-dependent ABA signaling in Arabidopsis." The Embo Journal 22, no. 11 (June 2003): 2623-2633. Full Text
  - Murata, Y, Pei, Z-M, Mori, IC, and Schroeder, J. "Erratum: Abscisic acid activation of plasma membrane ca²⁺ channels in guard cells requires cytosolic NAD(P)H and is differentially disrupted upstream and downstream of reactive oxygen species production in abi1-1 and abi2-1 protein phosphatase 2C mutants (Plant Cell (2001) 13 (2513-2523))." Plant Cell 14, no. 1 (2002): 287--. Full Text
  - Shang, Y, Yang, P, and Pei, Z. "Research at channel level on the effect of LaCl₃ on Radish (Raphanus satirus L.) vacuolar membrane." Chinese Science Bulletin 47, no. 2 (2002): 111-115.
  - Murata, Y, Pei, ZM, Mori, IC, and Schroeder, J. "Abscisic acid activation of plasma membrane Ca(2+) channels in guard cells requires cytosolic NAD(P)H and is differentially disrupted upstream and downstream of reactive oxygen species production in abi1-1 and abi2-1 protein phosphatase 2C mutants." The Plant Cell 13, no. 11 (November 2001): 2513-2523. Full Text
  - Yang, P, Shang, YF, and Pei, ZM. "Action Mechanism Research of Lanthanons to Slow Vacuolar Ion Channels in Raphanus Satirus L. (Xinlimei) Radish by Patch-Clamp." Chinese Chemical Letters 12, no. 9 (2001): 813-814.
  - Pei, Z-M, Murata, Y, Benning, G, Thomine, S, Klüsener, B, Allen, GJ, Grill, E, and Schroeder, JI. "Calcium channels activated by hydrogen peroxide mediate abscisic acidsignalling in guard cells." Nature 406, no. 6797 (August 2000): 731-734. Full Text
  - Pei, Z-M, Ward, JM, and Schroeder, JI. "Magnesium sensitizes slow vacuolar channels to physiological cytosolic calcium and inhibits fast vacuolar channels in fava bean guard cell vacuoles." Plant Physiology 121, no. 3 (1999): 977-986.
  - Pei, ZM, Ghassemian, M, Kwak, CM, McCourt, P, and Schroeder, JI. "Role of farnesyltransferase in ABA regulation of guard cell anion channels and plant water loss." Science (New York, N.Y.) 282, no. 5387 (October 1998): 287-290. Full Text
  - Pei, Z-M, Baizabal-Aguirre, VM, Allen, GJ, and Schroeder, JI. "A transient outward-rectifying K⁺ channel current down-regulated by cytosolic Ca²⁺ in Arabidopsis thaliana guard cells." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 95, no. 11 (1998): 6548-6553. Full Text
  - Pei, Z-M, Schroeder, JI, and Schwarz, M. "Background ion channel activities in Arabidopsis guard cells and review of ion channel regulation by protein phosphorylation events." Journal of Experimental Botany 49, no. SPEC. ISS. (1998): 319-328.
  - Pei, ZM, Kuchitsu, K, Ward, JM, Schwarz, M, and Schroeder, JI. "Differential abscisic acid regulation of guard cell slow anion channels in Arabidopsis wild-type and abi1 and abi2 mutants." The Plant Cell 9, no. 3 (March 1997): 409-423. Full Text
  - Ichida, AM, Pei, Z-M, Baizabal-Aguirre, VM, Turner, KJ, and Schroeder, JI. "Expression of a Cs⁺-resistant guard cell K⁺ channel confers Cs⁺-resistant, light-induced stomatal opening in transgenic Arabidopsis." Plant Cell 9, no. 10 (1997): 1843-1857. Full Text
  - Pei, ZM, Ward, JM, Harper, JF, and Schroeder, JI. "A novel chloride channel in Vicia faba guard cell vacuoles activated by the serine/threonine kinase, CDPK." The Embo Journal 15, no. 23 (December 1996): 6564-6574.
  - Pei, Z, Fu, W, Guo, L, and Tang, Z. "Effect of salt stress on photosystem II heterogeneity in wheat leaves." Science in China, Series C: Life Sciences 39, no. 5 (1996): 501-510.
  - Ward, JM, Pei, Z-M, and Schroeder, JI. "Roles of ion channels in initiation of signal transduction in higher plants." Plant Cell 7 (1995): 833-844. (Academic Article) Link to Item
Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses
- BIOLOGY 213D: Cell Signaling and Diseases 2018
- BIOLOGY 293: Research Independent Study 2018
- BIOLOGY 412S: Sensory Signal Transduction 2018
- BIOLOGY 493: Research Independent Study 2018
- BIOLOGY 213: Cell Signaling and Diseases 2016
- BIOLOGY 791T: Tutorial 2016
- BIOLOGY 792: Research 2016
Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
Presentations & Appearances
Service to the Profession
- NSF proposal reviewer. December 15, 2008 2008
- Reviewer for multiple journals. December 15, 2008 2008

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

In the News

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

Recent Courses

Presentations & Appearances

Service to the Profession