Xiongjie Zheng

Postdoctoral Fellows

Postdoctoral Fellow

Location:

B2/L3 – 3255-WS18

Research Interests

  • Identification of key enzymes required for biosynthesis of important secondary metabolites (e.g., carotenoid-derived crocin pigments and plant hormones)
  • Exploring the genetic, evolutionary and biochemical basis of diversity of secondary metabolites in plants
  • Metabolic engineering of high-value carotenoid and apocarotenoid biosynthesis in plants

Selected Publications

  • Xiongjie Zheng, Kaijie Zhu, Quan Sun, Weiyi Zhang, … &, Zhiyong Pan, Shunyuan Xiao, Paul D. Fraser, Xiuxin Deng. (2019) Natural Variation in CCD4 Promoter Underpins Species-specific Evolution of Red Coloration in Citrus Peel. Molecular Plant. 12, 1294-1307. 
  • Xiongjie Zheng., Mi, J., Balakrishna, A., Liew, K. X., Ablazov, A., Sougrat, R., & Al-Babili, S. (2022). Gardenia carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4a is an efficient tool for biotechnological production of crocins in green and non-green plant tissues. Plant Biotechnology Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.13901
  • Xiongjie Zheng, Hendrik N.J. Kuijer, Salim Al-Babili. (2021) Carotenoid Biofortification of Crops in the CRISPR Era. Trends in Biotechnology. https://doiorg /10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.12.003. 
  • Chenqiao Zhu*, Xiongjie Zheng*(*co-first author), Yue Huang*, Junli Ye, …& Qiang Xu, and Xiuxin Deng. (2019) Genome Sequence and CRISPR Editing of a Fast-Flowering Mini Citrus (Fortunella hindsii). Plant Biotechnology Journal, 17(11), pp.2199-2210. 
  • Xiongjie Zheng, Yuqing Tang, Junli Ye, …& Paul D. Fraser, Xiuxin Deng. (2019) SLAF-based construction of a high-density genetic map and its application in QTL mapping of carotenoids content in citrus fruit. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 67, 994-1002. 
  • Xiongjie Zheng, Jianing Mi, Xiuxin Deng, Salim Al-Babili. (2021) LC-MS-based profiling provides new insights into apocarotenoid biosynthesis and modifications in citrus fruit. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 69, 6, 1842–1851. 
  • Xiongjie Zheng, Hendrik N.J. Kuijer, Salim Al-Babili. (2020) Carotenoid Biofortification of Crops in the CRISPR Era. Trends in Biotechnology. https://doiorg/10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.12.003
  • Xiongjie Zheng, Yuqing Tang, Junli Ye, Zhiyong Pan, Meilian Tan, Zongzhou Xie, Lijun Chai, Qiang Xu, Paul D. Fraser, Xiuxin Deng. (2019) SLAF-based construction of a high-density genetic map and its application in QTL mapping of carotenoids content in citrus fruit. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 67, 994-1002.
  • Xiongjie Zheng, Giovanni Giuliano, Salim Al-Babili. (2020) Carotenoid biofortification in crop plants: citius, altius, fortius. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbalip. 2020.158664. 
  • Xiongjie Zheng, Jianing Mi, Xiuxin Deng, Salim Al-Babili. (2021) LC-MS-based profiling provides new insights into apocarotenoid biosynthesis and modifications in citrus fruit. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Accepted, in press.