Aiming Wang, Ph.D

Image Aiming Wang
Research Scientist

My research program is directed to study the viral pathogens that threaten crop production in Canada. Extensive research has been done to identify the viral pathogens that cause devastating diseases on soybean, cereals, field horticultural crops, and greenhouse vegetables, and to better understand the infection process of the identified major viruses. Much of the research has also been concentrated on the development of genetic resistance, vaccines, and other novel technologies to control them.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
1391 Sandford Street London, ON

Current research and/or projects

  • Development of Peach Germplasms Resistant to Plum Pox Virus (PPV) (A-base)
  • Characterization of Emerging Apple and Cherry Tree Decline (FTD) Diseases in Canada (CAP)
  • Sustainable CEA production systems (CAP)
  • Development of Genetic Resistance to Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus
  • Molecular Plant-Virus Interactions: Defense and Counter-Defense (NSERC, via Western University)

Research and/or project statements

Most Recent Publications :

Journal papers: 

Wang A* (2021) Cell-to-cell movement of plant viruses via plasmodesmata: A current perspective on potyviruses. Current Opinion in Virology 48: 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coviro.20203.002

Yang X, Li Y, Wang A* (2021) Research advances in potyviruses: from the laboratory bench to the field. Annual Review of Phytopathology 59: (in press)  https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-phyto-020620-114550

Qin L, Shen W, Tang Z, Hu W, Shangguan L, Wang Y, Tuo D, Li Z, Miao W, Valli AA, Wang A, Cui H* (2021) A newly identified virus in the family Potyviridae encodes two leader cysteine proteases in tandem that evolve contrasting RNA silencing suppression functions. Journal of Virology 95: e01414-20 https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01414-20

Li F, Zhang C, Tang Z, Zhang L, Dai Z, Lyu S, Li Y, Hou X, Bernards M, Wang A* (2020), A plant RNA virus activates selective autophagy in a UPR‐dependent manner to promote virus infection. New Phytologist 228: 622–639. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.16716  

Dai Z, He R, Bernards M, Wang A* (2020) The cis-expression of the coat protein of turnip mosaic virus is essential for viral intercellular movement in plants. Molecular Plant Pathology 21: 1194–1211. https://doi.org/10.1111/mpp.12973  

Book Chapters:

Simkovich A, Kohalmi S, Wang A* (2020)  Illaviruses. In  Encyclopedia of Virology 4th edition, Elsevier. (In press) https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809633-8.21301-0.

Cui H*, Li Y, Wang A* (2020) A Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV)-based viral vector for characterization of gene functions in Prunus fruit trees. In: Courdavault V, Besseau S. (eds) - Virus-Induced Gene Silencing in Plants. Methods in Molecular Biology, Vol 2172, pp 155-163. Humana, New York, NY https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0751-0_12

Tang Z, Bernards M, Wang A* (2020) Identification and manipulation of host factors for the control of plant viruses. In: Awasth LP (ed) -  Applied Plant Virology, pp 671-695.  Academic Press, London, UK https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818654-1.00048-7

 

Professional activities / interests

  • Understanding of molecular virus-plant interactions and virus genome expression and replication mechanism
  • Molecular isolation of host factors and natural resistance genes
  • Development of novel antiviral strategies through biotechnology and beneficial uses of plant viruses
  • Training PhD students and postdoctoral scientists

Education and awards

PhD, the University of British Columbia in 1999

Gold Harvest (Innovation and Excellence), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 2010

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Government of Canada in 2013

Outstanding Research Award, the Canadian Phytopathological Society in 2019

Ruth Allen Award, the American Phytopathological Society in 2019

International experience and/or work

Collaborative research being carried out with colleagues in China, the United States, Spain and France

Additional links

‪Aiming Wang‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬

Key publications

  1. Harris, J.M., Balint-Kurti, P., Bede, J.C., Day, B., Gold, S., Goss, E.M., Grenville-Briggs, L.J., Jones, K.M., Wang, A., Wang, Y., Mitra, R.M., Sohn, K.H., Alvarez, M.E. (2020). What are the Top 10 Unanswered Questions in Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions?, 33(12), 1354-1365. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-08-20-0229-CR

    2020 - View publication details

  2. Pollari, M., De, S., Wang, A., Mäkinen, K. (2020). The potyviral silencing suppressor HCPro recruits and employs host ARGONAUTE1 in pro-viral functions, 16(10), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1008965

    2020 - View publication details

  3. Li, F., Zhang, C., Tang, Z., Zhang, L., Dai, Z., Lyu, S., Li, Y., Hou, X., Bernards, M., Wang, A. (2020). A plant RNA virus activates selective autophagy in a UPR-dependent manner to promote virus infection, 228(2), 622-639. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.16716

    2020 - View publication details

  4. Dai, Z., He, R., Bernards, M.A., Wang, A. (2020). The cis-expression of the coat protein of turnip mosaic virus is essential for viral intercellular movement in plants, 21(9), 1194-1211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mpp.12973

    2020 - View publication details

  5. Chai, M., Wu, X., Liu, J., Fang, Y., Luan, Y., Cui, X., Zhou, X., Wang, A., Cheng, X. (2020). P3N-PIPO interacts with P3 via the shared N-Terminal domain to recruit viral replication vesicles for cell-to-cell movement, 94(8), http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01898-19

    2020 - View publication details

  6. Cui, H., Li, Y., Wang, A. 2172 155-163. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0751-0_12

    2020 - View publication details

  7. Wu, G., Cui, X., Dai, Z., He, R., Li, Y., Yu, K., Bernards, M., Chen, X., Wang, A. (2020). A plant RNA virus hijacks endocytic proteins to establish its infection in plants, 101(2), 384-400. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tpj.14549

    2020 - View publication details

  8. Cui, H., Wang, A. (2019). The Biological Impact of the Hypervariable N-Terminal Region of Potyviral Genomes, 6 255-274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-virology-092818-015843

    2019 - View publication details

  9. Griffiths, J., Lofano, A., Ellouze, W., Wang, A. (2019) Apple and apricot decline in Ontario. Plant Canada 2019, July 7-10. University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

    2019 - View publication details

  10. Tran, H.H., Chen, B., Chen, H., Menassa, R., Hao, X., Bernards, M., Hüner, N.P.A., Wang, A. (2019). Development of a cucumber green mottle mosaic virus-based expression vector for the production in cucumber of neutralizing epitopes against a devastating animal virus, 269 18-25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jviromet.2019.04.006

    2019 - View publication details

  11. Hu, W., Luo, H., Yang, Y., Wang, Q., Hong, N., Wang, G., Wang, A., Wang, L. (2019). Comprehensive analysis of full genome sequence and Bd-milRNA/target mRNAs to discover the mechanism of hypovirulence in Botryosphaeria dothidea strains on pear infection with BdCV1 and BdPV1, 10(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s43008-019-0008-4

    2019 - View publication details

  12. Yang, K., Shen, W., Li, Y., Li, Z., Miao, W., Wang, A., Cui, H. (2019). Areca palm necrotic ringspot virus, classified within a recently proposed genus arepavirus of the family Potyviridae, is associated with necrotic ringspot disease in areca palm, 109(5), 887–894. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-06-18-0200-R

    2019 - View publication details

  13. Zhang, F., Yang, Z., Hong, N., Wang, G., Wang, A., Wang, L. (2019). Identification and characterization of water chestnut Soymovirus-1 (WCSV-1), a novel Soymovirus in water chestnuts (Eleocharis dulcis), 19(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12870-019-1761-7

    2019 - View publication details

  14. Wu, X., Liu, J., Chai, M., Wang, J., Li, D., Wang, A., Cheng, X. (2019). The potato virus X TGBP2 protein plays dual functional roles in viral replication and movement, 93(5), http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01635-18

    2019 - View publication details

  15. Bujarski, J., Gallitelli, D., García-Arenal, F., Pallás, V., Palukaitis, P., Krishna Reddy, M., Wang, A. (2019). ICTV virus taxonomy profile: Bromoviridae, 100(8), 1206-1207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001282

    2019 - View publication details

  16. Towards Development of Next Generation Resistance to Soybean Mosaic Virus. Kangfu Yu and Aiming Wang. Plant Biology Europe 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark. On June 17-21, 2018.

    2018 - View publication details

  17. Wang AM (2018) Virus and Host Plant Interactions. eLS. doi: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0000758.pub3John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net

    2018 - View publication details

  18. Park, S.H., Elhiti, M., Wang, H., Xu, A., Brown, D., Wang, A. (2017). Adventitious root formation of in vitro peach shoots is regulated by auxin and ethylene, 226 250-260. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2017.08.053

    2017 - View publication details

  19. Park, S.H., Li, F., Renaud, J., Shen, W., Li, Y., Guo, L., Cui, H., Sumarah, M., Wang, A. (2017). NbEXPA1, an α-expansin, is plasmodesmata-specific and a novel host factor for potyviral infection, 92(5), 846-861. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tpj.13723

    2017 - View publication details

  20. T. Bashar, R. Belfrage, J. McNeil, M. Bernards, K. Yu, and A. Wang. 2017.A Study on Soybean Mosaic Virus Transmission via Soybean Seeds. Plant Biology 2017. June 24-28, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.

    2017 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

London Research and Development Centre
1391 Sandford Street
London, ON N5V 4T3
Canada

Expertise

Agriculture›Virology›Molecular plant
Plant›Pathology›Virus
Sciences›Scientific research

Affiliations

  • Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario
  • Editor of the Journals "Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (MPMI)" and "PLoS Pathogenes"
  • Associated Editor of the Journals "Journal of Virology", "Scientific Reports", "Virology", and Virology Journal.
  • Lifetime Member, American Society for Virology
  • Full Member, International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
  • Member of International Plum Pox Virus Scientific Committee
  • Member of Bromoviridae Study Group, International Committee on Taxonomy on Viruses

Language

English