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) 
  • Characterization of Emerging Apple and Cherry Tree Decline Diseases in Canada
  • Sustainable CEA production systems
  • Development of Genetic Resistance to Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus
  • Development of Novel Strategies against Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (APMS)
  • Molecular Plant-Virus Interactions: Defense and Counter-Defense (NSERC, via Western University)

Research and/or project statements

Most Recent Publications :

Journal papers 

  1. Zhang S, Griffiths G, Marchand G, Bernards M, Wang A* (2022) Tomato brown rugose fruit virus: an emerging and rapidly spreading plant RNA virus that threatens tomato production worldwide. Molecular Plant Pathology published online  https://doi.org/10.1111/mpp.13229
  2. Xiong R, Wang A, Marsolais F, Todd C* (2022). A fast and efficient method to introduce Apple Latent Spherical Virus to legume plants via Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation of hairy roots. Legume Science  published online http://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.154
  3. Wu G, Jia Z, Rui P, Zheng H, Lu Y, Lin L, Peng J, Rao S, Wang A, Chen J*, Yan F* (2022) Acidic dileucine motifs in the cylindrical inclusion protein of turnip mosaic virus are crucial for endosomal targeting and viral replication. Molecular Plant Pathology published online https://doi.org/10.1111/mpp.13231
  4. Usovsky M, Chen P*, Li D, Wang A, Shi A, Zheng C, Shakiba E, Lee D, Canella Vieira C, Lee YC, Wu C, Cervantez I, Dong D (2022) Decades of genetic research on Soybean mosaic virus resistance in soybean. Viruses 14(6): 1122. https://doi.org/10.3390/v14061122
  5. Jia D, Liang Q, Liu H, Li G, Zhang X, Chen Q, Wang A, Wei T* (2022) A nonstructural protein encoded by a rice reovirus induces an incomplete autophagy to promote viral spread in insect vectors. PLoS Pathogens 18: e1010506. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1010506
  6. Wu G, Jia Z, Ding K, Zheng H, Lu Y, Lin L, Peng J, Rao S, Wang A, Chen J*, Yan F* (2022) Turnip mosaic virus co-opts the vacuolar sorting receptor VSR4 to promote viral genome replication in plants by targeting viral replication vesicles to the endosome. PLoS Pathogens 18(1): e1010257. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1010257
  7. Zhang M, Gong P, Ge L, Li Y, Chang Z, Qiao R, Zhou X, Wang A*, Li F* (2022) Nuclear Exportin 1 (XPO1) binds to the nuclear localization/export signal of the turnip mosaic virus NIb to promote viral infection. Frontiers in Microbiology 12: 780724. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.780724
  8. Simkovich A, Li Y, Kohalmi S, Griffiths G, Wang A* (2021) Molecular identification of prune dwarf virus (PDV) infecting sweet cherry in Canada and development of a PDV full-length infectious cDNA clone. Viruses 13 (10): 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/v13102025
  9. 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.2021.03.002
  10. Yang X, Li Y, Wang A* (2021) Research advances in potyviruses: from the laboratory bench to the field. Annual Review of Phytopathology 59: 1–29.  https://doi.org/1146/annurev-phyto-020620-114550
  11. Simkovich A, Kohalmi S, Wang A* (2021) First report of little cherry virus 1 infecting sweet cherry in Ontario, Canada. Plant Disease https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-21-0798-PDN
  12. Simkovich A, Kohalmi S, Wang A* (2021) First report of cherry virus A infecting sweet cherry in Ontario, Canada. New Disease Reports 44: e12022. https://doi.org/10.1002/ndr2.1202
  13. Zhang M, Gong P, Ge L, Chang Z, Cheng X, Zhou X, Wang A, Li F* (2021) Nuclear exportin 1 facilitates turnip mosaic virus infection by exporting the sumoylated viral replicase and by repressing plant immunity. New Phytologist (2021) 232: 1382–1398. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17657
  14. 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

Books and Book chapters

  1. Wang A*, Li Y (2022) Methods in Molecular Biology: Plant Virology Methods and Protocols (320 pages). Part of the Methods in Molecular Biology book series (MIMB, volume 2400). https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-0716-1835-6
  2. Chen X*, Luan Y, Wang A (2022) In Vivo Detection of Double-Stranded RNA by dRBFC Assay. In Wang A, Li Y (eds) Plant Virology: Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology 2400: 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1835-6_1
  3. Li F*, Wang A (2022) Transient Expression–Mediated Gene Silencing in Plants and Suppression of Gene Silencing with Viral Suppressors. In Wang A, Li Y (eds) Plant Virology: Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology 2400: 33-41. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1835-6_4
  4. Dai Z, Wang A* (2022) Isolation and Transfection of Plant Mesophyll Protoplasts for Virology Research. In Wang A, Li Y (eds) Plant Virology: Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology 2400: 43-53. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1835-6_5
  5. Dai Z, Wang A* (2022) Monitoring Virus Intercellular Movement from Primary Infected Cells to Neighboring Cells in Plants. In Wang A, Li Y (eds) Plant Virology: Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology 2400: 63-73. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1835-6_7
  6. Tang Z, Bernards M, Wang A* (2022) Simultaneous Determination and Subcellular Localization of Protein–Protein Interactions in Plant Cells Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation Assay. In Wang A, Li Y (eds) Plant Virology: Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology 2400: 75-85. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1835-6_8
  7. Lyu S, Zhang C, Hou X, Wang A* (2022) Tag-Based Pull-Down Assay.  In Wang A, Li Y (eds) Plant Virology: Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology 2400: 105-114. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1835-6_11
  8. He R, Bernards M, Wang A* (2022)  Purification of Plasmodesmata-Enriched Fraction for Proteomic Analyses. In Wang A, Li Y (eds) Plant Virology: Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology 2400: 115-123. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1835-6_12
  9. Simkovich A, Kohalmi SE, Wang A* (2022). Purification and Proteomics Analysis of Phloem Tissues from Virus-Infected Plants. In Wang A, Li Y (eds) Plant Virology: Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology 2400: 125-137. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1835-6_13
  10. Li Y, Wang A* (2022) Biolistic Inoculation of Fruit Trees with Full-Length Infectious cDNA Clones of RNA Viruses. In Wang A, Li Y (eds) Plant Virology: Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology 2400: 207-216. https://doi.org/1007/978-1-0716-1835-6_20

 

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. 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

  2. Wu, G., Cui, X., Chen, H., Renaud, J.B., Yu, K., Chen, X., Wang, A. (2018). Dynamin-like proteins of endocytosis in plants are coopted by potyviruses to enhance virus infection. Journal of Virology, [online] 92(23), http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01320-18

    2018 - View publication details

  3. 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. Scientia Horticulturae, [online] 226 250-260. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2017.08.053

    2017 - View publication details

  4. 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. Plant Journal, [online] 92(5), 846-861. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tpj.13723

    2017 - View publication details

  5. 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

  6. Chen, H., Adam Arsovski, A., Yu, K., Wang, A. (2017). Deep sequencing leads to the identification of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A as a key element in Rsv1-mediated lethal systemic hypersensitive response to Soybean mosaic virus infection in soybean. Molecular Plant Pathology, [online] 18(3), 391-404. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mpp.12407

    2017 - View publication details

  7. Wylie, S.J., Adams, M., Chalam, C., Kreuze, J., López-Moya, J.J., Ohshima, K., Praveen, S., Rabenstein, F., Stenger, D., Wang, A., Zerbini, F.M. (2017). ICTV virus taxonomy profile: Potyviridae. Journal of General Virology, [online] 98(3), 352-354. http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.000740

    2017 - View publication details

  8. Cui, H., Wang, A. (2017). An efficient viral vector for functional genomic studies of Prunus fruit trees and its induced resistance to Plum pox virus via silencing of a host factor gene. Plant Biotechnology Journal, [online] 15(3), 344-356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pbi.12629

    2017 - View publication details

  9. Cheng, X., Xiong, R., Li, Y., Li, F., Zhou, X., and Wang, A.M. (2017). "Sumoylation of the Turnip mosaic virus RNA polymerase promotes viral infection by counteracting the host NPR1-mediated immune response.", Plant Cell. doi: http:/​/​dx.​doi.​org/​10.​1105/​tpc.​16.​00774

    2017 - View publication details

  10. Li, F., Zhao, N., Li, Z., Xu, X., Wang, Y., Yang, X., Liu, S.S., Wang, A., Zhou, X. (2017). A calmodulin-like protein suppresses RNA silencing and promotes geminivirus infection by degrading SGS3 via the autophagy pathway in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLoS Pathogens, [online] 13(2), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1006213

    2017 - View publication details

  11. Cheng, X., Wang, A. (2017). The potyvirus silencing suppressor protein VPg mediates degradation of SGS3 via ubiquitination and autophagy pathways. Journal of Virology, [online] 91(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01478-16

    2017 - View publication details

  12. Ding, X., Li, Y., Hernández-Sebastià, C., Abbasi, P.A., Fisher, P., Celletti, M., and Wang, A.M. (2016). "First Report of Strawberry crinivirus 4 on Strawberry in Canada.", Plant Disease, pp. 1-3. doi : 10.1094/PDIS-01-16-0009-PDN

    2016 - View publication details

  13. Li, Y., Zhang, C., Wang A.M. (2016). "The DEAD-box RNA helicase AtRH9 in Arabidopsis that is required for Turnip mosaic virus infection.", 35th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, Blacksburg, Virginia June 18–22, 2016.

    2016 - View publication details

  14. Li, F., Wang, A.M. (2016) "The autophagy key protein, Beclin1, interacts with and degrades the replication protein to inhibit potyviral infection in plants.", 35th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, Blacksburg, Virginia June 18–22, 2016.

    2016 - View publication details

  15. Wang, A.M. (2016). "Developing Next Generation Resistance to Plant Viral Diseases.", 5th Fuzhou International Symposium of Plant Pathology, Fuzhou, China, August 21-23, 2016

    2016 - View publication details

  16. Wang, A.M. (2016). "Future Perspectives of Plant-Virus-Host Interactions.", 5th Fuzhou International Symposium of Plant Pathology. Fuzhou, China, August 21-23, 2016.

    2016 - View publication details

  17. Simkovich, A., Kohalmi, S., Wang, A.M. (2016). "Small RNA Sequencing Leads to the First Report of Cherry Virus A in Ontario, Canada.", 35th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, Blacksburg, Virginia June 18–22, 2016.

    2016 - View publication details

  18. Wang, A.M. and Zhou, X. (2016). Current Research Topics in Plant Virology., Springer. (Book)

    2016 - View publication details

  19. Chen, B., Cheng, X., Bernards, M., Wang, A.M. (2016) "Molecular identification and the complete genome sequence of a new Ilarvirus from pepper.", 35th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, Blacksburg, Virginia June 18–22, 2016.

    2016 - View publication details

  20. Zhang, L. and Wang, A.M. (2016). "ER stress, UPR and virus infections in plants.", in Wang, A. and Zhou, X. (eds.) - Current Research Topics in Plant Virology, Springer, pp. 173-196.

    2016 - 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