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, A.M. and Zhou, X. (2016). "Preface.", in Wang, A. and Zhou, X. (eds.) - Current Research Topics in Plant Virology, Springer, pp. 5-6.

    2016 - View publication details

  2. 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

  3. Liu, J., Zhang, X.J., Yang, Y.K., Hong, N., Wang, G.P., Wang, A., Wang, L.P. (2016). Characterization of virus-derived small interfering RNAs in Apple stem grooving virus-infected in vitro-cultured Pyrus pyrifolia shoot tips in response to high temperature treatment. Virology Journal, [online] 13(1), 1-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12985-016-0625-0

    2016 - View publication details

  4. Gaguancela, O.A., Źuñiga, L.P., Arias, A.V., Halterman, D., Flores, F.J., Johansen, I.E., Wang, A., Yamaji, Y., Verchot, J. (2016). The IRE1/bZIP60 pathway and bax inhibitor 1 suppress systemic accumulation of potyviruses and potexviruses in arabidopsis and nicotiana benthamiana plants. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, [online] 29(10), 750-766. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-07-16-0147-R

    2016 - View publication details

  5. Zhang, L., Zhang, C., Wang, A. (2016). Divergence and Conservation of the Major UPR Branch IRE1-bZIP Signaling Pathway across Eukaryotes. Scientific Reports, [online] 6 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep27362

    2016 - View publication details

  6. Bhagwat, B., Dickison, V., Ding, X., Walker, M., Bernardy, M., Bouthillier, M., Creelman, A., DeYoung, R., Li, Y., Nie, X., Wang, A., Xiang, Y., Sanfaçon, H. (2016). Genome sequence analysis of five Canadian isolates of strawberry mottle virus reveals extensive intra-species diversity and a longer RNA2 with increased coding capacity compared to a previously characterized European isolate. Archives of Virology, [online] 161(6), 1657-1663. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00705-016-2799-6

    2016 - View publication details

  7. Cui, H., Wang, A. (2016). Plum Pox Virus 6K1 protein is required for viral replication and targets the viral replication complex at the early stage of infection. Journal of Virology, [online] 90(10), 5119-5131. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.00024-16

    2016 - View publication details

  8. Li, Y., Cui, H., Cui, X., and Wang, A.M. (2016). "The altered photosynthetic machinery during compatible virus infection.", Current Opinion in Virology, 17, pp. 19-24. doi : 10.1016/j.coviro.2015.11.002

    2016 - View publication details

  9. Chen, H., Arsovski, A.A., Yu, K., Wang, A. (2016). Genome-wide investigation using sRNA-seq, degradome-seq and transcriptome-seq reveals regulatory networks of MicroRNAs and their target genes in soybean during soybean mosaic virus infection. PLoS ONE, [online] 11(3), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150582

    2016 - View publication details

  10. Elhiti, M., Wang, H., Austin, R.S., Chen, B., Brown, D., Wang, A. (2016). Generation of chemically induced mutations using in vitro propagated shoot tip tissues for genetic improvement of fruit trees. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, [online] 124(2), 447-452. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11240-015-0894-0

    2016 - View publication details

  11. Cui, X., Song, P., Chen, X., and Wang, A.M. (2015). "Identification and functional characterization for host factors interaction with soybean mosaic virus encoded P3N-PiPo.", 34th Annual Meeting of American Society for Virology, London, Ontario, Canada, July 11-15, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  12. Chen, H. and Wang, A.M. (2015). "The potyviral 6K1 protein is indispensable for viral replication.", 34th Annual Meeting of American Society for Virology, London, Ontario, Canada, July 11-15, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  13. Xiong, R., Cheng, X., and Wang, A.M. (2015). "The SUMOylation Pathway Plays an Essential Role in Potyvirus Infection.", 4th International Conference on Biotic Plant Interactions, Nanjing, China, August 1-3, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  14. Chen, H., Arsovski, A.A., and Wang, A.M. (2015). "Genome-wide investigation of sRNA-seq, degradome-seq and transcriptome-seq reveals strain-specific regulation of microRNAs and differential transcriptional response to Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) infection in soybean.", 34th Annual Meeting of American Society for Virology, London, Ontario, Canada, July 11-15, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  15. Wang, A.M. (2015). "Towards development of next generation resistance to viral diseases in legume and vegetable crops.", 5th conference of the International Working Group on Legume and Vegetable Viruses, Haarlem, The Netherlands, August 30-September 3, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  16. Dai, Z., Bernards, M.A., and Wang, A.M. (2015). "Molecular characterization of the viral coat protein (CP) in Turnip mosaic virus cell-to-cell movement.", 34th Annual Meeting of American Society for Virology, London, Ontario, Canada, July 11-15, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  17. Wang, A.M. (2015). "Develop genetic resistance to potyviruses.", 3rd Beijing International Symposium on Molecular Plant Pathology (BISMPP), Beijing, China, July 28-30, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  18. Wang, A.M., Tian, L.-N., Brown, D.C.W., Svircev, A.M., Stobbs, L.W., and Sanfaçon, H. (2015). "Generation of efficient resistance to Plum pox virus (PPV) in Nicotiana benthamiana and Prunus domestica expressing triple-intron-spanned double-hairpin RNAs simultaneously targeting 5’ and 3’ conserved genomic regions of PPV.", Acta Horticulturae (ISHS), 1063, pp. 77-84.

    2015 - View publication details

  19. Simkovich, A., Kohalmi, S.E., and Wang, A.M. (2015). "Small RNA sequencing leads to the first report of Cherry virus A in Ontario, Canada.", 34th Annual Meeting of American Society for Virology, London, Ontario, Canada, July 11-15, 2015.

    2015 - View publication details

  20. Chen, B., Hernández-Sebastià, C., and Wang, A.M. (2015). "Molecular identification of viral pathogens infecting greenhouse cucumber plants in Ontario using next generation sequencing and determination of the entire genome sequence of the causal pathogen Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus.", 34th Annual Meeting of American Society for Virology, London, Ontario, Canada, July 11-15, 2015.

    2015 - 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