Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Cai-Zhong Jiang
Department of Plant Sciences
Mann Lab, Mail Stop 3
USDA/ARS
Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit
University of California at Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A.
Phone 1-530-752-7060 (Office)
1-530-220-0308 (Cell)
Fax: 1-530-752-4554
E-mail: cjiang@ucdavis.edu;
caizhong.jiang@ars.usda.gov
Biography:
Dr. Jiang received a BS degree in Agronomy from the Guangxi Agricultural College
in China. He received a MS degree and Ph.D. in Crop Sciences at the Tokyo University of
Agriculture and Technology in Japan. After graduation Dr. Jiang joined the Departments of
Botany and Agronomy, Iowa State University in Ames as a Post-Doctoral Research
Associate where he conducted studies of regulation of photosynthesis. He then moved to UC
Davis, Plant Biology where he examined DNA repair and mutagenesis in Arabidopsis. In
1997 Dr. Jiang took a job as a Senior Scientist with a functional genomics company, Mendel
Biotechnology in California where he worked to characterize the function of plant
transcription factor genes as the basis for creating novel products for agriculture. In 2003 Dr.
Jiang returned to Davis in the Department of Plant Sciences to conduct studies of the
mechanism of regulation of floral senescence and abscission using virus-induced gene
silencing technology. He joined the USDA-ARS staff in January 2006 as a Principal
Investigator and serves as an adjunction faculty member with University of California at
Davis.
Education:
Ph.D. (1989), Crop Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan
M.S. (1986), Crop Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan
B.S. (1982), Agronomy, Guangxi Agricultural College, China
Research area:
Functional genomics, Senescence and abscission, Stress biology, Postharvest biology, Plant
biotechnology
Research experience:
 Research Plant Physiologist (GS14, 1/2006-present)
USDA/ARS, Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit, One Shields Avenue, Davis,
CA 95616
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Associate Project Scientist (7/2003-12/2005)
Department of Plant Sciences, University of California at Davis, One Shields Avenue,
Davis, CA 95616
Senior Scientist, Group Leader of Molecular Biology (12/1997-5/2003)
Mendel Biotechnology, Inc., 21375 Cabot Blvd, Hayward, CA 94545
Honor and activities:
 Lecture on Floriculture Research, Postharvest Short Course, University of California
Davis, (June 20, 2012)
 Guest Lecture on the molecular regulation of flower senescence for class of Plant Science
173 (PLS173, May 23, 2012)
 Invited to present a public seminar entitled “Using molecular approaches to improving
postharvest performance of ornamentals”. China Agricultural University, Beijing, China,
December 2011.
 Invited to present a public seminar entitled “Postharvest biology and technology of
ornamentals”. National Ilan University, Taiwan, November 2011.
 Lecture on Postharvest Biology and Technology, Japanese Agricultural Training
Program, UC Davis (August 22, 2011)
 Lecture on Floriculture Research, Postharvest Short Course, University of California
Davis, (June 15, 2011)
 Guest Lecture on Postharvest Biology and Technology for class of Plant Science 172
(PLS172, November 24, 2010).
 Guest Lecture on Postharvest Biology and Technology, Japanese Agricultural Training
Program UC Davis (July 26, 2010).
 Lecture on Floriculture Research, Postharvest Short Course, University of California
Davis, (June 16, 2010)
 Guest Lecture on Regulation of Flower Senescence for class of Plant Science 173
(PLS173, April 19, 2010).
 Invited to present a lecture entitled “Using molecular approaches to improving
postharvest performance of ornamentals”. China Agricultural University, Beijing, China,
July 2009.
 Invited to present lectures entitled “Postharvest biology and technology of ornamentals”,
and “Using molecular approaches to improving postharvest performance of ornamentals”.
Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, China, July 2009.
 Invited by Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China to present a seminar
entitled “Molecular strategies to improve performance of ornamentals”, June 8, 2008.
 Invited to make presentations entitled “Postharvest biology and technology of
ornamentals” and “Molecular strategies to improve performance of ornamentals”. China
Agricultural University, Beijing, China, June 6, 2008.
 Invited speaker at Postharvest International Symposium, organized by Korea AgroFisheries Trade Corp (Seoul, Korea, November 21, 2007)
Research grant awarded:
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BARD Project No. US-4571-12C. Collaborating Investigator. Elucidation of signaling
pathways that regulate ethylene-induced leaf and flower abscission of agriculturally
important plants ($300,000, 2012-2015)
BARD Project No. IS-3815-05. Collaborating Investigator. Molecular studies of
postharvest leaf and flower abscission ($290,000, 2006-2011)
International Cut Flower Growers Association/Hill Foundation. Treatments to enhance
resistance of cut rose flowers to Botrytis disease. Co-PI, 2007-09, $34,000.
American Floral Endowment. Longer lasting flowers through silencing protein synthesis.
Co-PI, 2006-08, $87,500.
United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) grant for $75,000 in Plant Production and Protection as Principle Investigator.
Proposal title: Production of Plants with Increased Biomass and Seed Yield
Publications
1. Reid, M. S. and C.-Z. Jiang. (2012) Postharvest biology and technology of cut flowers and potted
plants. Horticultural Reviews (In press)
2. Singh, Alka, Yin-Chih Liang, Pushpendra Kumar, Cai-Zhong Jiang*, and Michael S. Reid (2012)
Co-silencing of the Mirabilis antiviral protein (MAP) permits virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of
other genes in Four O’Clock plants (Mirabilis jalapa). Journal of Horticultural Science and
Biotechnology (In press)
3. Reid, M. S. and C.-Z. Jiang. (2012) Postharvest-Cut flowers and potted plants. In Ornamental
Geophytes: From Basic Science to Sustainable Production. R. Kamenetsky and H. Okubo ed. (In
press)
4. De Freitas, Sergio T., Cai-Zhong Jiang and Elizabeth J. Mitcham. (2012) Mechanisms
involved in calcium deficiency development in tomato fruit in response to gibberellins.
Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 31:221-234.
5. Reid, Michael S. and Cai-Zhong Jiang. (2011) Florigen Unmasked: Exciting Prospects for
Horticulture. Chronica Horticulturae 51: 7-9.
6. Meir, Shimon, Sonia Philosoph-Hadas, Srivignesh Sundaresan, K.S. Vijay Selvaraj, Shaul
Burd, Ron Ophir, Bettina Kochanek, Michael S. Reid, Cai-Zhong Jiang and Amnon Lers.
(2011) Identification of defense-related genes newly-associated with tomato flower
abscission. Plant Signaling & Behavior 6: 590-593.
7. Jiang, C-Z, J.C. Chen and MS Reid (2011) Virus-Induced Gene Silencing in Ornamental
Plants. In Methods in Molecular Biology, RNAi and Plant Gene Function Analysis. H.
Kodama ed. Clifton, New Jersey, pp81-96.
8. Meir, Shimon, Sonia Philosoph-Hadas, Srivignesh Sundaresan, K.S. Vijay Selvaraj, Shaul
Burd, Ron Ophir, Bettina Kochanek, Michael S. Reid, Cai-Zhong Jiang and Amnon Lers.
(2011) Microarray analysis of the abscission-related transcriptome in tomato flower
abscission zone in response to auxin depletion. Plant Physiology 154:1926-1956.
9. Villalobos-Acuna, Max G., William V. Biasi, Sylvia Flores, Cai-Zhong Jiang, Michael S.
Reid, Neil H. Willits, Elizabeth J. Mitcham. (2011) Effect of maturity and cold storage on
ethylene biosynthesis and ripening in ‘Bartlett’ pears treated after harvest with 1-MCP.
Postharvest Biology & Technology 59: 1-9.
10. Macnish, Andrew J., Kristy L. Morris, Annemarie de Theije, Manon G.J. Mensink, Henry
A.M. Boerrigter, Michael S. Reid, Cai-Zhong Jiang*, Ernst J. Woltering*. (2010) Sodium
hypochlorite: Apromising agent for reducing Botrytis cinerea infection on rose flowers.
Postharvest Biology & Technology 58: 262-267.
11. Macnish, A.J., C-Z Jiang, F. Negre-Zakharov and M.S. Reid. (2010). Physiological and
molecular changes during opening and senescence of Nicotiana mutabilis flowers. Plant
Science 179: 267-272.
12. Macnish, A.J., C-Z Jiang and M.S. Reid. (2010). Treatment with thidiazuron improves
opening and vase life of iris flowers. Postharvest Biology & Technology 56: 77-84.
13. Reid, MS, J.C. Chen and C-Z Jiang (2009) Virus-Induced Gene Silencing for Functional
Characterization of Genes in Petunia. In Petunia: Evolutionary, Developmental and
Physiological Genetics. T. Gerats ed. Springer, New York, pp381-394.
14. Jiang, C-Z, Lu F, Imsabai W, Meir S and Reid MS (2008) Silencing polygalactunorase
expression inhibits tomato petiole abscission. Journal of Experimental Botany 59, 973-979.
15. Xu X, Jiang C-Z, Donnelly L and Reid MS (2007). Functional analyses of a RING domain
ankyrin repeat protein that is highly expressed during flower senescence. Journal of
Experimental Botany 58, 3623-3630
16. Xu X, Gookin T, Jiang C-Z and Reid MS (2007). Genes associated with opening and
senescence of Mirabilis jalapa flowers. Journal of Experimental Botany 58:2193-2201.
17. Lee, J.-Y., S.F. Baum, S.H. Oh, C.-Z. Jiang, J.-C. Chen and J.L. Bowan. (2005) Recruitment
of Crabs Claw to promote nectary development within the eudicot clade. Development
132:5021-5032.
18. Chen, J.-C., C.-Z. Jiang and M.S. Reid (2005) Silencing a prohibitin alters plant development
and senescence. Plant Journal 44: 16-24.
19. Chen, J.-C., C.-Z. Jiang, T.E. Gookin, D.A. Hunter, D.G. Clark and M.S. Reid (2004)
Chalcone synthase as a reporter in virus-induced gene silencing studies of flower senescence.
Plant Molecular Biology 55: 521-530.
20. Broun, P., P. Poindexter, E. Osborne, C.-Z. Jiang and J.L. Riechmann (2004) WIN1, a
transcriptional activator of epidermal wax accumulation in Arabidopsis. Proc. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA 101: 4706-4711.
21. Riechmann, J.L., J. Heard, G. Martin, L. Reuber, C.-Z. Jiang, J. Keddie, L. Adam, O. Pineda,
J. Ratcliffe, R. Samaha, R. Creelman, M. Pilgrim, P. Broun, J.Z. Zhang, D. Ghandehari,
B.K. Sherman and G.-L. Yu (2000) Arabidopsis transcription factors: Genome-wide
comparative analysis among eukaryotes. Science 290: 2105-2110.
22. Preuss, S.B., C.-Z. Jiang, H.-K. Baik, C.I. Kado and A.B. Britt (1999) Radiation-sensitive
Arabidopsis mutants are proficient for T-DNA transformation. Mol Gen Genet 261: 623626.
23. Jiang, C.-Z., K. Ishihara, K. Satoh, and S. Katoh (1999) Loss of the photosynthetic capacity
and proteins on senescing leaves at top positions of two cultivars of rice in relation to the
source capacities of the leaves for carbon and nitrogen. Plant Cell Physiol. 40: 496-503.
24. Britt, A., and Jiang, C.-Z. (1999) Generation, identification, and characterization of repairdefective mutants of Arabidopsis. Methods Mol Biol 113:31-40.
25. Nakajima, S., M. Sugiyama, S. Iwai, K. Hitomi, E. Otoshi, S.-T. Kim, C.-Z. Jiang, T. Todo,
A. B. Britt, and K. Yamamoto (1998) Cloning and characterization of a gene (UVR3)
required for photorepair of 6-4 photoproducts in Arabidopsis thaliana. Nucleic Acids
Research 26: 638-644.
26. Jiang, C.-Z., Yen, C.-N., Cronin, K.M., Mitchell, D.L., and Britt, A.B. (1997) UV- and
gamma-radiation sensitive mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetics 147:1401-1409.
27. Jiang, C.-Z., Yee, J.D., Mitchell, D.L., and Britt, A.B. (1997) Photorepair mutants of
Arabidopsis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94: 7441-7445.
28. Jiang, C.-Z., Rodermel, S.R., and Shibles, R.M. (1997) Regulation of photosynthesis in
developing leaves of soybean chlorophyll-deficient mutants. Photosynthesis Research 51:
185-192.
29. Rodermel, S.R., Haley, J., Jiang, C.-Z., Tsai, C.-H., and Bogorad, L. (1996) A mechanism for
intergenomic integration: abundance of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase small-subunit
protein influences the translation of the large-subunit mRNA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:
3881-3885
30. Chen, J.-J., Jiang, C.-Z., and Britt, A.B. (1996) Little or no repair of cyclobutyl pyrimidine
dimers is observed in the organellar genomes of the young arabidopsis seedlings. Plant
Physiology 111:19-25
31. Jiang, C.-Z., and Rodermel, S. R. (1995) Regulation of photosynthesis during leaf
development in rbcS antisense DNA mutants of tobacco. Plant Physiology 107:215-224
32. Jiang, C.-Z., Quick, W.P., Alred, R., Kliebenstein, D., and Rodermel, S.R. (1994) Antisense
RNA inhibition of Rubisco activase expression. Plant Journal 5: 787-798
33. Jiang, C.-Z., Kliebenstein, D., Ke, N., and Rodermel, S.R. (1994) Destabilization of rbcS
sense transcripts by antisense RNA. Plant Molecular Biology 25: 569-576
34. Rodermel, S.R., Jiang, C.-Z., Kliebenstein D.,and Qian, J. (1994) Antisense RNA inhibition
of photosynthetic gene expression. In: Plant Genome Analysis, Gresshoff, P.M. (ed), CRC
press, Boca Raton, FL. p147-158
35. Wetzel, C.M., Jiang, C.-Z., Voytas, D., Meehan, L., and Rodermel, S.R. (1994) Nuclearorganelle interactions: the immutans variegation mutant of Arabidopsis is plastid
autonomous and impaired in carotenoid biosynthesis. Plant Journal 6: 161-175
36. Jiang, C.-Z., Rodermel, S.R., and Shibles, R.M. (1993) Photosynthesis, Rubisco activity and
amount, and their regulation by transcription in senescing soybean leaves. Plant Physiology
101:105-112
37. Li, X., LaMotte, C.E., Stewart, C.R., Cloud, N.P., Wear-Bagnall, S., and Jiang, C.-Z. (1992)
Determination of IAA and ABA in the same plant sample by a widely applicable method
using GC-MS with selected ion monitoring. Journal Plant Growth Regulation 11: 55-65
38. Eskins, K., Jiang, C.-Z., and Shibles, R.M. (1991) Light-quality and irradiance effects on
pigments, light-harvesting protein and rubisco activity in a chlorophyll- and light-harvestingdeficient soybean mutant. Physiologia Plantarum 83: 47-53
39. Jiang, C.-Z., Hirasawa, T., and Ishihara, K. (1988) Physiological and ecological
characteristics of high yielding varieties in rice plant. I. Yield and dry matter production.
Japan. Jour. Crop Sci. 57:132-138
40. Jiang, C.-Z., Hirasawa, T., and Ishihara, K. (1988) Physiological and ecological
characteristics of high yielding varieties in rice plant. II. Leaf photosynthetic rates. Japan.
Jour. Crop Sci. 57:139-145
Patents awarded
41. Riechmann; J, O Ratcliffe, T Reuber, K Krolikowski, J Heard, O Pineda, C-Z Jiang, R Creelman, R
Kumimoto, P Chomet. (2011) Plant tolerance to low water, low nitrogen and cold. US Patent #:
8,022,274
42. Ratcliffe; O, R Kumimoto, C-Z Jiang, J Libby, R Creelman, P Repetti, T Reuber, N Gutterson, G
Kumar, B Karunanandaa, K Gabbert. (2011) Plants with improved yield and stress tolerance. US
Patent #:7,939,715
43. Jiang, C-Z, JE Heard, O Ratcliffe, NI Gutterson, FD Hempel, RW Kumimoto, JS Keddie, BK
Sherman, JM Libby, J Sun, KF Zobrist-Duff, J Wu, C Fu, SB Dotson, LL Lutfiyya. (2011)
Transcriptional regulation of plant biomass and abiotic stress tolerance. US Patent #: 7,897,843.
44. Jiang, C-Z, JE Heard, O Ratcliffe, RA Creelman, TL Reuber, JL Riechmann. (2010) Polynucleotides
and polypeptides in plants. US Patent #: 7,825,296.
45. Heard; Jacqueline, JL Riechmann, R Creelman, O Ratcliffe, R Canales, N Gutterson, L
Reuber, O Pineda, T Morrison; C-Z Jiang, K Century. Plant Transcriptional Regulators. US
Patent #: 7,663,025, Issued: February 16, 2010.
46. Sherman; Bradley K., JL Riechmann, O Ratcliffe, C-Z Jiang, J Heard, V Haake, R Creelman,
L Adam, L Reuber, J Keddie, A DuBell, O Pineda, P Repetti, K Century, N Gutterson, G-L
Yu, P Broun, R Kumimoto and M Pilgrim. Polynucleotides and polypeptides in plants. US
Patent #: 7,659,446, Issued: February 9, 2010.
47. Ratcliffe O, L Adam, J Heard, C-Z Jiang, L Reuber, R Creelman. Yield-related
polynucleotides and polypeptides in plants. US Patent #: 7,635,800, Issued: December 22,
2009.
48. Reuber L, JL Riechmann, J Heard, C-Z Jiang, L Adam, A DuBell, O Ratcliffe, O Pineda, GL Yu, P Broun. Stress-related polynucleotides and polypeptides in plants. US Patent #:
7,601,893, Issued: October 13, 2009.
49. Zhang J, M Fromm, J Heard, JL Riechmann, L Adam, P Broun, O Pineda, L Reuber, J
Keddie, G-L Yu, C-Z Jiang, R Samaha, M Pilgrim, R Creelman, A DuBell, O Ratcliffe, R
Kumimoto, B Sherman. Polynucleotides and polypeptides in plants. US Patent #: 7,345,217,
Issued: March 18, 2008.
50. Ratcliffe O, JL Riechmann, L Adam, A DuBell, J Heard, M Pilgrim, C-Z Jiang, L Reuber, R
Creelman, O Pineda, G-L Yu, P Broun. Yield-related polynucleotides and polypeptides in
plants. US Patent #: 7,238,860, Issued: July 3, 2007.
51. Jiang C-Z, J Heard, O Ratcliffe, R Creelman, JL Riechmann, V Haake. Polynucleotides and
polypeptides that confer increased biomass and tolerance to cold, water deprivation and low
nitrogen to plants. US Patent #: 7,196,245, Issued: March 27, 2007
52. Reuber L, JL Riechmann, J Heard, C-Z Jiang, L Adam, A DuBell, O Ratcliffe, O Pineda, GL Yu, P Broun. Stress-related polynucleotides and polypeptides in plants. US Patent #:
7,193,129, Issued: March 20, 2007
53. Heard, Jacqueline; Riechmann, Jose Luis; Creelman, Robert; Keddie, James; Pilgrim,
Marsha; DuBell, Arnold; Jiang, Cai-Zhong; Ratcliffe, Oliver; Pineda, Omaira; Yu, GuoLiang; Broun, Pierre. Biochemistry-related polynucleotides and polypeptides in plants. US
Patent #: 7,135,616, Issued: November 14, 2006
54. Jiang, Cai-Zhong. Method for modifying plant biomass. US Patent #: 6,717,034, Issued:
April 6, 2004
55. Thomashow, Michael; Gilmour, Sarah Jane; Jiang, Cai-Zhong; Fromm, Michael; Zarka,
Daniel; Jaglo-Ottosen, Kirsten; Stockinger, Eric J.; Zhang, James; Haake, Volker. Plant
having altered environmental stress tolerance. US Patent #: 6,706,866, Issued: March 16,
2004
56. Heard, Jacqueline; Broun, Pierre; Riechmann, Jose Luis; Keddie, James; Pineda, Omaira;
Adam, Luc; Samaha, Raymond; Zhang, James; Yu, Guo-Liang; Ratcliffe, Oliver; Pilgrim,
Marsha; Jiang, Cai-Zhong; Reuber, Lynne. Transgenic plants comprising polynucleotides
encoding transcription factors that confer disease tolerance. US Patent #: 6,664,446, Issued:
December 16, 2003
57. Thomashow, Michael F.; Stockinger, Eric J.; Jaglo-Ottosen, Kirsten; Gilmour, Sarah Jane;
Zarka, Daniel; Jiang, Cai-Zhong. Plant having altered environmental stress tolerance. US
Patent #: 6,417,428, Issued: July 9, 2002.