Mingjun Li

Professor of Fruit Crops

College of Horticulture

Northwest A&F University

Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 China

Tel: 18706746226;

E-mail:limingjun@nwsuaf.edu.cn

http://yyxy.nwsuaf.edu.cn/szdw/269199.htm

EDUCATION:

Ph D, Northwest A&F University, China,  2009

Major: Pomology

Dissertation Title: Vc biosynthesis and metabolism in apple and kiwifruit

MS,  Northwest A&F University, China, 2006

Major: Pomology

Thesis Title:

BS, Northwest A&F University, China, 2004

Major: Horticulture

AREAS OF EXPERTISE (key words):

Sugar metabolism, transport and accumulation, sugar transporter, Vc, ascorbate, nitrogen uptake and metabolism, nitrogen-carbon interaction, stress physiology, apple, kiwifruit

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Jan 2019–Present: Professor, College of Horticulture  Northwest A&F University

May 2012–Jan 2019: Associate Professor, College of Horticulture  Northwest A&F University

March 2010 – March 2012.  Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University.

HORNORS AND AWARDS:

Young Changjiang Scholars of the Ministry of Education (2020)

Training Program Foundation for the Young Talents of Northwest A&F University (2019)

Award of Shaanxi Youth Science and Technology (2015)

The star of Shaanxi Youth Science and technology (2014)

Prominent teacher from NWAFU (2014)

The New Century Excellent Researcher Award Program from Ministry of Education of China (2012).

Nominations for hundreds of Excellent Doctoral Dissertations (2011)

Courses:

Co-taught for undergraduate students: Fruit Tree Cultivation

Co-taught for graduate students: Advance of Physiology and Ecology in Fruit Tree.

Research Interests:

Sugar metabolism and accumulation in both source and sink, phloem loading and transport, malate metabolism and accumulation, carbon-nitrogen interaction, nutrient uptake and metabolism, molecular physiology of abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and biotechnology of fruit crops with emphasis on apple and kiwifruit.

Funding:

1. Li M et al. 1/1/2019 – 12/31/2022  Homeostasis regulation of Fructose content in apple. 600,000 Yuan by National Natural Science Foundation of China

2. Li M et al. 1/1/2017 – 12/31/2020  Function of MdAMR1 in regulating ascorbate synthesis in apple. 600,000 Yuan by National Natural Science Foundation of China

3. Li M et al, 1/1/2016-12/31/2020 , Management of soil, water and fertilizer and high efficient utilization in apple orchard in arid area China. 1280,000 Yuan by Major science and technology projects, China

Selected Publications

1. Lingcheng Zhu , Baiyun Li, Limin Wu, Huixia Li, Zhengyang Wang, Xiaoyu Wei, Baiquan Ma, Yanfeng Zhang, Fengwang Ma*, Yong-Ling Ruan*, Mingjun Li*. MdERDL6-mediated glucose efflux to the cytosol promotes sugar accumulation in the vacuole through upregulating TSTs in apple and tomato. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2021,

2. Tian Xiaocheng, Zhu Lingcheng, Yang Nanxiang, Song Jianyu, Zhao Haiyan, Zhang Jing, Ma Fengwang, Li Mingjun*. Proteomics and metabolomics reveal the regulatory pathways of ripening and quality in post-harvest kiwifruit. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2021, 69:2

3. Zhengyang Wang, Xiaoyu Wei, Jingjing Yang, Huixia Li, Baiquan Ma, Kaikai Zhang, Yanfeng Zhang, Lailiang Cheng, Fengwang Ma*, Mingjun Li*. Heterologous expression of the apple hexose transporter MdHT2.2 altered sugar concentration with increasing cell wall invertase activity in tomato fruit. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 2020, 18: 2: ‏ 540-552

4. Zhengyang Wang, Yonghui Liang, Yuru Jin, Xiaolei Tong, Xiaoyu Wei, Fengwang Ma, Baiquan Ma1, Mingjun Li1*. Ectopic expression of apple hexose transporter MdHT2.2 reduced the salt tolerance of tomato seedlings with decreased ROS-scavenging ability. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2020, 156: ‏504-513，

5. Haiyan Zhao, Simin Sun, Lihua Zhang, Jingjing Yang, Zhengyang Wang, Fengwang Ma*, Mingjun Li*..Carbohydrate metabolism and transport in apple roots under nitrogen deficiency. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2020, 15: ‏455-463

6. Jingjing Yang，Ruiling Zhan,  Yuru Jin, Dongxia Li, Zhengyang Wang, Guiyang An, Mingjun Li*. Functional analysis of the promoter of the MdFRK2 gene encoding a high affinity fructokinase in apple (malus x domestica) . SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE, 2020, 265: 109088

7. Jingjing Yang, Jing Zhang, Chuang Li, Zhao Zhang, Fengwang Ma, Mingjun Li *. Response of sugar metabolism in apple leaves subjected to short-term drought stress. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2019, 141:164-171

8. Liang Guo, Jinghong Wang, Mingjun Li, Lu Liu, Jianchu Xu, Jimin Cheng, Chengcheng Gang,  Qiang Yu, Ji Chen, Changhui Peng, Eike Luedeling. Distribution margins as natural laboratories to in fer species' flowering responses to climate warming and implications for frost risk. AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY, 2019, 268:299-307

9. JingjIng Yang #, Chuanxia Zhang#,Zhengyang Wang , Simin Sun, Ruilin Zhan, Yuyue Zhao, Baiquan Ma , Fengwang Ma and Mingjun Li * Melatonin-mediated sugar accumulation and growth inhibition in apple plants involves down-regulation of fructokinase 2 expression and activity. Front. Plant Sci. 2019, 10:150.  

10. Jingjing Yang, Lingcheng Zhu, Weifang Cui, Chen Zhang, Dongxia Li, Baiquan Ma, Lailiang Cheng, Yong-Ling Ruan, Fengwang Ma, Mingjun Li *. Increasing activity of MdFRK2, a high affinity fructokinase, leads to upregulation of sorbitol metabolism and downregulation of sucrose metabolism in apple leaves. Hortic Res 5:62 2018

11. Mingjun Li, Pengmin Li, Fengwang Ma, Lailiang Cheng *. Sugar metabolism and accumulation in the fruit of transgenic apple trees with decreased sorbitol synthesis. Hortic Res 5:60. 2018

12. Chunxia Zhang*, Sen Meng, Mingjun Li*,, Zhong Zhao. Transcriptomic insight into nitrogen uptake and metabolism of Populus simonii in response to drought and low nitrogen stresses. Tree Physiology. tpy085, https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpy085 2018

13. Xiao-Lei Tong #, Zheng-Yang Wang #, Bai-quan Ma, Chun-xia Zhang, Lingcheng Zhu, Fengwang Ma, Ming-Jun Li *. Structure and expression analysis of the sucrose synthase gene family in apple.  Journal of Integrative Agriculture  16(0): 60345-7, 2018

14. Baiquan Ma, Yangyang Yuan, Meng Gao, Tonghui Qi, Mingjun Li*, Fengwang Ma*. Genome-wide identification, molecular evolution and expression divergence of aluminum activated malate transporters in apple. The International Journal of Mechanical Sciences. 2018

15. Ai-di Zhang, Wen-qiu Wang, Yang Tong, Ming-jun Li, Donald Grierson, Ian B. Ferguson, Kun-song Chen, and Xue-ren Yin*. Transcriptome analysis identifies a zinc finger protein regulating starch degradation in kiwifruit. Plant Physiology: 18004271-4272018. 2018

16. Linlin Huang, Mingjun Li., Yun Shao, Tinging Sun Cuiying. Li, Fengwang Ma*. Ammonium uptake increases in response to peg-induced drought stress in malus hupehensis, rehd.  Environmental & Experimental Botany . 2018

17. Linlin Huang, Mingjun Li, Kun Zhou, Tinging Sun, Lingyu. Hu, Cuiying Li, Fengwang Ma*.  Uptake and metabolism of ammonium and nitrate in response to drought stress in malus prunifolia.  Plant Physiology & Biochemistry,  127 , 185-193. 2018

18. Duan Naibin, Bai YAng, Sun H, Wang N, Ma Y, Li Mingjun, ……., Cheng L, Fei Z*, Chen X*. Genome re-sequencing reveals the history of apple and supports a two-stage model for fruit enlargement. Nature Communications, 8(1):249. 2017

19. Tingting Sun, Mingjun Li, Yun Shao, Lingyan Yu, Fengwang Ma*. Comprehensive Genomic Identification and Expression Analysis of the Phosphate Transporter (PHT) Gene Family in Apple. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2017, 8:426

20. Cheng Chen, Yulin Yuan, Chen Zhang, Huixia Li, Fengwang Ma, Mingjun Li,*.  Sucrose phloem unloading follows an apoplastic pathway with high sucrose synthase in actinidia fruit.  Plant Science,  2 , 40-0, 2017

21. Mingjun Li *, D. Li, F. Feng, S. Zhang, Fengwang Ma and Lailiang Cheng *. Proteomic analysis reveals dynamic regulation of fruit development and sugar and acid accumulation in apple.  Journal of Experimental Botany , 67: 14–17 2016

22. Shasha Zhou#, Mingjun Li#, Qingmei Guan, Fengli Liu, Sheng Zhang, Wei Chen, Lihua Yin, Yuan Qin, Fengwang Ma*. Physiological and proteome analysis suggest critical roles for the photosynthetic system for high water-use efficiency under drought stress in Malus . Plant Science, 2015, 236: 44–60

23. Xiaoyu Wei, Liu Fengli, Chen Cheng, Fengwang Ma *, Mingjun Li *. The Malus domestica sugar transporter gene family: identifications based on genome and expression profiling related to the accumulation of fruit sugars，Front. Plant Sci. 69, 2014

24. Feng Fengjuan#, Mingjun Li #, Fengwang Ma, Lailiang Cheng *. Effects of location within the tree canopy on carbohydrates, organic acids, amino acids and phenolic compounds in the fruit peel and flesh from three apple (Malus × domestica) cultivars. Hortic Res 1:14019. 2014

25. Fengjuan Feng#, Mingjun Li#, Fengwang Ma*, Lailiang Cheng*. The effects of bagging and debagging on external fruit quality, metabolites, and the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes in ‘Jonagold’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.). Scientia Horticulturae, 2014, 165：123-131

26. Juan Li, Mingjun Li#, Dong Liang, Meng Cui, Fengwang Ma*. Expression patterns and promoter characteristics of the gene encoding Actinidia deliciosa L-galactose-1-phosphate phosphatase involved in the response to light and abiotic stresses. Molecular Biology Reports, 2013, 40(2): 1473-1485

27. Fengjuan Feng, Mingjun Li#, Fengwang Ma*, Lailiang Cheng*. Phenylpropanoid metabolites and expression of key genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in the shaded peel of apple fruit in response to sun exposure. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2013, 69:54-61

28. Mingjun Li, Fengjuan Feng, Lailiang Cheng ^*. Expression patterns of genes involved in sugar metabolism and accumulation during apple fruit development. PLoS ONE, 2012,. 7(3):3 e330,

29. Juan Li, Dong Liang, Mingjun Li*, Fengwang Ma*. Light and abiotic stresses regulate the expression of GDP-l-galactose phosphorylase and levels of ascorbic acid in two kiwifruit genotypes via light-responsive and stress-inducible cis -elements in their promoters. Planta, 2013, 238（3）: 535-547

30. Mingjun Li, Xuesen Chen, Pingping Wang, Fengwang Ma*. Ascorbic Acid Accumulation and Expression of Genes Involved in Its Biosynthesis and Recycling in Developing Apple Fruit. Journal of American Society for Horticultural Science, 2011, 136(4):231–238

31. Mingjun Li, Fengwang Ma*, Chunmiao Guo, Jun Liu. Ascorbic acid formation and profiling of genes expressed in its synthesis and recycling in apple leaves of different ages. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2010, 48(4): 216-224

32. Mingjun Li, Fengwang Ma*, Jun Liu, Juan Li. Shading the whole vines during young fruit development decreases ascorbate accumulation in kiwi. Physiologia Plantarum, 2010, 140(3):225-237

33. Mingjun Li, Fengwang Ma*, Dong Liang, Juan Li, Yanlei Wang. Ascorbate Biosynthesis during Early Fruit Development is the Main Reason for Its Accumulation in Kiwi. PLoS One，2010 , 5（12）: e14281

34. Guorong Du, Mingjun Li#, Fengwang Ma*, Dong Liang. Antioxidant capacity and the relationship with polyphenol and Vitamin C in Actinidia fruits. Food Chemistry，2009, 113（2）:557-562

35. Mingjun Li, Fengwang Ma*, Peifen Shang, Min Zhang, Changming Hou, Dong Liang. Influence of light on ascorbate formation and metabolism in apple fruits. Planta, 2009，230(1):39–51

36. Mingjun Li, Dong Liang, Fei Pu, Fengwang Ma*, Changming Hou, Tao Lu. Ascorbate levels and the activity of key enzymes in ascorbate biosynthesis and recycling in the leaves of 22 Chinese persimmon cultivars. Scientia Horticulturae, 2009, 120(2):250-256

37. Ming-Jun Li, Feng-Wang Ma*, Min Zhang, Fei Pu. Distribution and metabolism of ascorbic acid in apple fruits( Malus domestica Borkh cv. Gala). Plant Science, 2008, 174 (6):606-612