Jitao Zou

Jitao Zou

  • Research Professor of Plant Lipid Metabolism and Abiotic Stress Response

Areas of Expertise

  • Plant lipid metabolism
  • Plant responses to abiotic stress
  • Seed development and seed oil biotechnology

Education

  • Post-doctoral Research, Yale University, 1990-1992
  • Ph.D., Botany, The Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1990
  • B.S., Biology, Beijing Normal University, 1983

Professional Background

2024-present   Research Professor, Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University

2020-2024       Principal Research Officer, National Research Council Canada, Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre

2003-2020       Senior Research Officer, National Research Council Canada, Plant Biotechnology Institute

1997-2003       Associate Research Officer, National Research Council Canada, Plant Biotechnology Institute

1996-1997       Oilseed specialist, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, Canada

1992-1996       Assistant Research Officer, National Research Council Canada, Plant Biotechnology Institute

Publications

Tracking the genome-wide occupancy of Arabidopsis LEAFY COTYLEDON1 in endosperm development
Communications Biology, Song, Jingpu, Xie, Xin, Mavraganis, Mavraganis, Yu, Bianyun, Shen, Wenyun, Yang, Hui, Xiang, Douquan, Wei, Yangdou, Cui, Yuhai, Zou, Jitao, 2025

Adaptation of cuticle metabolism to abiotic stress in plants
Crop and Environment, Zhao, Peimin, Li, Qianqian, Lei, Yang, Zou, Jitao, Li, Qiang, 2025

Pistil-derived lipids influence pollen tube growth and male fertility in Arabidopsis thaliana
Plant Physiology, Song, J, Mavraganis, I, Shen, W, Yang, H, Patterson, N, Wang, L, Xiang, D, Cui, Y, Zou, Jitao, 2024

Applying a non-GMO breeding approach with an identified natural variation to reduce food allergen Len c3 in Lens culinaris seeds
Frontiers in Plant Science, Song, J, Mavraganis, I, Shen, W, Yang, H, Zou, Jitao, 2024

Haploid induction: an overview of parental factor manipulation during seed formation
Frontiers in Plant Science, Song, Jingpu, Datla, Raju, Zou, Jitao, Xiang, Daoquan, 2024

Spatiotemporal transcriptomics and metabolic profiling provide insights into gene regulatory networks during lentil seed development
Plant Journal, Yu, B, Gao, P, Song, J, Yang, H, Qin, L, Yu, X, Song, H, Coulson, J, Bekkaoui, Y, Akhov, L, Han, X, Cram, D, Wei, Y, Zaharia, L, Zou, Jitao, Konkin, D, Quilichini, T, Fobert, P, Patterson, N, Datla, R, Xiang, D, 2023

A chloroplast diacylglycerol lipase modulates glycerolipid pathway balance in Arabidopsis
Plant Journal, Yu, L, Shen, W, Fan, J, Sah, S, Mavraganis, I, Wang, L, Gao, P, Gao, J, Zheng, Q, Meesapyodsuk, D, Yang, H, Li, Q, Zou, Jitao, Xu, C, 2023

Comprehensive compositional assessment of bioactive compounds in diverse pea accessions
Food Research International, Han, X, Akhov, L, Ashe, P, Lewis, C, Deibert, L, Irina Zaharia, L, Forseille, L, Xiang, D, Datla, R, Nosworthy, M, Henry, C, Zou, Jitao, Yu, B, Patterson, N, 2023

Kinase CIPK9 integrates glucose and abscisic acid signaling to regulate seed oil metabolism in rapeseed
Plant Physiology, Wang, N, Tao, B, Mai, J, Guo, Y, Li, R, Chen, R, Zhao, L, Wen, J, Yi, B, Tu, J, Fu, T, Zou, Jitao, Shen, J, 2023

Asymmetric gene expression in grain development of reciprocal crosses between tetraploid and hexaploid wheats
Communications Biology, Jia, Z, Gao, P, Yin, F, Quilichini, T, Sheng, H, Song, J, Yang, H, Gao, J, Chen, T, Yang, B, Kochian, L, Zou, Jitao, Patterson, N, Yang, Q, Gillmor, C, Datla, R, Li, Q, Xiang, D, 2022

Computational genomics insights into cold acclimation in wheat
Frontiers in Genetics, Pan, Y, Li, Y, Liu, Z, Zou, Jitao, Li, Q, 2022

Transcriptome dissection of candidate genes associated with lentil seed quality traits
Plant Biology, Song, J., Mavraganis, I., Shen, W., Yang, H., Cram, D., Xiang, D., Patterson, N., Zou, J., 2022

Endosperm–embryo communications: Recent advances and perspectives
Plants, Song, J, Xie, X, Cui, Y, Zou, Jitao, 2021

Alternative splicing dynamics and evolutionary divergence during embryogenesis in wheat species
Plant Biotechnology Journal, Gao, P, Quilichini, T, Zhai, C, Qin, L, Nilsen, K, Li, Q, Sharpe, A, Kochian, L, Zou, Jitao, Reddy ASN, None, Wei, Y, Pozniak, C, Patterson, N, Gillmor, C, Datla, R, Xiang, D, 2021

LEAFY COTYLEDON1 expression in the endosperm enables embryo maturation in Arabidopsis
Nature Communications, Song, J, Xie, X, Chen, C, Shu, J, Thapa, R, Nguyen, V, Bian, S, Kohalmi, S, Marsolais, F, Zou, Jitao, Cui, Y, 2021

Elucidating the biochemical basis of trans-16:1 fatty acid change in leaves during cold acclimation in wheat
Plant-Environment Interactions, Li, Q, Shen, W, Mavraganis, I, Wang, L, Gao, P, Gao, J, Cram, D, Li, Y, Liu, Z, Fowler, D, Pan, Y, Zou, Jitao, 2021

Integrative Modeling of Gene Expression and Metabolic Networks of Arabidopsis Embryos for Identification of Seed Oil Causal Genes
Frontiers in Plant Science, Cloutier, M, Xiang, D, Gao, P, Kochian, L, Zou, Jitao, Datla, R, Wang, E, 2021

Molecular identification and functional characterization of a cyanogenic glucosyltransferase from flax (Linum unsitatissimum)
PLoS One, Kazachkov, M, Li, Q, Shen, W, Wang, L, Gao, P, Xiang, D, Datla, R, Zou, Jitao, 2020

Genome-Wide identification and characterization of the wheat remorin (TAREM) family during cold acclimation
Plant Genome, Badawi, M, Agharbaoui, Z, Zayed, M, Li, Q, Byrns, B, Zou, Jitao, Fowler, D, Danyluk, J, Sarhan, F, 2019

Tapetal expression of BnaC.MAGL8.a causes male sterility in Arabidopsis
Frontiers in Plant Science, Gao, J, Li, Q, Wang, N, Tao, B, Wen, J, Yi, B, Ma, C, Tu, J, Fu, T, Li, Q, Zou, Jitao, Shen, J, 2019

Roles of Cytosolic Glutamine Synthetases in Arabidopsis Development and Stress Responses
Plant and Cell Physiology, Ji, Y, Li, Q, Liu, G, Selvaraj, G, Zheng, Z, Zou, Jitao, Wei, Y, 2019

CIPK9 is involved in seed oil regulation in Brassica napus L. and Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh.
Biotechnology for Biofuels, Guo, Y, Huang, Y, Gao, J, Pu, Y, Wang, N, Shen, W, Wen, J, Yi, B, Ma, C, Tu, J, Fu, T, Zou, Jitao, Shen, J, 2018

Transcriptomic Insights into Phenological Development and Cold Tolerance of Wheat Grown in the Field.
Plant Physiology, Li, Q, Byrns, B, Badawi, M, Diallo, A, Danyluk, J, Sarhan, F, Laudencia-Chingcuanco, D, Zou, Jitao, Fowler, D, 2018

BnDGAT1s function similarly in oil deposition and are expressed with uniform patterns in tissues of brassica napus
Frontiers in Plant Science, Zhao, C, Li, H, Zhang, W, Wang, H, Xu, A, Tian, J, Zou, Jitao, Taylor, D, Zhang, M, 2017

The D-lactate dehydrogenase MoDLD1 is essential for growth and infection-related development in Magnaporthe oryzae.
Environmental Microbiology, Zhou, T, Qin, L, Zhu, X, Shen, W, Zou, Jitao, Wang, Z, Wei, Y, 2017

Effects of eIFiso4G1 mutation on seed oil biosynthesis
Plant Journal, Li, Q, Shen, W, Zheng, Q, Tan, Y, Gao, J, Shen, J, Wei, Y, Kunst, L, Zou, Jitao, 2017

Genetic effects and genotype×environment interactions govern seed oil content in Brassica napus L.
BMC Genetics, Guo, Y, Si, P, Wang, N, Wen, J, Yi, B, Ma, C, Tu, J, Zou, Jitao, Fu, T, Shen, J, 2017

Abiotic factors influence plant storage lipid accumulation and composition
Plant Science, Singer, S, Zou, Jitao, Weselake, R, 2016

Adjustments of lipid pathways in plant adaptation to temperature stress
Plant Signaling and Behavior, Li, Q, Shen, W, Zheng, Q, Fowler, D, Zou, Jitao, 2016

Tribenuron-Methyl Induces Male Sterility through Anther-Specific Inhibition of Acetolactate Synthase Leading to Autophagic Cell Death.
Molecular plant, Zhao, L, Jing, X, Chen, L, Liu, Y, Su, Y, Liu, T, Gao, C, Yi, B, Wen, J, Ma, C, Tu, J, Zou, Jitao, Fu, T, Shen, J, 2015

In vivo and in vitro evidence for biochemical coupling of reactions catalyzed by lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase and diacylglycerol acyltransferase
Journal of Biological Chemistry, Pan, X, Chen, G, Kazachkov, M, Greer, M, Caldo KMP, None, Zou, Jitao, Weselake, R, 2015

Understanding the biochemical basis of temperature-induced lipid pathway adjustments in plants
Plant Cell, Li, Q, Zheng, Q, Shen, W, Cram, D, Fowler, D, Wei, Y, Zou, Jitao, 2015