Lei-Liang Zhang

The multiple roles of TMEDs in viral infection and immune response.

Microbe-induced migrasome-like structures and their role in microbial persistence, immune evasion and transmission.

Microbial pathogens have evolved sophisticated strategies to disseminate within hosts, yet the full repertoire of intercellular transmission routes remains incompletely understood. Traditional models of microbial spread emphasize free-particle diffusion and direct cell-to-cell contact. Here, we extend our recently prop...

Convergent evolution of viral nucleases targeting cyclic dinucleotides

Poxviruses, African swine fever virus (ASFV), and bacteriophages have independently evolved nucleases that degrade cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), which are critical second messengers that mediate antiviral responses. This Pearl synthesizes recent advancements in our understanding of viral CDN-degrading nucleases and emph...