Associate Professor

Tel: 0510-85910886

Email: xumeijuan@jiangnan.edu.cn

Web:

2013 – present            Associate Professor, Jiangnan University

2016 –   2017          Visiting Scholar,   Cornell University

2012 – 2013               Lecturer, California Institute of Technology

2005 – 2012               M.Sc. and Ph.D., Jiangnan University

2001 – 2005               B.Sc., Hebei Agricultural University

The   goal of my research is to optimize the synthesis of a desired compound via   microbial metabolism using tools from synthetic biology   to system metabolic engineering. My research group has focused on in-depth   study of metabolic engineering of Corynebacteria strains for amino acids and   some other important biochemicals.

We   recruit tools from synthetic biology to genetically edit metabolism and   reroute metabolic flux towards a given metabolic pathway. This may include reducing   the activity of undesirable pathways that compete for precursors or that   degrade or reimport the final product. Our research also includes the   installation of heterologous enzymes that are not subject to native   regulatory control. As a result of metabolic deregulation, the side effects   of metabolic engineering can include promiscuous enzyme activity, unwanted   metabolic sinks, and the production of toxic or unstable biosynthetic   intermediates, leading to poor cellular growth.

1. Zhang J, Xu M*, Ge X, Zhang X, Yang T, Xu Z, Rao   Z*. Reengineering   of the feedback-inhibition enzyme N-acetyl-l-glutamate kinase to enhance   l-arginine production in Corynebacterium crenatum. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology   ,2017, 44(2): 271-283.

2. Zhang, J, Xu M*, Zhang   X, Yang T, Xu Z, Rao Z*. Engineering of N-Acetyl-L-glutamate kinase from   Corynebacterium glutamicum toward improved catalytic efficiency and   thermostability. Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic,2017 Feb online.

3. Xu M, Qin J, Rao Z*, You H, Zhang X, Yang T, Xu Z*. Effect of   Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) storage on l-arginine production in recombinant   Corynebacterium crenatum using coenzyme regulation. Microbial Cell Factories,   2016, 15(1): 15. DOI 10.1186/s12934-016-0414-x.3.744.

4. Man Z^#,   Xu M^#, Rao Z*, Guo J, Yang T, Zhang X, Xu Z. Systems   pathway engineering of Corynebacterium crenatum for improved L-arginine   production. Sci Rep. 2016;6:28629.

5. Meijuan Xu, Zhiming Rao*, Wenfang Dou, Juan Yang, Jian Jin,   Zhenghong Xu*. Site-directed mutagenesis and feedback-resistant   N-acetyl-L-glutamate kinase (NAGK) increase Corynebacterium crenatum L-arginine   production. Amino Acids. 2012, 43(1):255-266.

6. Meijuan Xu, Zhiming Rao*, Juan Yang, Haifeng Xia, Wenfang Dou,   Jian Jin, Zhenghong Xu*. Heterologous and homologous expression of the   arginine biosynthetic argC~H cluster from Corynebacterium crenatum for   improvement of L-arginine production. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol. 2012,   39(3):495-502.

7. Meijuan Xu, Zhiming Rao*, Haifeng Xia, Wenfang Dou, Jian Jin,   Zhenghong Xu*. Site-directed mutagenesis studies on the L-arginine binding   sites of feedback inhibition in N-acetyl-L-glutamate kinase (NAGK) from   Corynebacterium glutamicum. Curr Microbiol, 2012, 64: 164-172.

8. Meijuan Xu, Zhiming Rao*, Wenfang Dou, Zhenghong Xu*. The Role   of ARGR Repressor Regulation on L-arginine Production in Corynebacterium crenatum.   Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2013, 170(3):587-597.

9. Meijuan Xu, Zhiming Rao*, Juan Yang, Wenfang Dou, Zhenghong Xu*.   The Effect of a LYSE Exporter Overexpression on L-Arginine Production in   Corynebacterium crenatum. Curr Microbiol. 2013,67:271-278.

10. Meijuan Xu, Rongzhen Zhang, Xiangyu Liu, Jingsong Shi,   Zhenghong Xu, Zhiming Rao*. Improving the acidic stability of a β-mannanase   from Bacillus subtilis by site-directed mutagenesis. Process Biochemistry.   2013,48(8):1166-1173.