Journal of Molecular Biology

Personal Information

• Name: Dang Zhenhua

• Date of Birth: March 1982

• Mobile: +86 15148026396

• E-mail: zhdang@imu.edu.cn

• Affiliation: Inner Mongolia University

• Research Fields: Molecular Ecology, and Adaptive Evolution of Plants to Environmental Stress

• H-index: 13

Education

• 2001.09 - 2005.07: Inner Mongolia University, Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology

• 2007.09 - 2013.07: Inner Mongolia University, Doctor of Philosophy in Botany

Work Experience

• 2013.07 - 2016.12: Lecturer, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University

• 2017.01 - 2018.12: Lecturer, College of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University

• 2017.03 - 2018.02: Visiting Scholar (unspecified position), College of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand

• 2019.01 - Present: Associate Professor, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University

Selected Publications

1. Yan DQ, Fan YY, Jiang XR, Ma Y, Lin KJ, Dang ZH, Niu JM. Diversification and differentiation of Stipa species shed light on the regional evolutionary history of the eastern Eurasian steppe. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 2025;213:108449.

2. Yao CY, Feng JH, Zhang, YM, Dang ZH#, Ma LN. Plant diversity drives ecosystem multifunctionality under grazing management in temperate grasslands. Journal of Plant Ecology. 2025;18(6). DOI:10.1093/jpe/rtaf093.

3. Song MM*, Gong W*, Tian YY, Meng Y, Huo TY, Liu YN, Zhang YM, Dang ZH#. Chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of xerophyte secretohalophyte Reaumuria soongarica. Scientific Data. 2024;11:812.

4. Dang ZH, Xu Y, Zhang X, Mi WT, Chi Y, Tian YY, Liu YL, Ren WB#. Chromosome-level genome assembly provides insights into the genome evolution and functional importance of the phenylpropanoid–flavonoid pathway in Thymus mongolicus. BMC Genomics. 2024;25:291.

5. Liu YN*, Sun SX*, Zhang YN, Song MM, Tian YY, Lockhart PJ, Zhang X, Xu Y, Dang ZH#. Integrated transcriptome and proteome analyses reveal potential mechanisms in Stipa breviflora underlying adaptation to grazing. Grassland Research. 2024;1–17.

6. Wang QL*, Chen XR*, Meng Y, Niu MM, Jia YY, Huang L, Ma WH, Liang CZ, Li ZY, Zhao LQ, Dang ZH#. The potential role of genic-SSRs in driving ecological adaptation diversity in Caragana plants. International Journal of Molecular Science. 2024;25:2084.

7. Sha N*, Li ZY*, Sun Q, Han Y, Tian L, Wu YT, Li X, Shi YB, Zhang JH, Peng JT, Wang LX, Dang ZH#, Liang CZ. Elucidation of the evolutionary history of Stipa in China using comparative transcriptomic analysis. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2023;14:1275018.

8. Dang ZH*, Li JB, Liu YN, Song MM, Lockhart PJ, Tian YY, Niu MM, Wang QL. RADseq-based population genomic analysis and environmental adaptation of rare and endangered recretohalophyte Reaumuria trigyna. The Plant Genome. 2023;e20303.

9. Yan DQ, Liu JM, Fan YY, Lian Z, Dang ZH#, Niu JM#. Genomic insights into genetic diversity and local adaptation of a dominant desert steppe feather grass, Stipa breviflora Griseb.. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2023;14:1170075.

10. Ren J*, Yan DQ*, Ma Y, Liu JM, Su ZZ, Ding Y, Wang PY, Dang ZH#, Niu JM#. Combining phylogeography and landscape genetics reveals genetic variation and distribution patterns of Stipa breviflora populations. Flora. 2022;293:152102.

11. Dang ZH*'#, Jia YY*, Tian YY, Li JB, Zhang YN, Huang L, Liang CZ, Lockhart P.J., Matthew C, Li F.Y. Transcriptome-Wide gene expression plasticity in Stipa grandis in response to grazing intensity differences. International Journal of Molecular Science. 2021;22:11882.

12. Ma PK, Shi ZQ, Diao FW, Hao LJ, Zhang JX, Xu J, Wang LX, Dang ZH#, Guo W#. Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth and Na+ accumulation of Suaeda glauca (bunge) grown in salinized wetland soils. Applied Soil Ecology. 2021;166:104065.

13. Diao FW, Dang ZH#, Xu J, Ding SL, Hao BH, Zhang ZC, Zhang JX, Wang LX, Guo W#. Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on ion homeostasis and salt tolerance-related gene expression in halophyte Suaeda salsa under salt treatments. Microbiological Research. 2021;245:126688.

14. Dang ZH*, Huang L*, Jia YY, Lockhart PJ, Fong Y, Tian YY#. Identification of genic SSRs provide a perspective for studying environmental adaptation in the endemic shrub Tetraena mongolica. Genes. 2020;11(3):322.

15. Dang ZH*,#, McLenachan PA, Lockhart JP, Waipara N, Er O, Reynolds C, Blanchon D#. Metagenome profiling identifies potential bio-control agents for Selaginella kraussiana in New Zealand. Genes. 2019;10(2):106.

16. Ren J, Su ZZ, Dang ZH#, Ding Y, Wang PY, Niu JM#. Development and characterization of EST-SSR markers in Stipa breviflora (Poaceae). Applications in Plant Sciences. 2017;5(4):1600157.

17. Dang ZH, Qi Q, Zhang HR, Li HY, Wu SB, Wang YC#. Identification of Salt-Stress-Induced Genes from the RNA-Seq Data of Reaumuria trigyna Using Differential-Display Reverse Transcription PCR. International Journal of Genomics. 2014;2014:381501.

18. Dang ZH, Zheng LL, Wang J, Gao Z, Wu SB, Qi Z, Wang YC#. Transcriptomic Profiling of the Salt-stress Response in the Wild Recretohalophyte Reaumuria trigyna. BMC Genomics. 2013;14:29.

• My research program integrates molecular ecology, evolutionary genomics, and environmental adaptation biology to understand how plants evolve and thrive under abiotic and biotic stresses in extreme environments. Specifically, I employ genomic, transcriptomic, and population genetic approaches (e.g., whole-genome sequencing, RADseq, SSR analysis) to investigate: Genomic Basis of Stress Adaptation: Unraveling the genetic and molecular mechanisms—including key genes, pathways, and genome evolution—that enable halophytes and xerophytes (e.g., Reaumuria spp., Suaeda salsa, Tetraena mongolica) to tolerate high salinity and drought. Population Genomics and Local Adaptation: Examining genetic diversity, population structure, and local adaptation in dominant grassland species (e.g., Stipa breviflora, Caragana spp.) driven by environmental gradients and anthropogenic pressures like grazing. Plant-Environment Interactions: Exploring the role of plant diversity in ecosystem multifunctionality in temperate grasslands and understanding plant-microbe interactions, particularly the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in enhancing plant salt tolerance. The ultimate goal is to provide genomic resources and theoretical foundations for the conservation of rare and endangered plant species and for informing grassland management and restoration strategies.