X. Frank Yang, PhD
Lois & Dietrich C. Bauer Professor
Professor of Microbiology & Immunology
- xfyang@iu.edu
- Phone
- (317) 274-8691
- Address
-
MS 420
635 Barnhill Drive
Indianapolis, IN - PubMed:
-
Bio
Dr. Yang received his graduate training of molecular biology from The University of Texas at Dallas during 1991-1997. He then received his postdoctoral training from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center during 1998-2001. He then became Instructor and Assistant Professor at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. In 2005, he moved to Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Yang has been working in the area of signaling transduction and microbial pathogenesis since 1994. His work has contributed significantly to our understanding how the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi infects the mammalian host and survives in the tick vector. His team has published over 70 research papers, and the work has been continuously funded by National Institute of Health since 2006.
Key Publications
1. Priya R, Ye M, Raghunandanan S, Liu Q, Li W, Yu Q, Lou Y, Sintim HO, Yang XF*. 2025. Borrelia burgdorferi c-di-AMP is a Key Extracellular Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern to Elicit Type I Interferon Responses in Mammalian Hosts. Journal of Immunology. Jul 3:vkaf133. doi: 10.1093/jimmun/vkaf133
2. Raghunandanan S, Priya R, Lin G, Alanazi F, Zoss A, Warren E, Stewart P, Yang XF*. 2025. Positive feedback regulation between RpoS and BosR in the Lyme disease pathogen. mBio. 28:e0276624. doi: 10.1128/mbio.02766-24.
3. Raghunandanan S, Zhang K, Zhang Y, Priya R, Sze CW, Lou Y, Lynch MJ, Crane BR, Kaplan MH, Li C*, Yang XF*. 2024. MCP5, a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein regulated by both the Hk1-Rrp1 and Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS pathways, is required for the immune evasion of Borrelia burgdorferi. PLoS Pathogens. 20(12):e1012327. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1012327. PubMed PMID: 39775665; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11723614
4. Raghunandanan S, Priya R, Alazani F, Lybecker M, Schlax PS, Yang XF*. 2024. A Fur family protein BosR is a novel RNA-binding protein that controls rpoS RNA stability in the Lyme disease pathogen. Nucleoic Acid Research, 52: 5320-5335.
5. Zhang Y, Chen T, Raghunandanan S, Xiang X, Yang J, Liu Q, Edmondson DG, Norris S, Yang XF*, Lou Y*. 2020. YebC regulates variable surface antigen VlsE expression and is required for host immune evasion in Borrelia burgdorferi. PLOS pathogens. 16(10), e1008953. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008953.
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | PhD | University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center |
| 1994 | MS | University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center |
| 1988 | MS | Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| 1985 | BS | Liaoning University |
Dr. Yang’s laboratory investigates the pathogenesis of Bacterial infection, with the focus of two groups of pathogens, the spirochetal pathogens (the causative agents of Lyme disease, Syphilis, and Leptospirosis) and the vector-borne pathogens.
The team employs the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, as a model system to study the host-pathogen interactions. Lyme disease is the number one vector-borne disease in the US, but little is known on how B. burgdorferi causes disease (Lyme arthritis, Lyme carditis, neuroborreliosis). B. burgdorferi infects humans as accidental host via tick bites. The team identified two key regulatory networks that modulate expression of many Borrelia genes; one network appears to be essential for bacteria to infect mice, whereas the other is important for spirochetes to survive in the tick vector. Current focus is to elucidate the mechanisms of how B. burgdorferi senses the signals from each host and turns on each regulatory network and what the downstream effectors the networks control, with the goal to develop new strategies for early detection and prevention of Lyme disease, as well as elimination of the pathogen in ticks.
Xie DL; Zheng MM; Zheng Y; Gao H; Zhang J; Zhang T; Guo JC; Yang XF; Zhong XP; Lou YL; PloS one 2017 Jul 18
Zhukova A; Fernandes LG; Hugon P; Pappas CJ; Sismeiro O; Coppée JY; Becavin C; Malabat C; Eshghi A; Zhang JJ; Yang FX; Picardeau M; Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 2017 Jan 19
Hu WL; Pappas CJ; Zhang JJ; Yang YY; Yan J; Picardeau M; Yang XF; Applied and environmental microbiology 2017 Jan 17
Xiang X; Yang Y; Du J; Lin T; Chen T; Yang XF; Lou Y; Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 2017 Apr 20
Radolf JD; Deka RK; Anand A; Šmajs D; Norgard MV; Yang XF; Nature reviews. Microbiology 2016 Oct 10
Ye M; Sharma K; Thakur M; Smith AA; Buyuktanir O; Xiang X; Yang X; Promnares K; Lou Y; Yang XF; Pal U; Infection and immunity 2016 Jul 21
Ye M; Zhou Y; Lou Y; Yang XF; Science China. Life sciences 2016 Jan 6
Fouts DE; Matthias MA; Adhikarla H; Adler B; Amorim-Santos L; Berg DE; Bulach D; Buschiazzo A; Chang YF; Galloway RL; Haake DA; Haft DH; Hartskeerl R; Ko AI; Levett PN; Matsunaga J; Mechaly AE; Monk JM; Nascimento AL; Nelson KE; Palsson B; Peacock SJ; Picardeau M; Ricaldi JN; Thaipandungpanit J; Wunder EA Jr; Yang XF; Zhang JJ; Vinetz JM; PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2016 Feb 18
Yin Y; Yang Y; Xiang X; Wang Q; Yang ZN; Blevins J; Lou Y; Yang XF; Journal of bacteriology 2016 Apr 28
Carrasco SE; Yang Y; Troxell B; Yang X; Pal U; Yang XF; Emerging microbes & infections 2015 Sep 2
Fang LQ; Liu K; Li XL; Liang S; Yang Y; Yao HW; Sun RX; Sun Y; Chen WJ; Zuo SQ; Ma MJ; Li H; Jiang JF; Liu W; Yang XF; Gray GC; Krause PJ; Cao WC; The Lancet. Infectious diseases 2015 Oct 6
Carrasco SE; Troxell B; Yang Y; Brandt SL; Li H; Sandusky GE; Condon KW; Serezani CH; Yang XF; Infection and immunity 2015 Oct 5
Huang R; Zhang J; Yang XF; Gregory RL; PloS one 2015 May 13
Wang C; Zhu L; Gao Z; Guan Z; Lu H; Shi M; Gao Y; Xu H; Yang XF; Zhou P; PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2015 Jun 19
Richards CL; Lawrence KA; Su H; Yang Y; Yang XF; Dulebohn DP; Gherardini FC; PloS one 2015 Dec 17
Muhammad SA; Fatima N; Syed NI; Wu X; Yang XF; Chen JY; PloS one 2015 Aug 27
Chou S; Daugherty MD; Peterson SB; Biboy J; Yang Y; Jutras BL; Fritz-Laylin LK; Ferrin MA; Harding BN; Jacobs-Wagner C; Yang XF; Vollmer W; Malik HS; Mougous JD; Nature 2014 Nov 24
Muhammad SA; Ahmed S; Ali A; Huang H; Wu X; Yang XF; Naz A; Chen J; Genomics 2014 May 13
Wang C; Zhu L; Gao Z; Guan Z; Lu H; Shi M; Gao Y; Xu H; Yang XF; Zhou P; PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2014 Jul 31
Troxell B; Zhang JJ; Bourret TJ; Zeng MY; Blum J; Gherardini F; Hassan HM; Yang XF; PloS one 2014 Jan 2
Ye M; Zhang JJ; Fang X; Lawlis GB; Troxell B; Zhou Y; Gomelsky M; Lou Y; Yang XF; Infection and immunity 2014 Feb 24
He M; Zhang JJ; Ye M; Lou Y; Yang XF; Infection and immunity 2013 Nov 11
Desc: Trustees' Teaching Award
Scope: University
Date: 2025-04-01
Desc: Trustees' Teaching Award
Scope: University
Date: 2011-05-01