Work Experience
08/2023-present Professor, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Group leader, State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience
08/2018-07/2023 Postdoc, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Germany
Education
09/2013-06/2018 Ph.D, School of Life Science, Tsinghua University, China
07/2017-05/2018 Exchange Ph.D student, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Germany
09/2009-06/2013 B.S., College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, China
My group studies the molecular basis of plant-microbe and plant-environment interactions. We focus on deciphering molecular mechanism by which the microbe and environmental signals are precepted by the plant receptors to trigger immune and stress response. We also aim to explore how our research can be used to engineer sustainable broad-spectrum disease resistance and environmental resilience in crops.
（*Co-first author, #Corresponding author）
2024
1. Song W*, Liu L*, Yu D, Bernard H, Jirschitzka J, Hang S, Jia A, Jemleniak W, Acker J, Laessle H, Wang J, Shen Q, Chen W, Li P, Parker J, Han Z, Schulze-Lefert P, Chai J. (2024) Substrate-induced condensation activates plant TIR domain proteins. Nature
2023
2. Chai J, Song W, Parker J. (2023) New biochemical principles for NLR immunity in plants. MPMI (H. H. FLOR DISTINGUISHED REVIEW) 36 (8), 468-475
3. Yu Y*, Song W*, Zhai N*, Zhang S, Wang J, Wang S, Liu W, Huang C, Ma H, Chai J, Chang F. (2023) PXL1 and SERKs act as receptor–coreceptor complexes for the CLE19 peptide to regulate pollen development. Nature communications 14 (1), 3307
4. Wang J#, Song W#, Chai J#. (2023) Structure, biochemical function and signaling mechanism of plant NLRs. Molecular Plant 16 (1), 75-95
2022
5. Liu L*, Song W*, Huang S, Jiang K, Moriwaki Y, Wang Y, Men Y, Zhang D, Wen X, Han Z, Chai J, Guo H. (2022) Extracellular pH sensing by plant cell-surface peptide receptor complexes. Cell 185 (18), 3341-3355. e13
6. Yu D*, Song W*, Tan E *, Liu L, Cao Yu, Jirschitzka J, Li E, Logemann E, Xu C, Huang S, Jia A, Chang X, Han Z, Wu B, Schulze-Lefert P, Chai J. (2022) TIR domains of plant immune receptors are 2′, 3′-cAMP/cGMP synthetases mediating cell death. Cell 185 (13), 2370-2386. e18
7. Jia A*, Huang S*, Song W*, Wang J*, Meng Y*, Sun Y*, Xu L, Laessle H, Jirschitzka J, Hou J, Zhang T, Yu W, Hessler G, Li E, Ma S, Yu D, Gebauer J, Baumann U, Liu X, Han Z, Chang J, Parker J, Chai J. (2022) TIR-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation reactions produce signaling molecules for plant immunity. Science 377 (6605), eabq8180.
8. Huang S*, Jia A*, Song W*, Hessler G*, Meng Y*, Sun Y, Xu L, Laessle H, Jirschitzka J, Ma S, Xiao Y, Yu D, Hou J, Liu R, Sun H, Liu X, Han Z, Chang J, Parker J, Chai J. (2022) Identification and receptor mechanism of TIR-catalyzed small molecules in plant immunity. Science 377 (6605), eabq3297
9. Qian P*, Song W*, Zaizen-Iida M, Kume S, Wang G, Zhang Y, Chai J, and Kakimoto T. (2022) A Dof-CLE circuit controls phloem organization. Nature Plants 8 (7):817-827
10. Gao H, Song W, Severing E, Vayssières A, Huettel B, Franzen R, Richter R, Chai J, Coupland G. (2022) PIF4 enhances DNA binding by CDF2 to co-regulate target gene expression and promote Arabidopsis hypocotyl cell elongation. Nature Plants 8 (9), 1082-1093
2021
11. Song W*, Forderer A*, Yu D*, Chai J. (2021) Structural biology of plant defence. New Phytologist 229 (2), 692-711
2020
12. Ma S*, Lapin D*, Liu L*, Sun Y*, Song W*, Zhang X, Logemann E, Yu D, Wang J, Jirschitzka J, Han Z, Schulze-Lefert P, Parker JE, Chai J. (2020) Direct pathogen-induced assembly of an NLR immune receptor complex to form a holoenzyme. Science 370 (6521), eabe3069
2019
13. Zhu Y, Li H, Su Q, Wen J, Wang Y, Song W, Xie Y, He W, Yang Z, Jiang K, Guo H. (2019) A phenotype-directed chemical screen identifies ponalrestat as an inhibitor of the plant flavin monooxygenase YUCCA in auxin biosynthesis. Journal of Biological Chemistry 294 (52), 19923-19933
2018
14. Qian P*, Song W*, Yokoo T, Minobe A, Wang G, Ishida T, Sawa S, Chai J, Kakimoto T. (2018) The CLE9/10 secretory peptide regulates stomatal and vascular development through distinct receptors. Nature Plants 4 (12), 1071-1081
2017
15. Song W, Han Z, Wang J, Lin G, Chai J. (2017) Structural insights into ligand recognition and activation of plant receptor kinases. Current Opinion in Structural Biology 43, 18-27
16. Wu Z*, Liang S*, Song W*, Lin G, Wang W, Zhang H, Han Z, Chai J. (2017) Functional and structural characterization of a receptor-like kinase involved in germination and cell expansion in Arabidopsis. Frontiers in Plant Science 8, 1999
2016
17. Song W*, Liu L*, Wang J, Wu Z, Zhang H, Tang J, Lin G, Wang Y, Wen X, Li W, Han Z, Guo H, Chai J. (2016) Signature motif-guided identification of receptors for peptide hormones essential for root meristem growth. Cell Research 26 (6), 674-685
18. Zhang H, Han Z, Song W, Chai J. Structural insight into recognition of plant peptide hormones by receptors. (2016) Molecular Plant 9 (11), 1454-1463
2015
19. Song W*, Wang J*, Han Z*, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Wang W, Chang J, Xia B, Fan S, Zhang D, Wang J, Wang HW, Chai J. (2015) Structural basis for specific recognition of single-stranded RNA by Toll-like receptor 13. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 22 (10), 782-787
20. Wang J, Wang W, Song W, Han Z, Zhang H, Chai J, Wang H, Wang J. (2015) An improved method for phasing crystal structures with low non-crystallographic symmetry using cryo-electron microscopy data. Protein & Cell (12), 919-923
2014
21. Song W, Han Z, Sun Y, Chai J. (2014) Crystal structure of a plant leucine rich repeat protein with two island domains. Science China Life Sciences 57 (1), 137-144
22. Song W, Liu L, Li P, Sun H, Qin Y. (2014) Analysis of the mating and reproductive traits of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). Journal of Insect Science 14 (1)
2013
23. Song W, Li H, Song F, Liu L, Wang P, Xun H, Dai X, Chang J, Cai W. (2013) The complete mitochondrial genome of a tessaratomid bug, Eusthenes cupreus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomomorpha: Tessaratomidae). Zootaxa 3620 (2), 260-272
