Kuang Ersheng, Doctor of Science
E-mail: kuangersh@mail.sysu.edu.cn
Majors: Microbiology, Molecular Medicine
Laboratory: Science Building 1319

Personal profile

Professor, PhD Supervisor, Institute of Human Virology and Department of Medical Cell Biology, Sun Yat-sen University. He received his bachelor's and doctoral degrees in Virology and microbiology from the School of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, and then did postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania, Florida State University and Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute of Medical Research in the United States. To undertake teaching and research work related to medical virology and cell biology.
He has studied herpes virus and Antiviral immunoinflammatory reaction for a long time, successively in PNAS, Autophagy, eLife, EMBO Rep, PLoS Pathogens, J Virol., Antiviral Res. More than 30 SCI articles have been published as the first or corresponding author in authoritative international virology journals. 6 patents authorized as the first inventor; He presided over 14 scientific research projects.

Main research direction

(1) Herpes virus infection and pathogenesis:
The main purpose of this study was to study the functions and mechanisms of the early lytic gene ORF45 and the host ubiquitination ligase RNF5 in the primary infection, lytic replication, and tumorigenesis and development of KSHV, and to develop small molecule drugs and peptides that inhibit tumorigenic herpesvirus infection and disease by targeting related protein complexes.
(2) Mechanism and function of virus regulation of inflammasome and autophagy response:
In this study, we used EBV and KSHV and SARS-CoV-2 as models to discover viral proteins that regulate inflammasome and autophagy response, elucidate their regulatory mechanisms, reveal their functions in viral infection and pathogenesis, and explore intervention strategies for the prevention and treatment of viral infectious diseases with inflammasome and autophagy response as targets.

Social part-time job

Member of the American Society for Microbiology
Editorial member of Scientific Reports

Representative papers (corresponding author or first author papers only)

Antiviral innate immunity, inflammatory response and autophagy response

1. Zhang X, Yang Z, Pan T, Zhang M, Sun Q, Wang F, Wang P, Li X and Kuang E. SARS-CoV-2 NSP8 suppresses MDA5 antiviral immune responses by impairing TRIM4-mediated K63-linked polyubiquitination. Plos Pathogens, 2023, 19(11):e1011792

2. Zhang X, Lan Q, Zhang M, Wang F, Shi K, Li X, Kuang E. Inhibition of AIM2 inflammasome activation by SOX/ORF37 promotes lytic replication of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2023, 120(27): e2300204120.

3. Sun Q, Li X, Kuang E. Subversion of autophagy machinery and organelle-specific autophagy by SARS-CoV-2 and coronaviruses. Autophagy, 2023, 19(4):1055-1069. 

4. Li X, Kuang E. Reticulophagy Reprograms the Endoplasmic Reticulum for SARS-CoV-2 Replication. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022, 10:896618. 

5. Zhang X, Yang Z, Pan T, Long X, Sun Q, Wang PH, Li X, Kuang E. SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a induces RETREG1/FAM134B-dependent reticulophagy and triggers sequential ER stress and inflammatory responses during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Autophagy, 2022, 18(11):2576-2592.

6. Yang Z, Wang J, He B, Zhang X, Li X, Kuang E. RTN3 inhibits RIG-I-mediated antiviral responses by impairing TRIM25-mediated K63-linked polyubiquitination. eLife, 2021, 10:e68958.

7. Long X, Yang Z, Li Y, Sun Q, Li X, Kuang E. BRLF1-dependent viral and cellular transcriptomes and transcriptional regulation during EBV primary infection in B lymphoma cells. Genomics. 2021, 113(4):2591-2604

8. Long X, Yang J, Zhang X, Yang Z, Li Y, Wang F, Li X, Kuang E.  BRLF1 suppresses RNA Pol III-mediated RIG-I inflammasome activation in the early EBV lytic lifecycle. EMBO Rep. 2021, 22(1):e50714

9. Long X, Li Y, Yang M, Huang L, Gong W, Kuang E. BZLF1 Attenuates Transmission of Inflammatory Paracrine Senescence in Epstein-Barr Virus-Infected Cells by Downregulating Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha. J Virol. 2016, 90(17):7880-93.

10. Ma Y, Li X, Kuang E. Viral Evasion of Natural Killer Cell Activation. Viruses. 2016, 8(4):95. 

11. Li Y, Long X, Huang L, Yang M, Yuan Y, Wang Y, Delecluse HJ, Kuang E. Epstein-Barr Virus BZLF1-Mediated Downregulation of Proinflammatory Factors Is Essential for Optimal Lytic Viral Replication. J Virol. 2015, 90(2):887-903.

12. Kuang E, Qi J, Ronai Z. Emerging roles of E3 ubiquitin ligases in autophagy. Trends Biochem Sci. 2013, 38(9):453-60.

13. Kuang E, Okumura CY, Sheffy-Levin S, Varsano T, Shu VC, Qi J, Niesman IR, Yang HJ, López-Otín C, Yang WY, Reed JC, Broday L, Nizet V, Ronai ZA. Regulation of ATG4B stability by RNF5 limits basal levels of autophagy and influences susceptibility to bacterial infection. PLoS Genet. 2012, 8(10):e1003007. 

Pathogenesis of herpes virus and antiviral drugs

1. Chen Q, Li X, Quan L, Zhou R, Liu X, Cheng L, Sarid R, Kuang E. FoxK1 and FoxK2 cooperate with ORF45 to promote late lytic replication of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. J Virol. 2024,  In press.
2. Li X, Wang F, Zhang X, Sun Q, Kuang E. Suppression of KSHV lytic replication and primary effusion lymphoma by selective RNF5 inhibition. PLoS Pathog. 2023, 19(1):e1011103.
3. Sun Q, Wang F, Chen Q, Sarid R, Li X, Kuang E. Upregulation of ATF4-LAMP3 Axis by ORF45 Facilitates Lytic Replication of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus. J Virol. 2022, 96(23):e0145622.
4. Li X, Huang L, Xiao Y, Yao X, Long X, Zhu F, Kuang E. 2019. Development of an ORF45-derived peptide to inhibit the sustained RSK activation and lytic replication of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. J Virol. 2019, 93:e02154-18. 
5. Huang L, Yang M, Yuan Y, Li X, Kuang E. Niclosamide inhibits lytic replication of Epstein-Barr virus by disrupting mTOR activation. Antiviral Res. 2017, 138:68-78.
6. Yang M, Huang L, Li X, Kuang E. Chloroquine inhibits lytic replication of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus by disrupting mTOR and p38-MAPK activation. Antiviral Res. 2016, 133:223-33. 
7. Li X, Du S, Avey D, Li Y, Zhu F, Kuang E. ORF45-mediated prolonged c-Fos accumulation accelerates viral transcription during the late stage of lytic replication of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus. J Virol. 2015, 89(13):6895-906. 
8. Fu B*, Kuang E*, Li W*, Avey D, Li X, Turpin Z, Valdes A, Brulois K, Myoung J, Zhu F. Activation of p90 ribosomal S6 kinases by ORF45 of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus is critical for optimal production of infectious viruses. J Virol. 2015, 89(1):195-207. (*Co-first author)
9. Kuang E, Fu B, Liang Q, Myoung J, Zhu F. Phosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4B (EIF4B) by open reading frame 45/p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (ORF45/RSK) signaling axis facilitates protein translation during Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) lytic replication. J Biol Chem. 2011, 286(48):41171-82.
10. Kuang E, Wu F, Zhu F. Mechanism of sustained activation of ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) and ERK by Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus ORF45: multiprotein complexes retain active phosphorylated ERK AND RSK and protect them from dephosphorylation. J Biol Chem. 2009, 284(20):13958-68.
11. Kuang E, Tang Q, Maul GG, Zhu F. Activation of p90 ribosomal S6 kinase by ORF45 of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and its role in viral lytic replication. J Virol. 2008, 82(4):1838-50.

Preside over scientific research projects

1. Research on Mechanism and function of KSHV deubiquitination enzyme ORF64 regulating inflammatome activation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2025.01-2028.12
2. Study on the role and mechanism of activating inflammasome to inhibit herpes virus and related tumors, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, 2024.01-2026.12
3. Research on the mechanism and function of EBV latent protein EBNA-LP activating NLRC4 pathway, National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2023.01-2026.12
4. The National Natural Science Foundation Committee in collaboration with the Israel Science Foundation research project, the role of ORF45 in the infection cycle of KSHV, 2021.01-2023.12
5. Research on Mechanism and function of early lytic replication of EBV inhibiting inflammatome pathway, National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2019.01-2022.12
6. National Natural Science Foundation of China, Role and mechanism of IFI16 in infection and pathogenesis of herpes virus associated with Kapo's sarcoma, 2017.1-2020.12
7. Free Application Project of Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Experimental study of ORF45-RSK Targeted Treatment of KSHV-induced tumor, 2015.8-2018.8
8. Project of Social Development Field of Guangdong Science and Technology Program, Screening of small molecule Compounds regulating inflammasome activity and antiviral research, 2015.1-2017.12
9. Nsfc-guangdong Joint Fund Cultivation Project, Mechanism of resistance of Kapo's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus induced tumor to MEK inhibitors and mTOR inhibitors, 2014.1-2016.12
10. The role and mechanism of RNF5 in infection and pathogenesis of herpes virus associated with Kapo's sarcoma, National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2014.1-2017.12