1. 食线虫真菌侵染线虫的分子机理
2. 烟草病原真菌抗药性分子机制研究 (e.g. 烟草赤星病,烟草黑胫病)
3. 微生物和酶在烟草加工中的应用
1. Infection mechanism of nematophagous fungi against nematodes
1) Cloning, expression and phylogenetic analysis of infection-related enzymes from nematophagous fungi
2) Crystal structure and function analysis of infection-related proteins from nematophagous fungi
2. Drug resistance mechanism of tobacco pathogenic fungi (e.g. Alternaria longipes, Phytophthora parasitica)
3. Application of microorganisms and enzymes in tobacco processing 
2) Structure and function analysis of enzymes involved in biosynthesis of vanillin
1)   Yang JK, Wang L, Ji XL, Feng Y, Li XM, Zou CG, Xu JP, Ren Y, Mi QL, Wu JL, Liu SQ, Liu Y, Huang XW, Wang HY, Niu XM, Li J, Liang LM, Luo YL, Ji KF, Zhou W, Yu ZF, Li GH, Liu YJ, Li L, Qiao M, Feng L, Zhang KQ. 2011. Genomic and proteomic analyses of the fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora provide insights into nematode-trap formation. PLoS Pathog, 7: e1002179. 
2)   Gu W, Yang JK*, Lou ZY, Liang LM, Sun YN, Huang JW, Li XM, Cao Y, Meng ZH, Zhang KQ. 2011. Structural basis of enzymatic activity for the ferulic acid decarboxylase (FADase) from Enterobacter sp. Px6-4. PLoS One, 6(1): e16262 (*并列第一作者).
3)   Su C, Lei LP, Duan YQ, Zhang KQ, Yang JK#. 2012. Culture-independent methods for studying environmental microorganisms: methods, application and perspective. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 93: 993-1003 (#通讯作者).
4)   Gu Wen, Li Xuemei, Huang Jingwen, Yanqing Duan, Meng Zhaohui, Ke-Qin Zhang, Yang Jinkui#. 2011. Cloning, sequencing, and overexpression in Escherichia coli of the Enterobacter sp. Px6-4 gene for ferulic acid decarboxylase. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 89: 1797-1805. 
5)   Yang Jinkui, Xuna Zhao, Lianming Liang, Liping Lei, Zhenyuan Xia, Xuemei Niu, Chenggang Zou, Ke-Qin Zhang. 2011. Overexpression of a cuticle-degrading protease Ver112 increases the nematicidal activity of Paeciliomyces lilacinus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 89: 1895-1903.
6)   Su Can, Wen Gu, Wei Zhe, Ke-Qin Zhang, Yanqing Duan, Jinkui Yang#. 2011. Diversity and phylogeny of bacteria on Zimbabwe tobacco leaves estimated by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 92: 1033-1044.
7)   Hongjuan Li, Xuemei Li, Yanqing Duan, Keqin Zhang, Jinkui Yang#. 2010. Biotransformation of nicotine by microbiology: the case of Pseudomans spp. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 86:11-17.
8)   Huang Jingwen, Yang Jinkui*, Duan Yanqing, Gu Wen, Xiaowei Gong, Zhe Wei, Can Su, Zhang Keqin. 2010. Bacterial diversities on unaged and aging flue-cured tobacco leaves estimated by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 88:553-562.
9)   Yang JK, Gan ZW, Lou ZY, Tao N, Mi QL, Liang LM, Sun YN, Guo Y, Huang XW, Zou CG, Rao ZH, Meng ZH, Zhang KQ. 2010. Crystal structure and mutagenesis analysis of a chitinase CrChi1 from the nematophagous fungus Clonostachys rosea in complex with the inhibitor caffeine. Microbiology, 156: 3566-3574.
10)   Qili Mi, Jinkui Yang*, Fengping Ye, Zhongwei Gan, Changwei Wu, Xuemei Niu, Chenggang Zou, Ke-Qin Zhang. 2010. Cloning and overexpression of Pochonia chlamydosporia chitinase gene pcchi44, a potential virulence factor in infection against nematodes. Process Biochem, 45:810-814.
11)   Gong Xiaowei, Yang Jinkui*, Dong Jinyan, Zhe Wei, Li Qinghua, Wang Le, Duan Yanqin, Zhang Keqin. 2009. Isolation and characterization of Rhodococcus sp. Y22, and its potential application in tobacco processing. Res Microbiol, 160: 200-204. 
12)   Luo YY, Yang JK*, Zhu ML, Liu CJ, Li HY, Lu ZB, Pan WZ, Zhang ZH, Bi W, Zhang KQ. 2012. The group III two-component histidine kinase AlHK1 is involved in fungicides resistance, osmosensitivity, spore production and impacts negatively pathogenicity in Alternaria longipes. Curr Microbiol, 64: 449-556.
13)   Yang JK, Lu ZB, Luo YY, Bi W, Zhu ML, Zhang KQ. 2012. Involvement of the putative G-protein α subunit gene pngpa1 in the regulation of growth, sensitivity to fungicides, and osmotic stress in Phytophthora nicotianae. Afri J Microbiol Res, 6: 680-689.
14)   Gan ZW, Yang JK*, Tao N, Lou ZY, Mi Qili, Meng ZH, Zhang Ke-Qin. 2009. Crystallization and Preliminary Crystallographic Analysis of a Chitinase from Clonostachys rosea. Acta Cryst, F65, 386-388. 
15)   Liang LM, Liu SQ, Yang JK, Meng ZH, Lei LP, Zhang KQ. 2011. Comparison of homology models and crystal structures of cuticle-degrading proteases from nematophagous fungi: structural basis of nematicidal activity. FASEB J, 6:1894-1902.
16)   Niu QH, Huang XW, Zhang L, Xu JP, Yang DM, Wei KB, Niu XM, An ZQ, Bennett JW, Zou CG, Yang JK, Zhang KQ. 2010. A Trojan horse mechanism of bacterial pathogenesis against nematodes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 107: 16631-16636.
17)   Zou CG, Tao N, Liu WJ, Yang JK, Huang XW, et al. 2010. Regulation of subtilisin-like protease prC expression by nematode cuticle in the nematophagous fungus Clonostachys rosea. Environ Microbiol, 12: 3243-52. 
18)   Juan Li, Li Yu, Jinkui Yang, Linqian Dong, Baoyu Tian, Zefen Yu, Lianming Liang, Ying Zhang, Xu Wang and Ke-Qin Zhang. 2010. New insights into the evolution of subtilisin-like serine protease genes in Pezizomycotina. BMC Evol Biol, 10: 68.
19)   Jinkui Yang, Fengping Ye, Qili Mi, Songqing Tang, Juan Li, Keqin Zhang. 2008. Purification and cloning of an extracellular serine protease from the nematode-trapping fungus Monacrosporium cystosporium. J Microbiol Biotechnol, 18:852-858. 
20)   Jinkui Yang, Lianming Liang, Ying Zhang, Juan Li, Lin Zhang, Fengping Ye, Zhongwei Gan & Keqin Zhang. 2007. Purification and cloning of a novel serine protease from the nematophagous fungus Dactylellina varietas and its potential as a pathogenic factor against nematodes. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 75:557-565.
21)   Jinkui Yang, Baoyu Tian, Lianming Liang & Keqin Zhang. 2007. Extracellular enzymes and the pathogenesis of nematophagous fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 75:21-31. 
22)   Jinkui Yang, Juan Li, Lianming Liang & Keqin Zhang. 2007. Cloning and characterization of a cuticle-degrading protease from the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys conoides. Arch Microbiol, 188:167-174. 
23)   Zhang Lin, Yang Jinkui*, Qiuhong Niu, Xuna Zhao, Fengping Ye, Lianmin Liang, Ke-Qin Zhang. 2008. Investigation on the infection mechanism of the fungus Clonostachys rosea against nematodes using the green fluorescent protein. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 78:983-990.
25)   Zhongwei Gan, Jinkui Yang*, Nan Tao, Lianming Liang, Juan Li, and Keqin Zhang. 2007. Cloning of the gene Lecanicillium psalliotae chitinase Lpchi1 and identification of its potential role in the biocontrol of root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 76:1309-1317.