Xiaohua Zhang

Ph.D. Candidate (Chemistry)

• 2004–2008 B.Sc. (Hons.) Applied Chemistry, National University of Singapore

Phone: 604-822-9300
E-mail: zhangxh(at)chem.ubc.ca

RESEARCH INTEREST

Human pancreatic a-amylase (HPA) mainly catalyzes the hydrolysis of α-(1,4)-glycosidic linkages of starch and related polysaccharides in the gut, and control of it provides a valuable therapeutic approach for diseases such as obesity and Type II diabetes. The study of its inhibitors and natural substrates can reveal binding strategy of amylase and therefore contribute to the drug discovery.

In my project, the inhibitive and specific study of natural product Monbretin A and its substructures towards HPA are explored, and the starch binding sites on HPA in starch granule degradation is also studied.

PUBLICATIONS

• Williams, L. K.; Zhang, X. H.; Caner, S.; Tysoe, C.; Nguyen, N. T.; Wicki, J.; Williams, D. E.; Coleman, J.; McNeill, J. H.; Yuen, V.; Andersen, R. J.; Withers, S. G.; Brayer, G. D., The amylase inhibitor montbretin A reveals a new glycosidase inhibition motif. Nature chemical biology 2015, 11 (9), 691-696.

Williams, L. K and Zhang, X. H contribute equally to the work

• Tan, L. P.; Wu, H.; Yang, P. Y.; Kalesh, K. A.; Zhang, X. H.; Hu, M. Y.; Srinivasan, R.; Yao, S. Q., High-Throughput Discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase B (MptpB) Inhibitors Using Click Chemistry. Org Lett 2009, 11 (22), 5102-5105.