Biosketch:
In August 2015, I started my independent academic career at Clemson University. My research group initially focused on elucidating the intricate mechanism by which Toxoplasma acquires and utilizes nutrients to support its intracellular replication. This research aimed to identify potential targets within the parasite’s nutrient metabolism pathway for novel drug development. Recently, our laboratory expanded its scope to study another protozoan pathogen prevalent in the poultry industry, Histomonas meleagridis. Our current research attempts to enhance the understanding of the roles of various subcellular processes in the pathogenesis of Histomonas parasites. Additionally, we are investigating and characterizing the transmissible form of Histomonas that facilitates the spread of infection within turkey flocks.

Research Summary:
The Dou lab studies two important protozoan pathogens: Toxoplasma gondii, relevant in biomedicine, and Histomonas meleagridis, a major concern in the poultry industry.

Toxoplasma gondii infects roughly one-third of the global human population. As an obligate intracellular parasite, it requires host cell invasion, replication, and egress to propagate infection. My lab investigates two critical aspects of Toxoplasma infection: (1) understanding the role of the digestive vacuole, a lysosome-equivalent organelle, in the parasite for infection dissemination, and (2) examining the role of heme metabolism in Toxoplasma‘s intracellular survival and pathogenesis.

Histomonas meleagridis, an amoeboid protozoan, causes severe disease in birds, particularly turkeys, where infections lead to mortality rates as high as 70-100%. Infected turkeys can spread the pathogen rapidly within flocks, yet the infectious agent and precise transmission routes remain unclear. Our research focuses on elucidating the function of cysteine proteases in Histomonas infection and understanding the role of cyst-like forms in the parasite’s transmission within turkey populations.

Through a multidisciplinary approach combining molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, and drug discovery, my lab aims to uncover molecular mechanisms underlying parasite growth, survival, and infection pathways. This work will contribute to developing novel therapeutic strategies and antibiotics to combat eukaryotic pathogen infections.

Selected Publications:
1. Key, M., Baptista CG., Bergmann A., Floyd, K., Blader, IJ., Dou, Z.*, 2024, “Toxoplasma gondii harbors a hypoxia-responsive coproporphyrinogen dehydrogenase-like protein.” mSphere, e0009224 (*, corresponding author)

2. Carruthers, V.B., Dou, Z.*, 2024, “Deciphering protein prenylation in endocytic trafficking in Toxoplasma gondii.” mBio, e0028324 (*, corresponding author)

3. Rees, K.C.#, Dou, Z.#,*, Whitehead, D.C*., 2022, “Oxadiazon Derivatives Elicit Potent Intracellular Growth Inhibition against Toxoplasma gondii by Disrupting Heme Biosynthesis.” ACS Infectious Diseases, 8(5):911-917. (#, first author; *, corresponding author; Featured research article)

4. Bergmann, A., Floyd, K., Key, M., Dameron, C., Rees, K.C., Thornton, L.B., Whitehead, C.D., Hamza, I., Dou, Z*., 2020, “Toxoplasma gondii requires its plant-like heme biosynthesis pathway for infection.” PLOS Pathogens, 16(5): e1008499. (*, corresponding author)

5. Thornton, L.B., Teehan, P., Floyd, K., Cochrane, C., Bergmann, A., Riegel, B., Stasic, A.J., Di Cristina, M., Moreno, S.N.J., Dou, Z*., 2019, “An ortholog of P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of the endolysosomal system in Toxoplasma gondii to facilitate host invasion.” PLOS Pathogens, 15(6):e1007775. (Featured research article; *, correspondence author).