Zongzhao Zhai
Senior author of a 2026 Nature study identifying Lsp2 as a rapamycin-resistant mTORC1 effector that extends lifespan in Drosophila when removed
Group Leader, Hunan Research Center of the Basic Discipline for Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China · PhD, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology & Heidelberg University
Zongzhao Zhai trained in Germany, first as a PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen and then at Heidelberg University, before returning to China to lead his own group at Hunan Normal University. His lab studies innate immunity and physiology in Drosophila, including host defense, gut homeostasis, mTORC1 signaling and nutrient sensing.
In this Atlas he is senior author of a 2026 Nature study showing that Lsp2, previously known only as a fat-body storage protein, is also a nutrient-induced feedback activator of mTORC1 that drives translation of TOP-motif mRNAs (mostly ribosomal proteins) — a rapamycin-resistant arm of mTORC1 output. Genetically removing Lsp2 extends fly lifespan without a reproductive cost, revealing a route from mTORC1 activity to longevity that is distinct from rapamycin's own effects.
Milestones in the Atlas
| Year | Evidence | Study |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | A | Lsp2 links mTORC1 to TOP mRNA translation and lifespan in Drosophila WAN2026 Senior author showing that Lsp2 is a nutrient-induced feedback activator of mTORC1 driving TOP mRNA translation, and that removing it extends Drosophila lifespan through a rapamycin-independent mechanism. |