A5052422800- Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
- Plant Molecular Biology Research
- Polysaccharides and Plant Cell Walls
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism
- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance
- Plant biochemistry and biosynthesis
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Light effects on plants
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Transgenic Plants and Applications
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders Research
- Inflammasome and immune disorders
- Food Quality and Safety Studies
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- Soybean genetics and cultivation
University of Freiburg
2011-2025
Istituto Pasteur
1997
Sapienza University of Rome
1995
Fungal symbiosis with early land plants Hundreds of millions years ago, evolved descendants aquatic began showing up on dry land. These newly terrestrialized species had to deal increased ultraviolet light exposure, desiccation, and less accessible nutrients. Rich et al. show how mutualist fungi may have helped these nascent plant lineages adaptation their challenging environment (see the Perspective by Bouwmeester). Genetic metabolic analysis a liverwort as representative such suggests that...
The root nodule symbiosis with its global impact on nitrogen fertilization of soils is characterized by an intracellular colonization legume roots rhizobia. Although the symbionts are initially taken up morphologically adapted hairs, rhizobia persistently progress within a membrane-confined infection thread through several cortical and later nodular cell layers. Throughout this transcellular passaging, have to repeatedly pass host plasma membranes walls. Here, we investigated essential...
Host-controlled intracellular accommodation of nitrogen-fixing bacteria is essential for the establishment a functional Root Nodule Symbiosis (RNS). In many host plants, this occurs via transcellular tubular structures (infection threads - ITs) that extend across cell layers polar tip-growth. Comparative phylogenomic studies have identified RPG ( RHIZOBIUM-DIRECTED POLAR GROWTH ) among critical genetic determinants bacterial infection. Medicago truncatula , required effective IT progression...
In plants, the topological organization of membranes has mainly been attributed to cell wall and cytoskeleton. Additionally, few proteins, such as plant-specific remorins have shown function protein lipid organizers. Root nodule symbiosis requires continuous membrane re-arrangements, with bacteria being finally released from infection threads into membrane-confined symbiosomes. We found that mutations in symbiosis-specific SYMREM1 gene result highly disorganized perimicrobial membranes....
The salt tolerance protein (STO) of Arabidopsis was identified as a conferring to yeast cells. In order uncover its function, we isolated an STO T-DNA insertion line and generated RNAi overexpressor plants. Here present data on the hypocotyl growth these lines indicating that acts negative regulator in phytochrome blue-light signalling. Transcription analysis uncovered light circadian dependent regulation gene expression, light-regulated genes revealed is involved CHS expression during...
The highly glycosylated peptide hormone erythropoietin (EPO) plays a key role in the regulation of erythrocyte maturation. Currently, marketed EPO is produced by recombinant technology mammalian cell cultures. complementary DNA (cDNA) for human (hEPO) was transiently and stably expressed moss Physcomitrella patens wild-type Delta-fuc-t Delta-xyl-t mutant, latter containing N-glycans lacking plant-specific, core-bound alpha1,3-fucose beta1,2-xylose. New expression vectors were designed based...
Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) SALT TOLERANCE/B-BOX ZINC FINGER PROTEIN24 (STO/BBX24) is a negative regulator of the light signal transduction that localizes to nucleus plant cells and interacts with CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 (COP1) in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid system. The protein contains two B-box zinc-finger motives at N terminus conserved motif C-terminal part required for interaction COP1. BBX24 accumulates during deetiolation young seedlings first hours...
Summary Thiol‐based redox‐regulation is vital for coordinating chloroplast functions depending on illumination and has been throroughly investigated thioredoxin‐dependent processes. In parallel, glutathione reductase (GR) maintains a highly reduced pool, enabling glutathione‐mediated redox buffering. Yet, how the cascades of thioredoxin machineries integrate metabolic regulation detoxification reactive oxygen species remains largely unresolved because null mutants plastid/mitochondrial GR...
Archaea are ubiquitous single cellular microorganisms that play important ecological roles in nature. The intracellular organization of archaeal cells is among the unresolved mysteries biology. With this work, we show haloarchaea polarized. positioning proteins involved chemotaxis and motility spatially temporally organized these cells. This suggests presence a specific mechanism responsible for macromolecular protein complexes archaea.
The extracellular matrix plays an integrative role in cellular responses plants, but its contribution to the signalling of ligands largely remains be explored. Rapid alkalinisation factors (RALFs) are peptide hormones that play pivotal roles various physiological processes. Here, we address a crucial connection between de-methylesterification machinery cell wall component pectin and RALF1 activity. Pectin is polysaccharide, contributing structural integrity wall. Our data illustrate...
The net amounts of carotenoids accumulating in plant tissues are determined by the rates biosynthesis and degradation. While is rate-limited activity PHYTOENE SYNTHASE (PSY), carotenoid losses caused catabolic enzymatic non-enzymatic We established a system based on non-green Arabidopsis callus which allowed investigating major determinants for high steady-state levels β-carotene. Wild-type development was characterized strong degradation only marginally cleavage oxygenases. In contrast,...
Motility is a central feature of many microorganisms and provides an efficient strategy to respond environmental changes. Bacteria archaea have developed fundamentally different rotary motors enabling their motility, termed flagellum archaellum, respectively. Bacterial motility along chemical gradients, called chemotaxis, critically relies on the response regulator CheY, which, when phosphorylated, inverses rotational direction via switch complex at base motor. The structural difference...
Summary Nitrogen‐fixing nodulation occurs in 10 taxonomic lineages, with either rhizobia or Frankia bacteria. To establish such an endosymbiosis, two processes are essential: nodule organogenesis and intracellular bacterial infection. In the legume–rhizobium both guarded by transcription factor NODULE INCEPTION (NIN) its downstream target genes of NUCLEAR FACTOR Y (NF‐Y) complex. It is hypothesized that has a single evolutionary origin c . 110 Ma, followed many independent losses. Despite...
Inflammasomes are intracellular protein complexes that promote an inflammatory host defense in response to pathogens and damaged or neoplastic tissues implicated disorders therapeutic-induced toxicity. We investigated the mechanisms of activation for inflammasomes nucleated by NOD-like receptor (NLR) proteins. A screen a small-molecule library revealed several tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)—including those clinically approved (such as imatinib crizotinib) clinical trials...
Coordinated tissue morphogenesis relies on precise interactions between distinct cell lineages. During development of the Drosophila oocyte, different somatic follicle types and germline-derived nurse cells future oocyte are crucial for coordinating oogenesis. However, molecular basis their interaction throughout enormous morphological changes remains largely unexplored. late oogenesis, transfer cytoplasmic content into while anterior (AFCs) must closely envelop to induce phagoptosis remove...
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infections are the main causal agent of cervical and other anogenital cancers. Modern HPV vaccines based on virus-like particles (VLPs), which self-assembling nanoparticles composed viral structural proteins. VLPs mimic native virions but lack DNA, rendering these pseudovirions non-infectious while retaining high immunogenicity. Despite available vaccines, majority cancer deaths due to infections, particularly in low- middle-income countries where inequalities...
Arabidopsis CBF genes (CBF1-CBF3) encode transcription factors having a major role in cold acclimation, the adaptive process whereby certain plants increase their freezing tolerance response to low non-freezing temperatures. Under these conditions, are induced and corresponding proteins stimulate expression of target configuring low-temperature transcriptome conditioning tolerance. CBF2 seems be most determinant CBFs since it also regulates CBF1 CBF3 expression. Despite relevance little is...
Summary The importance of the arginyl‐ tRNA protein transferase ( ATE ), enzyme mediating post‐translation arginylation proteins in N‐end rule degradation NERD ) pathway stability, was analysed Physcomitrella patens and compared to its known functions other eukaryotes. We characterize : GUS reporter lines as well mutants P. study impact function on moss development physiology. abundance is spatially temporally regulated by hormones light highly abundant meristematic cells. Further, amount...
MinD proteins are well studied in rod-shaped bacteria such as E. coli, where they display self-organized pole-to-pole oscillations that important for correct positioning of the Z-ring at mid-cell cell division. Archaea also encode belonging to family, but their functions unknown. homologous were found be widespread Euryarchaeota and form a sister group bacterial distinct from ParA other related ATPase families. We aimed identify function four archaeal model archaeon Haloferax volcanii....
Recombinant phytoene desaturase (PDS-His6) from rice was purified to near-homogeneity and shown be enzymatically active in a biphasic, liposome-based assay system. The protein contains FAD as the sole protein-bound redox-cofactor. Benzoquinones, not replaceable by molecular oxygen, serve final electron acceptor defining PDS 15-cis-phytoene (donor):plastoquinone oxidoreductase. herbicidal PDS-inhibitor norflurazon is capable of arresting reaction stabilizing intermediary FADred, while an...
Abstract Cells require a sensory system and motility structure to achieve directed movement. Bacteria archaea possess rotating filamentous structures that work in concert with the chemotaxis system. This allows microorganisms move along chemical gradients. The central response regulator protein CheY can bind motor of structure, flagellum bacteria, archaellum archaea. Both have fundamentally different composition structural organization. Yet, both systems receive input from So far, it was...