Michael Hothorn
@structplantbio.bsky.social
Structural biologist interested in all things green. Professor at University of Geneva, Switzerland. https://web.structplantbio.org/
Very nice application of our constitutive active BIR3-RK chimera from @hohmannulrich.bsky.social (doi.org/10.1105/tpc....) to dissect the contribution of ERECTA to vascular differentiation. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.... Congrats to @lauraragni.bsky.social @bertderybel.bsky.social @bayerlab.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Very nice application of our constitutive active BIR3-RK chimera from @hohmannulrich.bsky.social (doi.org/10.1105/tpc....) to dissect the contribution of ERECTA to vascular differentiation. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.... Congrats to @lauraragni.bsky.social @bertderybel.bsky.social @bayerlab.bsky.social
By the @cellsensing.bsky.social and Zipfel labs: The plant receptor kinase HSL3 senses a cyclic, disulfide-bond stabilized peptide phytocytokine. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
October 25, 2025 at 7:19 AM
By the @cellsensing.bsky.social and Zipfel labs: The plant receptor kinase HSL3 senses a cyclic, disulfide-bond stabilized peptide phytocytokine. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A lot of pressure on the different grant schemes, and pretty much independent of career stage.
October 17, 2025 at 10:20 AM
A lot of pressure on the different grant schemes, and pretty much independent of career stage.
Amazing work by the Santiago lab @unil.bsky.social. The malectin-LRR receptor kinase IGP1 senses cello-oligomers to alert the plant immune system & enhance disease resistance. Very nice discovery & mechanism.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
September 30, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Amazing work by the Santiago lab @unil.bsky.social. The malectin-LRR receptor kinase IGP1 senses cello-oligomers to alert the plant immune system & enhance disease resistance. Very nice discovery & mechanism.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Today’s Department seminar by @luciastrader.bsky.social @salkinstitute.bsky.social on auxin transcription factors.
September 3, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Today’s Department seminar by @luciastrader.bsky.social @salkinstitute.bsky.social on auxin transcription factors.
Complete transport cycle of human XPR1, regulated by InsP8 and KIDINS220 @cp-molcell.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.mo...
August 26, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Complete transport cycle of human XPR1, regulated by InsP8 and KIDINS220 @cp-molcell.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.mo...
Unexpected hit in the list of the most highly cited papers of the 21st century.
August 25, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Unexpected hit in the list of the most highly cited papers of the 21st century.
Cool stuff, discovery of protein oliogophosphorylation by the Fiedler lab @fmp-berlin.de @natchem.nature.com. www.nature.com/articles/s41... Now what if NME1 is indeed the missing eukaryotic inorganic polyphosphate kinase?
August 25, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Cool stuff, discovery of protein oliogophosphorylation by the Fiedler lab @fmp-berlin.de @natchem.nature.com. www.nature.com/articles/s41... Now what if NME1 is indeed the missing eukaryotic inorganic polyphosphate kinase?
Very nice cryo-EM structure of rice PHT1 phosphate transporter by Zhu Liu's lab in Wuhan. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
August 11, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Very nice cryo-EM structure of rice PHT1 phosphate transporter by Zhu Liu's lab in Wuhan. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
But perhaps the nicest finding from
Alberto was that the exact positioning of the ligand in the receptor is absolutely critical for co-receptor recognition. Based on this we can now accurately predict how a bioactive BR needs to look like, and how receptor antagonists can be designed.
Alberto was that the exact positioning of the ligand in the receptor is absolutely critical for co-receptor recognition. Based on this we can now accurately predict how a bioactive BR needs to look like, and how receptor antagonists can be designed.
August 9, 2025 at 9:13 PM
But perhaps the nicest finding from
Alberto was that the exact positioning of the ligand in the receptor is absolutely critical for co-receptor recognition. Based on this we can now accurately predict how a bioactive BR needs to look like, and how receptor antagonists can be designed.
Alberto was that the exact positioning of the ligand in the receptor is absolutely critical for co-receptor recognition. Based on this we can now accurately predict how a bioactive BR needs to look like, and how receptor antagonists can be designed.
We also found that BRL2 actually is a bona fide BR receptor with a distinct ligand spectrum.
August 9, 2025 at 9:10 PM
We also found that BRL2 actually is a bona fide BR receptor with a distinct ligand spectrum.
Next, we mutated the entire hormone binding pocket in BRI1 and assayed the mutants for BR binding and their ability to rescue a bri1 null mutant. It turns out the binding site has amazing structural plasticity with only few contacts being critical.
August 9, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Next, we mutated the entire hormone binding pocket in BRI1 and assayed the mutants for BR binding and their ability to rescue a bri1 null mutant. It turns out the binding site has amazing structural plasticity with only few contacts being critical.
We next solved 10 crystal structures of BRI1 and BRL3 in complex with different BRs. It turns out the configuration of the tail not the steroid ring core is critical for binding.
August 9, 2025 at 9:06 PM
We next solved 10 crystal structures of BRI1 and BRL3 in complex with different BRs. It turns out the configuration of the tail not the steroid ring core is critical for binding.
We synthesized 15 different natural and synthetic BRs and quantified their interaction with BRI1, BRL1 and BRL3. All three receptors can sense chemically diverse C27, C28 and C29 BRs with high affinity.
August 9, 2025 at 9:04 PM
We synthesized 15 different natural and synthetic BRs and quantified their interaction with BRI1, BRL1 and BRL3. All three receptors can sense chemically diverse C27, C28 and C29 BRs with high affinity.
Our latest on brassinosteroid signaling: Ligand binding spectrum, specificity & selectivity of all BR receptors in Arabidopsis. By @albertocaregnato.bsky.social , @hmchen93.bsky.social and our great chemistry collaborators Mirek Kvasnica, Jana Oklestkova and Mirek Strnad.
August 9, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Our latest on brassinosteroid signaling: Ligand binding spectrum, specificity & selectivity of all BR receptors in Arabidopsis. By @albertocaregnato.bsky.social , @hmchen93.bsky.social and our great chemistry collaborators Mirek Kvasnica, Jana Oklestkova and Mirek Strnad.
Nice idea, bringing kinases and different phosphatase candidates in close proximity, by using a PYL ABA receptor, the ABI1 phosphatase and ABA to trigger the interaction. www.nature.com/articles/s42...
July 7, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Nice idea, bringing kinases and different phosphatase candidates in close proximity, by using a PYL ABA receptor, the ABI1 phosphatase and ABA to trigger the interaction. www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Nice lab hike in the Swiss Jura yesterday with @fxrico.bsky.social @hmchen93.bsky.social & the rest of the team.
June 20, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Nice lab hike in the Swiss Jura yesterday with @fxrico.bsky.social @hmchen93.bsky.social & the rest of the team.
Very nice department seminar today by Chloe Zubieta @cnrs.fr Grenoble on the mechanism of ELF3 LLPS. A very complete analysis using many different biophysical methods combined with reverse genetics.
May 28, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Very nice department seminar today by Chloe Zubieta @cnrs.fr Grenoble on the mechanism of ELF3 LLPS. A very complete analysis using many different biophysical methods combined with reverse genetics.
Finally, a productive afternoon ...
May 20, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Finally, a productive afternoon ...
Today’s department seminar by Ute Höcker from university of Cologne. Nice to see a bit of sun on a gloomy Wednesday.
May 7, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Today’s department seminar by Ute Höcker from university of Cologne. Nice to see a bit of sun on a gloomy Wednesday.
Fantastic department seminar by Jane Parker from the @mpipz.bsky.social today here in Geneva. Amazing progress understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant effector triggered immunity.
March 26, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Fantastic department seminar by Jane Parker from the @mpipz.bsky.social today here in Geneva. Amazing progress understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant effector triggered immunity.
