Publications
Chemical genetics approach identifies abnormal inflorescence meristem 1 as a putative target of a novel sulfonamide that protects catalase2-deficient Arabidopsis against photorespiratory stress Ghent University
Alterations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels have a profound impact on numerous signaling cascades orchestrating plant growth, development, and stress signaling, including programmed cell death. To expand the repertoire of known molecular mechanisms implicated in H2O2 signaling, we performed a forward chemical screen to identify small molecules that could alleviate the photorespiratory-induced cell death phenotype of Arabidopsisthaliana ...
The protein phosphatase PP2A-B'Gamma takes control over salicylic acid to suppress defense and premature senescence Ghent University
Identification of sulfenylated cysteines in Arabidopsis thaliana proteins using a disulfide-linked peptide reporter Ghent University
In proteins, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reacts with redox-sensitive cysteines to form cysteine sulfenic acid, also known asS-sulfenylation. These cysteine oxidation events can steer diverse cellular processes by altering protein interactions, trafficking, conformation, and function. Previously, we had identifiedS-sulfenylated proteins by using a tagged proteinaceous probe based on the yeast AP-1-like (Yap1) transcription factor that specifically ...
Molecular priming as an approach to induce tolerance against abiotic and oxidative stresses in crop plants Ghent University
Abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, extreme temperature, and pollutants, are the main cause of crop losses worldwide. Novel climate-adapted crops and stress tolerance-enhancing compounds are needed increasingly to counteract the negative effects of unfavorable stressful environments. A number of natural products and synthetic chemicals can protect model and crop plants against abiotic stresses through the ectopic induction of ...
On the move : redox-dependent protein relocation in plants Ghent University
Compartmentation of proteins and processes is a defining feature of eukaryotic cells. The growth and development of organisms is critically dependent on the accurate sorting of proteins within cells. The mechanisms by which cytosol-synthesized proteins are delivered to the membranes and membrane compartments have been extensively characterized. However, the protein complement of any given compartment is not precisely fixed and some proteins can ...
Novel role of JAC1 in influencing photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and photooxidative stress signalling pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana Ghent University
Regulation of light absorption under variable light conditions is essential to optimize photosynthetic and acclimatory processes in plants. Light energy absorbed in excess has a damaging effect on chloroplasts and can lead to cell death. Therefore, plants have evolved protective mechanisms against excess excitation energy that include chloroplast accumulation and avoidance responses. One of the proteins involved in facilitating chloroplast ...
Plant proteases and programmed cell death Ghent University
Analysis of catalase mutants underscores the essential role of CATALASE2 for plant growth and day length-dependent oxidative signalling Ghent University
Three genes encode catalase in Arabidopsis. Although the role of CAT2 in photorespiration is well established, the importance of the different catalases in other processes is less clear. Analysis of cat1, cat2, cat3, cat1 cat2, and cat2 cat3 T-DNA mutants revealed that cat2 had the largest effect on activity in both roots and leaves. Root growth was inhibited in all cat2-containing lines, but this inhibition was prevented by growing plants at ...
Bifunctional chloroplastic DJ-1B from Arabidopsis thaliana is an oxidation-robust holdase and a glyoxalase sensitive to H2O2 Ghent University Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Members of the DJ-1 protein family are multifunctional enzymes whose loss increases the susceptibility of the cell to oxidative stress. However, little is known about the function of the plant DJ-1 homologs. Therefore, we analyzed the effect of oxidation on the structure and function of chloroplastic AtDJ-1B and studied the phenotype of T-DNA lines lacking the protein. In vitro oxidation of AtDJ-1B with H2O2 lowers its glyoxalase activity, but ...