Publications

Find our most recent list of publications here.

(bold face = Struct Plant Bio Lab Members, †co-first author, *corresponding author)

Preprints (non peer-reviewed manuscripts)

  1. Okuda S, Hothorn LA, Hothorn M* (2020) Crystal structures of Arabidopsis and Physcomitrella CR4 reveal the molecular architecture of CRINKLY4 receptor kinases. bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.10.245050

Research publications (peer-reviewed)

  1. Raia P, Lee K, Bartsch SM, Rico-Resendiz F, Portugal-Calisto D, Vadas O, Panse VG, Fiedler D, Hothorn, M* (2025) A small signaling domain PPIP5K phosphatase activity in phosphate homeostasis. Nat Commun, doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56937-0  | bioRxiv doi:https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.12.612650
  2. Yang X, Stentenbach M, Hughes LA, Siira SJ, Lau K, Hothorn M, Martinou JC, Rackham O, Filipovska A (2025) The Vsr-like protein FASTKD4 regulates the stability and polyadenylation of the MT-ND3 mRNA. Nucleic Acids Res. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkae1261
  3. Laurent F, Bartsch SM, Shukla A, Rico-Resendiz F, Couto D, Fuchs C, Nicolet J, Loubery S, Jessen HJ, Fiedler D, Hothorn M* (2024) Inositol pyrophosphate catabolism by three families of phosphatases regulates plant growth and development. Plos Genetics doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011468 | bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.30.591831
  4. Yu J, Kumar A, Zhang Z, Martin C, Van Holsbeeck K, Raia P, Koehl A, Laeremans T, Stevaert J, Manglink A, Ballet S, Boland A, Stoeber M (2024) Structural basis of mu-opiod receptor targeting by a nanobody antagonist. Nat Commun 15:8687 doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52947-6
  5. Obergfell E, Hohmann U, Moretti A, Chen H, Hothorn M* (2024) Mechanistic insights into the function of 14-3-3 proteins as negative regulators of brassinosteroid signaling in Arabidopsis. Plant & Cell Physiol, pcae056, https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcae056 | bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.10.13.562204
  6. Guan Z, Chen J, Liu R, Chen Y, Xing Q, Du Z, Cheng M, Hu J, Zhang W, Mei W, Wan B, Wang Q, Zhang J, Cheng P, Cai H, Cao J, Zhang D, Yan J, Yin P, Hothorn M, Liu Z (2023) The cytoplasmic synthesis and coupled membrane translocation of eukaryotic polyphophate by signal-activated VTC complex. Nat Comms doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-36466-4
  7. Claus LAN, Liu D, Hohmann U, Vukasinovic N, Pleskot R, Liu J, Schiffner A, Jaillais Y, Wu G, Wolf S, Van Damme D, Hothorn M, Russinova E (2023) Phosphorylation and ubiquitination independent endocytosis of BRI1. Plant Physiol, doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad005 | bioRxiv doi: 10.1101/2022.07.11.499622v1
  8. Pesquera M, Martinez J, Maillot B, Wang K, Hofmann M, Raia P, Loubery S, Steensma P, Hothorn M*, Fitzpatrick TB* (2022) Structural and functional insight into the plant unique multimodular triphosphosphate tunnel metalloenzymes of Arabidopsis thaliana. J Biol Chem doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102438 bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.03.18.484887
  9. Guan Z, Zhang Q, Zhang Z, Zuo J, Chen J, Liu R, Savarin J, Broger L, Cheng P, Wang Q, Pei K, Zhang D, Zou T, Yan J, Yin P, Hothorn M, Liu Z (2022) Mechanistic insights into the regulation of plant phosphate homeostasis by the rice SPX2 – PHR2 complex. Nature Comms doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-29275-8
  10. Couto D†, Richter A†, Walter H, Furkert D, Hothorn M*, Fiedler D* (2021) Using biotinylated myo-inositol hexakisphosphate to investigate inositol pyrophosphate-protein interaction with surface-based biosensors. Biochemisty 60(37):2739-2748. doi:10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00497
  11. Parys K†, Colaianni NR†, Lee HS†, Hohmann U, Edelbacher N, Trgovcevic A, Blahovska Z, Lee D, Mechtler A, Muhari-Portik Z, Madalinski M, Schandry N, Rodríguez-Arévalo I, Becker C, Sonnleitner E, Korte A, Bläsi U, Geldner N, Hothorn M, Jones CD*, Dangl JL*, Belkhadir Y* (2021) Signatures of antagonistic pleiotropy in a bacterial flagellin epitope. Cell Host Microbe S1931-3128(21)00087-1. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.02.008.
  12. Podolec R†, Lau K†, Wagnon TB, Hothorn M*, Ulm R* (2021) A constitutively monomeric UVR8 photreceptor allele confers enhanced UV-B photomorphogenesis.  PNAS doi: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2017284118 | bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.02.233007
  13. Ried M†, Wild R†, Zhu J, Pipercevic J, Sturm K, Broger L, Harmel RK, Abriata LA, Hothorn LA, Fiedler D, Hiller S, Hothorn M* (2021) Inositol pyrophosphates promote the interaction of SPX domains with the coiled-coil motif of PHR transcription factors to regulate plant phosphate homeostasis. Nature Comms 12(1):384 doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20681-4 | bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2019.12.13.875393
  14. Crook AD, Willoughby AC, Hazak O, Okuda S, VanDerMolen KR, Soyars CL, Cattaneo P, Clark NM, Sozzani R, Hothorn M, Hardtke CS, Nimchuk ZL (2020) BAM1/2 receptor kinase signaling drives CLE peptide-mediated formative cell divisions in Arabidopsis roots. PNAS 17(51):32750-32756 doi: 10.1073/pnas.2018565117
  15. Steinbrenner AD, Muñoz-Amatriaín M, Chaparro AF, Aguilar-Venegas JM, Lo S, Okuda S, Glauser G, Dongiovanni J, Shi D, Hall M, Crubaugh D, Holton N, Zipfel C, Abagyan R, Turlings TCJ, Close TJ, Huffaker A, Schmelz EA (2020) A receptor-like protein mediates plant immunity responses to herbivore-associated molecular patterns. PNAS 117(49):31510-31518 doi: 10.1073/pnas.2018415117
  16. Paulišić S, Qin W, Arora Verasztó H, Then C, Alary B, Nogue F, Tsiantis M, Hothorn M, Martínez-García JF (2020) Adjustment of the PIF7-HFR1 transcriptional module activity controls plant shade adaptation. EMBO Journal
    40(1):e104273 doi: 10.15252/embj.2019104273
  17. Hohmann U, Ramakrishna P, Wang K, Lorenzo-Orts L, Nicolet J, Henschen A, Barberon M, Bayer M*, Hothorn M* (2020) Constitutive activation of leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase signaling pathways by BAK1-interacting receptor-like kinase 3 chimera Plant Cell 32(10):3311-3323 doi: 10.1105/tpc.20.00138| bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.18.954479
  18. Doll NM, Royek S†, Fujita S†, Okuda S†, Stintzi A, Widiez T, Hothorn M, Schaller A, Geldner N, Ingram G (2020) A two-way molecular dialogue between embryo and endosperm required for seed development. Science 367:431-435 doi: https://doi.org/ 10.1126/science.aaz4131 | bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/809368
  19. Okuda S†, Fujita S†, Moretti A, Hohmann U, Gonzalez Doblas VG, Ma Y, Pfister A, Brandt B, Geldner N*, Hothorn M* (2020) Molecular mechanism for the recognition of sequence-divergent CIF peptides by the plant receptor kinases GSO1/SGN3 and GSO2.  PNAS 17(5):2693-2703 doi: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1911553117 | bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/692228v2
  20. Zhu J, Loubery S, Broger L, Lorenzo-Orts L, Utz-Pugin A, Chang Y-T, Hothorn M* (2020) A genetically validated approach to detect inorganic polyphosphates in plants. Plant J 102(3):507-516 doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.14642.| bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/630129v1
  21. Zhu J, Lau K, Puschmann R, Harmel RK, Zhang Y, Pries V, Gaugler P, Broger L, Dutta AK, Jessen HJ, Schaaf G, Fernie AR, Hothorn LA, Fiedler D, Hothorn M* (2019)
    Two bifunctional inositol pyrophosphate kinases/phosphatases control plant phosphate homeostasis. eLife pii: e43582. | bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/692228
  22. Lau K†, Podolec R†, Chappuis R, Ulm R*, Hothorn M* (2019) Plant photoreceptors and their signaling components compete for binding to the ubiquitin ligase COP1 using their VP-peptide motifs. EMBO Journal, e102140. doi: 10.15252/embj.2019102140 | bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/568618
  23. Lorenzo-Orts L, Hohmann U, Zhu J, Hothorn M* (2019) Molecular characterization of CHAD domains as inorganic polyphosphate binding modules.
    Life Sci Alliance. 2(3). pii: e201900385 | bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/567040
  24. Hohmann U, Hothorn M* (2019) Crystal structure of the LRR ectodomain of the plant immune receptor kinase SOBIR1.
    Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 75(Pt 5):488-497. https://doi.org/10.1107/S2059798319005291 | bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/581231
  25. Robinson GR, Kaufmann M, Roux C, Martinez J, Hothorn M, Thore S, Fitzpatrick TB (2019) Crystal structure of the pseudoenzyme PDX1.2 in complex with its cognate enzyme PDX1.3: a total eclipse
    Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr.75(Pt 4):400-415.
  26. Lorenzo-Orts L*, Witthoeft J, Deforges J, Martinez J, Loubery S, Placzek A, Poirier Y, Hothorn LA, Jaillais Y, Hothorn M* (2019) Concerted expression of a cell-cycle regulator and a metabolic enzyme from a bicistronic transcript in plants.
    Nature Plants,5:184-193 (free read access)
  27. Vaattovaara A, Brandt B, Rajaraman S, Safronov O, Veidenberg A, Lukova M, Kangasjärvi J, Löytynoja A, Hothorn M, Salojärvi S, Wrzaczek M (2019)
    Mechanistic insights into the evolution of DUF26-containing proteins in land plants.
    Communications Biology 2, article no. 59 | bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/493502
  28. Kozlowski M, Corujo D, Hothorn M, Guberovic I, Mandemaker IK, Blessing C, Sporn J, Gutierrez‐Triana A, Smith R, Portmann T, Treier M, Scheffzek K, Huet S, Timinszky G, Buschbeck M, Ladurner AG (2018)
    MacroH2A histone variants limit chromatin plasticity through two distinct mechanisms
    EMBO Reports 10.15252/embr.201744445 (free read access)
  29. Anne P, Amiguet-Vercher A, Brandt B, Kalmbach L, Geldner N, Hothorn M, Hardtke CS (2018)
    CLERK is a novel receptor kinase required for sensing of root-active CLE peptides in Arabidopsis.
    Development; 145(10). pii: dev162354. doi: 10.1242/dev.162354. open-access full-text
  30. Hohmann U, Nicolet J, Moretti A, Hothorn LA, Hothorn M* (2018)
    The SERK3 elongated allele defines a role for BIR ectodomains in brassinosteroid signalling.
    Nature Plants 4:345-351 doi: 10.1038/s41477-018-0150-9 | bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/257543
  31. Hohmann U, Santiago J, Nicolet J, Olsson V, Spiga FM, Hothorn LA, Butenko MA, Hothorn M* (2018)
    Mechanistic basis for the activation of plant membrane receptor kinases by SERK-family coreceptors.
    PNAS 115(13):3488-3493, free full-text
  32. Hazak O†, Brandt B†, Cattaneo P, Santiago J, Rodriguez-Villalon A, Hothorn M*, Hardtke CS* (2017)
    Perception of root-active CLE peptides requires CORYNE function in the phloem vasculature.
    EMBO Reports, 18(8):1367-1381, open access full-text
  33. Wild R, Hothorn M* (2017)
    The macro domain as fusion tag for carrier-driven crystallization.
    Protein Sci 26(2):365-374, open access full-text
  34. Wild R†, Gerasimaite R†, Jung JY†, Truffault V, Pavlovic I, Schmidt A, Saiardi A, Jessen HJ, Poirier Y*, Hothorn M*, Mayer A* (2016)
    Control of eukaryotic phosphate homeostasis by inositol polyphosphate sensor domains.
    Science 352(6288):986-90 author manuscript
  35. Santiago J*, Brandt B, Wildhagen M, Hohmann U, Hothorn LA, Butenko MA, Hothorn M* (2016)
    Mechanistic insight into a peptide hormone signaling complex mediating floral organ abscission.
    eLife doi: 10.7554/eLife.15075 open access full-text
  36. Binkert M, Crocco CD, Ekundayo B, Lau K, Raffelberg S, Tilbrook K, Yin R, Chappuis R, Schalch T, Ulm R (2016)
    Revisiting chromatin binding of the Arabidopsis UV-B photoreceptor UVR8.
    BMC Plant Biol doi: 10.1186/s12870-016-0732-5
  37. Martinez J, Truffault V, Hothorn M* (2015)
    Structural Determinants for Substrate Binding and Catalysis in Triphosphate Tunnel Metalloenzymes.
    J Biol Chem. 290:23348-60 open access full-text
  38. Bojar D, Martinez J, Santiago J, Rybin V, Bayliss R, Hothorn M* (2014)
    Crystal structures of the phosphorylated BRI1 kinase domain and implications for brassinosteroid signal initiation.
    Plant J. 78:31-43 open access full-text
  39. Santiago J, Henzler C, Hothorn M* (2013)
    Molecular Mechanism for Plant Steroid Receptor Activation by Somatic Embryogenesis Co-Receptor Kinases.
    Science 341:889-92 free full-text  (with registration) author manuscript
  40. Christie JM, Arvai AS, Baxter KJ, Heilmann M, Pratt AJ, O’Hara A, Kelly SM, Hothorn M, Smith BO, Hitomi K, Jenkins GI, Getzoff ED (2012)
    Plant UVR8 Photoreceptor Senses UV-B by Tryptophan-Mediated Disruption of Cross-Dimer Salt Bridges.
    Science 335:1492-1496
  41. Feldman-Salit A, Wirtz M, Lenherr ED, Throm C, Hothorn M, Scheffzek K, Hell R, Wade RC (2012)
    Allosterically Gated Enzyme Dynamics in the Cysteine Synthase Complex Regulate Cysteine Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana.
    Structure 20(2):292-302
  42. Cuyvers S, Dornez E, Abou Hachem M, Svensson B, Hothorn M, Chory J, Delcour JA, Courtin CM (2012)
    Isothermal titration calorimetry and surface plasmon resonance allow quantifying substrate binding to different binding sites of Bacillus subtilis xylanase.
    Anal Biochem. 420(1):90-92
  43. Hothorn M, Dabi T, Chory J (2011)
    Structural basis for cytokinin recognition by Arabidopsis thaliana histidine kinase 4.
    Nat Chem Biol. 7(11):766-768
  44. Hothorn M, Belkhadir Y, Dreux M, Dabi T, Noel JP, Wilson IA, Chory J (2011)
    Structural basis of steroid hormone perception by the receptor kinase BRI1.
    Nature 474(7352):467-71
  45. Jaillais Y†, Hothorn M†, Belkhadir Y, Dabi T, Nimchuk ZL, Meyerowitz EM, Chory J (2011)
    Tyrosine phosphorylation controls brassinosteroid receptor activation by triggering membrane release of its kinase inhibitor.
    Genes Dev. 25(3):232-237
  46. Hothorn M†, Van den Ende W†, Lammens W, Rybin V, Scheffzek K (2010)
    Structural insights into the pH-controlled targeting of plant cell-wall invertase by a specific inhibitor protein.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 107(40):17427-17432
  47. Reinelt S, Koch B, Hothorn M, Hengstenberg W, Welti S, Scheffzek K. (2009)
    Structure of the Enterococcus faecalis EIIA(gnt) PTS component.
    Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 388(4):626-629
  48. Timinszky G†, Till S†, Hassa PO†, Hothorn M†, Kustatscher G, Nijmeijer B, Colombelli J, Altmeyer M, Stelzer EH, Scheffzek K, Hottiger MO, Ladurner AG (2009)
    A macrodomain-containing histone rearranges chromatin upon sensing PARP1 activation.
    Nat Struct Mol Biol. 16(9):923-929
  49. Hothorn M, Neumann H, Lenherr ED, Wehner M, Rybin V, Hassa PO, Uttenweiler A, Reinhardt M, Schmidt A, Seiler J, Ladurner AG, Herrmann C, Scheffzek K, Mayer A (2009)
    Catalytic core of a membrane-associated eukaryotic polyphosphate polymerase.
    Science 324(5926):513-516
  50. Corsini L, Hothorn M, Stier G, Rybin V, Scheffzek K, Gibson TJ, Sattler M (2009)
    Dimerization and protein binding specificity of the U2AF homology motif of the splicing factor Puf60.
    J Biol Chem. 2;284(1):630-639
  51. Corsini L, Hothorn M, Scheffzek K, Sattler M, Stier G (2008)
    Thioredoxin as a fusion tag for carrier-driven crystallization.
    Protein Sci. 17(12):2070-2079
  52. Stuwe T†, Hothorn M†, Lejeune E, Rybin V, Bortfeld M, Scheffzek K, Ladurner AG (2008)
    The FACT Spt16 “peptidase” domain is a histone H3-H4 binding module
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 105(26):8884-8889
  53. Gromes R, Hothorn M, Lenherr ED, Rybin V, Scheffzek K, Rausch T (2008)
    The redox switch of gamma-glutamylcysteine ligase via a reversible monomer-dimer transition is a mechanism unique to plants.
    Plant J. 54(6):1063-1071.
  54. Pena V, Hothorn M, Eberth A, Kaschau N, Parret A, Gremer L, Bonneau F, Ahmadian MR, Scheffzek K (2008)
    The C2 domain of SynGAP is essential for stimulation of the Rap GTPase reaction.
    EMBO Rep. 9(4):350-355
  55. Till S, Lejeune E, Thermann R, Bortfeld M, Hothorn M, Enderle D, Heinrich C, Hentze MW, Ladurner AG (2007)
    A conserved motif in Argonaute-interacting proteins mediates functional interactions through the Argonaute PIWI domain.
    Nat Struct Mol Biol. 14(10):897-903
  56. Corsini L, Bonnal S, Basquin J, Hothorn M, Scheffzek K, Valcárcel J, Sattler M (2007)
    U2AF-homology motif interactions are required for alternative splicing regulation by SPF45.
    Nat Struct Mol Biol. 14(7):620-629
  57. Simader H, Hothorn M, Suck D (2006)
    Structures of the interacting domains from yeast glutamyl-tRNA synthetase and tRNA-aminoacylation and nuclear-export cofactor Arc1p reveal a novel function for an old fold.
    Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 62(Pt 12):1510-1519
  58. Simader H, Hothorn M, Köhler C, Basquin J, Simos G, Suck D (2006)
    Structural basis of yeast aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex formation revealed by crystal structures of two binary sub-complexes.
    Nucleic Acids Res. 34(14):3968-3979
  59. Hothorn M, Wachter A, Gromes R, Stuwe T, Rausch T, Scheffzek K (2006)
    Structural basis for the redox control of plant glutamate cysteine ligase.
    J Biol Chem. 281(37):27557-27565
  60. Hothorn M, Scheffzek K (2006)
    Multiple crystal forms of the cell-wall invertase inhibitor from tobacco support high conformational rigidity over a broad pH range.
    Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 62(Pt 6):665-670
  61. Kustatscher G†, Hothorn M†, Pugieux C, Scheffzek K, Ladurner AG (2005)
    Splicing regulates NAD metabolite binding to histone macroH2A.
    Nat Struct Mol Biol. 12(7):624-625
  62. Hothorn M, Wolf S, Aloy P, Greiner S, Scheffzek K (2004)
    Structural insights into the target specificity of plant invertase and pectin methylesterase inhibitory proteins.
    Plant Cell 16(12):3437-3447
  63. Hothorn M, D’Angelo I, Márquez JA, Greiner S, Scheffzek K (2004)
    The invertase inhibitor Nt-CIF from tobacco: a highly thermostable four-helix bundle with an unusual N-terminal extension.
    J Mol Biol. 335(4):987-895
  64. Hothorn M, Bonneau F, Stier G, Greiner S, Scheffzek K (2003)
    Bacterial expression, purification and preliminary X-ray crystallographic characterization of the invertase inhibitor Nt-CIF from tobacco.
    Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 59(Pt 12):2279-2282

Reviews (peer-reviewed)

  1. Lorenzo-Orts L, Couto D, Hothorn M (2019)
    Identity and functions of inorganic and inositol polyphosphates in plants. New Phytologist, doi: 10.1111/nph.16129.
  2. Jung JY, Ried MK, Hothorn M*, Poirier Y* (2017)
    Control of plant phosphate homeostasis by inositol pyrophosphates and the SPX domain.
    Current Opinion in Biotechnology 49:156-162, free full-text
  3. Hohmann U, Lau K, Hothorn M (2017)
    The Structural Basis of Ligand Perception and Signal Activation by Receptor Kinases.
    Ann Rev Plant Bio 18(8):1367-1381, open access full-text
  4. Brandt B, Hothorn M (2016)
    SERK co-receptor kinases.
    Curr Biol. 26(6):R225-6
  5. Marshall A, Aalen RB, Audenaert D, Beeckman T, Broadley MR, Butenko MA, Caño-Delgado AI, de Vries S, Dresselhaus T, Felix G, Graham NS, Foulkes J, Granier C, Greb T, Grossniklaus U, Hammond JP, Heidstra R, Hodgman C, Hothorn M, Inzé D, Ostergaard L, Russinova E, Simon R, Skirycz A, Stahl Y, Zipfel C, De Smet I (2012)
    Tackling Drought Stress: RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASES Present New Approaches.
    Plant Cell 24:2262-2278

Book chapter

  1. Hohmann U, Hothorn M (2018)
    Brassinosteroid sensing and signaling in plants.
    in Plant Structural Biology: Hormonal Regulations by Jan Hejatko, Toshio Hakoshima (Eds.), Springer

PhD theses

  1. Laurent F (2024) Understanding the catabolism of inositol pyrophosphates in plants. PhD Thesis University of Geneva
  2. Lorenzo-Orts L (2019) Biochemical and physiological studies on polyphosphate metabolism in plants. PhD Thesis University of Geneva
  3. Hohmann U (2018) Mechanistic insight into the activation and negative regulation of plant leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases. PhD Thesis University of Geneva
  4. Wild R (2016) Structural and functional characterization of eukaryotic SPX domains as inositol polyphosphate sensors. PhD Thesis University of Geneva
  5. Hothorn M (2006) Crystallographic studies on protein regulatory mechanisms PhD thesis European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Ruperto Carola University of Heidelberg, Germany

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