Juan Martinez Hernández

Plant evolution: from origins to diversification on land The evolution of plants – photosynthetic eukaryotes resulting from the endosymbiosis of a cyanobacterium and a non-photosynthetic host cell – transformed the earth system by reducing the amount of CO…

Registration for the EMBO workshop ‘Plant evolution: from origins to diversification on land’ closes on 25th August. Don’t miss it! More details can be found here: meetings.embo.org/event/25-pla... 🌱 😀

De-novo promoters emerge more readily from random DNA than from genomic DNA Promoters are DNA sequences that help to initiate transcription. Point mutations can create de-novo promoters, which can consequently transcribe inactive genes or create novel transcripts. We know lit...

Excited / nervous to share the “magnum opus” of my postdoc in Andreas Wagner’s lab!

"De-novo promoters emerge more readily from random DNA than from genomic DNA"

This project is the accumulation of 4 years of work, and lays the foundation for my future group. In short, we… (1/4)

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...

Introducing the first 3DEM Model-Map percentile slider to the wwPDB validation report Introducing the latest wwPDB Percentile slider based on the Q-score model-map validation metric

Today, @rcsbpdb.bsky.social introduces Q-score in EM validation reports. Q-score assesses model-map fit. A new percentile slider will compare an entry’s average Q-score to the full archive and a resolution-matched subset. This would help judge whether the fit is typical for the reported resolution.

A structurally informed human protein–protein interactome reveals proteome-wide perturbations caused by disease mutations - Nature Biotechnology Protein–protein interactomes incorporating structural data predict the functional consequences of disease mutations.

Protein–protein interactomes incorporating structural data predict the functional consequences of disease mutations go.nature.com/3BYJBrg
rdcu.be/eILA1

Kim-Kristine Mueller from the Classen lab in Kiel shares new insights into bryophyte arabinogalactan-proteins from a hornwort and a moss model organism #MAdLand2025

Cryo-EM structure of plant urea transporter DUR3 reveals essential role of C-terminal domain in tetramer assembly and insights into proton-coupled transport https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.20.653754v1

Cryo-EM structures of the Plant Augmin reveal its intertwined coiled-coil assembly, antiparallel dimerization and NEDD1 binding mechanisms https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.25.640204v1

Cryo-EM structures of the plant #anion #channel SLAC1 from Arabidopsis thaliana. @NatureComms 14, 7345. Check #cryoEM #structure of this #membrane #protein in the UniTmp database: https://pdbtm.unitmp.org/entry/8gw6

Revealing the structure of land plant photosystem II: the journey from negative-stain EM to cryo-EM pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40994146/

Type VI inhibitor targeting both the catalytic site and the tunnel of Autotaxin (ATX). PDB ID: 9FXW

🚨New Article Out!!

📢 In our latest work, we propose a Three-Point Lock binding mode for ATX inhibitors 🔒

🚀 This approach may represent the final piece in the puzzle of known binding mode types — and could have therapeutic relevance

♥️ Thanks for your support
Read more here: doi.org/10.1016/j.bm...

Cryo-EM structure of plant urea transporter DUR3 reveals essential role of C-terminal domain in tetramer assembly and insights into proton-coupled transport https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.20.653754v1

Cryo-EM structures of the plant plastid-encoded RNA polymerase

A metallic arm holding a protein, simulating a GPI-anchored protein attached to the surface of a membrane.

📢 Excited to announce that our Opinion paper on GPI-anchored proteins is now Published! 🎉

👀 If you're working in this field, be sure to check out our paper — we've highlighted some truly outstanding questions on the topic! ⚠️

www.cell.com/trends/cell-...

Check out our new preprint on plant🌱mitoribosome!
We captured it in action, translating mRNA, and combining cryo-EM 🔬 and Nanopore sequencing 🧬, identified key rRNA modifications. Plus we delve into a late-stage maturation step of the small subunit.
📖: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#CryoEM

Cryo-EM structures of Arabidopsis CNGC1 and CNGC5 reveal molecular mechanisms underlying gating and calcium selectivity | Plant-Microbe Symbiosis Plant cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) belong to the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) channel family, but are phylogenetically classified in a distinct branch. In contrast to their animal counterparts of K+-selective or non-selective cation channels, plant CNGCs mainly mediate Ca2+...

https://www.scoop.it/topic/plant-microbe-symbioses/p/4164186947/2025/02/23/cryo-em-structures-of-arabidopsis-cngc1-and-cngc5-reveal-molecular-mechanisms-underlying-gating-and-calcium-selectivity

Revealing the structure of land plant photosystem II: the journey from negative-stain EM to cryo-EM pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40994146/ #cryoEM

GSK-3 and BCL-XL inhibition mitigates the competitive advantage of APC-mutant colorectal cancer cells - Oncogenesis Oncogenesis - GSK-3 and BCL-XL inhibition mitigates the competitive advantage of APC-mutant colorectal cancer cells

🚨 New strategy against colorectal cancer!

Dual GSK-3 & BCL-XL inhibition kills APC-mutant cells in organoid models, tipping the balance towards healthy cells—a promising way to halt early tumor growth 💪🧪

➡️Read more: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A disease resistance protein triggers oligomerization of its NLR helper into a hexameric resistosome to mediate innate immunity Cryo-EM analysis revealed the homohexameric resistosome structure of NbNRC2 activated with Rx and Potato virus X coat protein.

📄NEW PUBLICATION: A disease resistance protein triggers oligomerization of its NLR helper into a hexameric resistosome to mediate innate immunity (2024)
@amiralito.bsky.social @adnroide.bsky.social @kamounlab.bsky.social @mauriciocontreras @JMadhuprakash
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

What’s this intriguing complex? Together with Ben, we purified the AVRcap1b-SlNRC3 complex from our favourite plant—the Aussie wonder Nicotiana benthamiana aka benthi—and resolved this beautiful cryo-EM structure and see how AVRcap1b wraps around three SlNRC3 protomers!
4/10

Cryo-EM structures of the plant anion channel SLAC1 from Arabidopsis thaliana suggest a combined activation model. Nat Comm 14, 7345. Check it in the UniTmp database: https://pdbtm.unitmp.org/entry/8gw6

SRBD1, a highly conserved gene required for chromosome individualization Raaijmakers et al. study S1 domain containing protein 1 (SRBD1), a previously uncharacterized essential protein. The loss of SRBD1 results in a complete failure in anaphase chromosome segregation due to defects established in prophase. The phenotype…

SRBD1, a highly conserved gene required for chromosome individualization

Zincore, an atypical coregulator, binds zinc finger transcription factors to control gene expression Zinc finger proteins (ZNFs) are the largest family of transcription factors, yet how they activate gene expression remains unclear. In this study, we identified Zincore, a protein complex consisting o...

In today’s publication in Science we introduce Zincore: a novel protein of QRICH1 and SEPHS1 and functions as a transcriptional coregulator dedicated to zinc finger transcription factors. Here’s how we found it: 🧵 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 1/11

Balanced plant helper NLR activation by a modified host protein complex - Nature In Arabidopsis, mechanisms for NRG1A activation by recognition of a modified host EDS1–SAG101 complex, and NRG1A inhibition by NRG1C through sequestration of activated EDS1–SAG101, show activation and...

In plant immunity, activated sensor NLRs generate second messengers, which in turn activate helper NLRs such as NRG1. Two studies @nature use cryo-EM to provide mechanistic insights into NRG1 activation and inhibition.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
&
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

👀 Just updated my Google Scholar and... can’t believe one of my papers reached 100 citations! 🚀

💪🏼 It might not seem like much, but as a PhD student, it feels like a big achievement.

❤️ To all fellow PhDs, keep going, stay strong, and celebrate every milestone!🔁

Read it: www.jbc.org/article/S002...

Cryo-EM reveals evolutionarily conserved and distinct structural features of plant CG maintenance methyltransferase MET1 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41006297/ #cryoEM

I would love to join!