Álvaro Fernández

#ImageOfTheMonth March 2026
Dividing Arabidopsis epidermal cells imaged by confocal microscopy after expansion. Microtubules guided cell plate formation revealed in 3D with depth-code.
Image: Magali Grison @lbm-bordeaux.bsky.social @gtexm.bsky.social
#Microscopy #PlantScience #CellBiology

The trans‐Golgi network adaptor protein 4 complex contributes to basal defense and immunity mediated through plasma membrane and intracellular immune receptors The trans-Golgi network adaptor protein 4 (AP4) complex, which mediates protein sorting to the plant vacuole, is essential for broad immune responses including basal defense as well as pattern- and e...

The trans-Golgi network adaptor protein 4 complex contributes to basal defense and immunity mediated through plasma membrane and intracellular immune receptors

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

metaRLK 2.0: an updated database of plant receptor-like kinases developed with structure- and deep learning-based functional annotation and classification #resource #PlantCommunications cell.com/plant-commun...

Quantification of cell‐type‐specific plasmodesmata distribution in Arabidopsis roots reveals spatial and patterning dynamics Plasmodesmata are cytoplasmic channels essential for intercellular communication in plants; yet their organ-scale distribution and regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we establish a quantitati...

⚙️Technical Advance

How are plasmodesmata distributed across tissues? 🌱

Davis et al. developed a 3D quantitative imaging pipeline to map pit fields at cell-type resolution in Arabidopsis roots.
They’re developmentally reallocated and spatially patterned by BR signaling.
👉 doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70726

Fig. 1 (shortened, full legend in paper): Impact of Medicago truncatula GOLVEN10 peptide on root tortuosity and angular parameters relative to the primary root and gravity vector. (A) Change in root waving or tortuosity in Jemalong A17 plants upon GOLVEN10 application compared with untreated plants 10 d post-transfer to plates. (B) Change in lateral root angle of emergence relative to the primary root upon GLV10 peptide application in untreated M. truncatula R108 plants 10 d post-transfer to plates. (C) Change in lateral root angle of emergence relative to the gravity vector upon GLV10 peptide application in untreated M. truncatula Jemalong A17 plants 10 d post-transfer to plates. Scale bar=1 cm.

🌱📊 RESEARCH 📊🌱

GOLVEN10 increases Medicago lateral root branch angle and reduces the gravity setpoint angle. A GWAS identified causal SNPs and that GOLVEN10 signaling interacts with ethylene to control root waving – Parmar et al.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪

An apoplastic Lasiodiplodia theobromae effector triggers plant immunity through a lectin receptor-like kinase in peach Uncovering a fungal effector's dual roles in peach gummosis and its recognition by a peach lectin receptor establishes a molecular blueprint for targeted b

An apoplastic Lasiodiplodia theobromae effector triggers plant immunity through a lectin receptor-like kinase in peach (Jian Meng , Dongmei Zhang , Siwei An , et al) doi.org/10.1093/plce... #PlantScience @aspbofficial

Fig. 2 (shortened, full legend in paper): Schematic of the experimental measurement setup. Cameras are placed at top and side positions with respect to the pendulum. Lens add-on structure, extending two posts with a string between them, is attached to the top-view camera, to which the pendulum rod is attached via the cone adapter (see inset). The vertical light blue bar represents the pendulum rod at rest before contact, and the solid blue bar depicts the rod position after a force is applied by the stem. A plant is positioned near the rod (light green, contact with the rod begins; solid green, some time after contact begins). Parameters include full pendulum length (L—includes cone adapter) and radius (R), distance of contact point from hinge (lc), deflection angle (α), distance of the tracked point (ptr) from the rod tip (h), distance (d) of the stem tip from contact point (pc), the horizontal distance of the tracked point from the vertical axis (rtr), and the applied force (F).

📷⚙️ TECHNICAL INNOVATION ⚙️📷

Ohad & Meroz developed a modular camera-based system to measure weak forces generated by freely moving plant organs. It measures the force projected on two axes, is cost-effective, modular & accommodates a wide range of organism scales.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

New OA Resource: "Motif-based substrate mapping of the receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase BIK1 reveals novel components and regulatory nodes of plant immunity" rdcu.be/e29Ro

...define and use the phosphorylation motif of BIK1 to find novel substrate candidates.

Ubiquitin recognition integrates plant immune signaling by cell-surface and intracellular receptors https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.06.703835v1

Multi-omics analyses of mutants for Marchantia polymorpha FERONIA and MARIS reveal a link between cell wall integrity and abscisic acid responses Abstract. At the core of cell wall integrity (CWI) mechanisms that enable plant cells to coordinate their growth with their cell wall status, lies the tran

Multi-omics analyses of mutants for Marchantia polymorpha FERONIA and MARIS reveal a link between cell wall integrity and abscisic acid responses url: academic.oup.com/pcp/article/...

Identification of a putative RBOHD-FERONIA-CRK10-PIP2;6 plasma membrane complex that interacts with phyB to regulate ROS production in Arabidopsis thaliana https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.23.689998v1

Graphical abstract containing text and diagrams to explain how the NMOD database works, including the types of datasets and data sources utilised, and its many functions/applications in plant science.

Smoking...!

Xu et al. present Nicotiana multi-dimensional omics database - NMOD biodb.com.cn/NMOD/index.h..., a user-friendly database integrating tools useful for research into disease resistance mechanisms & molecular breeding in #tobacco

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/pcp/...

#DatabasePaper💻
#PlantScience🌱

Great to see past, current and future work from @danielvandamme.bsky.social today in Zürich. Big things ahead!

Catch & Release - a molecular toolbox for rapid cost-effective protein purification from plants 🌱 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.15.654187v1

Preprint from @dfg.de #GoPMF. All 🌱 scientists love to get their hands on pure protein, quickly produced in 🪴. However, purification can take too long, involve many steps or requires pricey reagents. @lmumuenchen.bsky.social , we established Catch & Release. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

An elevated environmental temperature impairs accumulation of the pattern recognition receptor FLS2 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.20.683271v1

The CAPE1 peptide confers resistance against bacterial wilt in tomato Resistance against bacterial wilt in tomato is linked to variety-specific proteomic changes; the CAPE1 peptide restricts Ralstonia solancearum growth in pl

The CAPE1 peptide confers resistance against bacterial wilt in tomato academic.oup.com/jxb/advance-...

The immune NIK1/RPL10/LIMYB signaling module regulates photosynthesis and translation under biotic and abiotic stresses. Nature Communications - The receptor-like kinase NIK1 is phosphorylated in response to multiple biotic and abiotic signals, activating the NIK1/RPL10/LIMYB signaling circuit, which coordinately...

The immune NIK1/RPL10/LIMYB signaling module regulates photosynthesis and translation under biotic and abiotic stresses.
https://rdcu.be/eoaYf