Leaf-microbe interactions

We investigate the molecular mechanisms underpinning host manipulation by plant pathogens, with a particular focus on apoplast manipulation of Solanaceous plants by bacterial microbes. One intruiging aspect of this work is the recruitment of an protease in the extracellular recognition of pathogen-derived inhibitors at the plant cell surface by the Cf-2 resistance protein. Our research activities also aim at improved molecular pharming of secreted (glyco)proteins through the depletion of extracellular proteases. Unique is our approach to display protein activities by pioneering activity-based protein profiling (ABPP), a powerful functional proteomics technology that offers an exciting platform for collaborations. Please contact us if you are interested to join or collaborate!

Ilyas, M., Hörger, A. C., Bozkurt, T. O., Van den Burg, H. A.m Kaschani, F., Kaiser, M., Belhaj, K., Smoker, M., Joosten, M. H. A., Kamoun, S., and Van der Hoorn, R. A. L. (2015) Functional divergence of two secreted immune proteases of tomato. Current Biol. 25, 2300-2306. Lu, H., Chandrasekar, B., Oeljeklaus, J., Misas-Villamil, J. C., Wang, Z., Shindo, T., Bogyo, M., Kaiser, M., and Van der Hoorn, R. A. L. (2015) Subfamily-specific probes for Cys proteases display dynamic protease activities during seed germination. Plant Physiol. 168, 1462-1475. Chandrasekar, B., Colby, T., Emon, A. E. K., Jiang, J., Hong, T. N., Villamor, J. G., Harzen, A., Overkleeft, H. S., and Van der Hoorn, R. A. L. (2014) Broad range glycosidase activity profiling. Mol. Cell. Proteomics. 13, 2787-2800. Sueldo, D., Ahmed, A., Misas-Villamil, J. C., Colby, T., Tameling, W., Joosten, M. H. A. J., and Van der Hoorn, R. A. L. (2014) Dynamic hydrolase activities precede hypersensitive tissue collapse in tomato seedlings. New Phytologist 203, 913-925. Dong, S., Stam, R., Cano, L. M., Song, J., Sklenar, J., Yoshida, K., Bozkurt, T. O., Oliva, R., Liu, Z., Tian, M., Win, J., Banfield, M. J., Jones, A. M., Van der Hoorn, R. A. L., and Kamoun, S. (2014) Effector specialization in a lineage of the Irish potato famine pathogen.Science 343, 552-555.