Dr. Shabek’s work demonstrating structural plasticity of the D3–D14 ubiquitin ligase in strigolactone signaling is published in Nature! These findings reveal how D3 can utilize two distinct structural states to control strigolactone signaling. In its closed form, D3 binds to inactive D14. However, in its open conformation, D3 binds to hormone-bound D14 to enable strigolactone hydrolysis and ubiquitination of D53 by the SCFD3-D14 complex in a strigolactone-dependent manner.
This work was also highlighted in the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences newsletter. Congratulations to Dr. Shabek and the Zheng lab at UW!