Exciting news from the Shabek Lab! Our new research article is now published in Nature Communications: Salicylic Acid Modulates Its Catabolic Enzymes via Proteasomal Degradation Linked to SCF-Associated Proximity Networks by Natalie Hamada, Malathy Palayam, Jacob Moe-Lange, Sun Hyun Chang, collaborators, and Nitzan Shabek.
This study uncovers a new regulatory mechanism controlling the immune hormone salicylic acid (SA), a key signal that helps plants defend against pathogens while balancing growth. We show that SA directs the turnover of its own catabolic enzymes through the ubiquitin–proteasome system, linking hormone perception to selective protein degradation.
Using structural biology, biochemistry, and proximity-labeling approaches, we identified a new F-box protein, DAF1, and revealed dynamic remodeling of SCF ubiquitin ligase networks during infection. Together, our findings define a self-limiting feedback circuit that connects hormone metabolism with immune homeostasis and opens new avenues for crop protection strategies.