Selected Publications and Preprints

2024-2026

  • Palayam, M., Shabek, N. (2026) Beyond prediction: why experimental structural biology remains essential in plants. Current Opinion in Plant Biology. LINK
  • Shabek, N. (2026) From signaling to catabolism: terminal tails in plant hormone regulation. Journal of Experimental Botany. LINK
  • Hamada, N., Palayam, M., Moe-Lange, J., Wyatt, G., Montes, C., Chang, S. H., Hu, A., Dinesh-Kumar, S. P., Zerbe, P., Walley, J. W., and Shabek, N. (2026) Salicylic acid modulates its catabolic enzymes via proteasomal degradation linked to SCF-associated proximity networks. Nature Communications. LINK  (mentioned in the News)
  • Hamada, N*., Hand, KA*., and Shabek, N. (2026) Ubiquitin ligases in plant immunity: structural mechanisms and signaling. The Plant Journal. LINK
  • Chang, S*., Palayam, M*., Hand, KA*., and Shabek, N. (2026) Structural Insights into Plant Hormone Sensing Mechanisms. Annual Reviews of Plant Biology. (VOL. 77). LINK
  • Bergman, M. E., Chang, S. H., Boachon, B., Shabek, N., Dudareva, N. (2026) Perception by plant receptors: Molecular insights into volatile organic compound sensing. The Plant Journal. LINK
  • Rodriguez-Zaccaro, F.D*., Moe-Lange, J*., Malik, S., Montes, C., Hamada, N., Groover, A.T., Walley, J.W., Shabek, N. (2025) Dynamic ASK1 proximity networks uncover SCF-dependent and noncanonical roles in ABA and drought adaptation. preprint – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12776127/
  • Moe-Lange, J., Shabek, N. (2025) An Emerging Signaling Hub: KAI2 at the Nexus of Phytohormone Networks. The Plant Journal. LINK
  • Zeng, L., Guo, J., Palayam M., Rodriguez, C., Fernanda GM, M., Wang, Y., van de Ven, W., Pruneda-Paz, J., Shabek, N., Dehesh, K. (2025) Bimodal Retrograde Signaling Disrupts a Suppressor Network and Activates a Key Transcriptional Activator to Direct Stress Responses. The Plant Journal. LINK
  • Paries, M., Hobecker, K., Hernandez Luelmo, S., Binci, F., Guercio, A., Usländer, A., Cardoso, C., Si, Y., Wankner, L., Bashyal, S., Troycke, P., Brückner, F., Pimprikar, P., Shabek, N., & Gutjahr, C. (2025) The GRAS protein RAM1 interacts with WRI transcription factors to regulate plant genes required for arbuscule development and function. PNAS. LINK
  • Zhou, A., Kane, A., Wu, S., Wang, K., Santiago, M., Ishiguro, Y., Yoneyama, K., Palayam, M., Shabek, N., Xie, X., Nelson, DC., Li, Y. (2024). Evolution of Inter-organismal Strigolactone Biosynthesis in Seed Plants. Science. LINK
  • Zeng, L., Guo, J., Palayam M., Rodriguez, C., Fernanda GM, M., Wang, Y., van de Ven, W., Pruneda-Paz, J., Shabek, N., Dehesh, K. (2024) Integrated Dual-Channel Retrograde Signaling Directs Stress Responses by Degrading the HAT1/TPL/IMPα-9 Suppressor Complex and Activating CAMTA3. biorxiv
  • Cowie, AE., Pereira, JE., DeGiovanni, A., McAndrew, RP., Palayam, M., Peek. JO., Muchilinski, AJ., Yoshikuni, Y., Shabek, N., Adams, PD., Zerbe, P. (2024). The crystal structure of Grindelia robusta 7,13-copalyl diphosphate synthase reveals active site features controlling catalytic specificity. Journal of Biological Chemistry. LINK
  • Palayam, M., Yan, L., Nagalakshmi, U., Gilio, AK., Cornu, D., Boyer, FD., Dinesh-Kumar, SP., and Shabek, N. (2024) Structural Insights into Strigolactone Catabolism by Carboxylesterases Reveal a Conserved Conformational Regulation. Nature Communications. LINK   (mentioned in the News + more under Media )
    • SPOTLIGHT – CELL ; Trends in Biochemical Sciences: The role of hydrolysis in perceiving and degrading the plant hormone strigolactones LINK
  • Sun, F., Hamada, N., Montes-Serey, C., Li, Y., Meier, ND., Walley, JW., Dinesh-Kumar, SP*., and Shabek, N.* (2024) TurboID-Based Proteomic Profiling Reveals Proxitome of ASK1 and CUL1 of the SCF Ubiquitin Ligase in Plants. New Phytologist. LINK (selected for New Phytologist Cover Page, Volume 244; 6)
  • Guercio, AM., Gilio, KG., Pawlak, J., and Shabek, N. (2024). Structural insights into rice KAI2 receptor provide functional implications for perception and signal transduction. Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC). LINK
  • Eckardt, NA., […] Shabek N, et al. (2024). The lowdown on breakdown: Open questions in plant proteolysis. The Plant Cell. LINK
  • Ganapathy, J*., Hand, AK*., and Shabek, N. (2024). Analysis of 26S Proteasome Activity Across Arabidopsis Tissues. Plants. LINK
  • Stirling, AS., Guercio, AM, Patrick, RM., Huang, X., Bergman, M., Dwivedi, V., Kortbeek, RWJ., Liu, YK., Sun, F., Tao, WA., Li, Y., Boachon, B., Shabek, N., and Dudareva, N. (2024). Volatile communication in plants relies on a KAI2-mediated signaling pathway. Science. LINK

2021-2023

  • Tal, L., Guercio, AM., Varshney, K., Young, A., Gutjahr, C., and Shabek, N. (2023). C-terminal conformational changes in SCF-D3/MAX2 ubiquitin ligase are required for KAI2-mediated signaling. New Phytologist. LINK
  • Guercio, AM*., Palayam, M*., and Shabek, N (2023). Strigolactones: Diversity, Perception, and Hydrolysis. Phytochemistry Reviews. LINK
  • Sun, F*., Palayam, M*., and Shabek, N (2022). Structure of maize BZR1-type β-amylase BAM8 provides new insights into its noncatalytic adaptation. Journal of Structural Biology LINK  and biorxiv (selected for JSB Cover Page, Volume 214, 3)
  • Tal, L., Palayam, M., Ron, M., Young, A., Britt, A., and Shabek, N (2022). A conformational switch in the SCF-D3/MAX2 ubiquitin ligase facilitates strigolactone signaling. Nature Plants. nature.com/articles/s41477-022-01145-7  Full text: LINK     (mentioned in the media )
  • Hand, AK., Shabek, N (2022). The Role of E3 Ubiquitin Ligases in Chloroplast Function. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. LINK
  • Trenner, J., Monaghan, J., Saeed, B., Quint, M*., Shabek, N*., and Trujillo, M* (2022). Evolution and Functions of Plant U-box proteins (PUBs): From protein quality control to signalling. Annual Reviews of Plant Biology. annurev-arplant-102720-012310
  • Martinez, SE., Conn, CE., Guercio, AM., Sepulveda, C., Fiscus, CJ., Koenig, D., Shabek, N., Nelson, DC (2022). A KARRIKIN INSENSITIVE2 paralog in lettuce mediates highly sensitive germination responses to karrikinolide. Plant Physiology. LINK
  • Guercio, AM., Salar, T., Cornu, D., Bendahmane, A., Boyer, FD., Rameau, C., Gutjahr, C., de Saint Germain, A*., and  Shabek, N* (2022). Structural and Functional Analyses Explain Pea KAI2 Receptor Diversity and Reveal Stereoselective Catalysis During Signal Perception. Communications Biology – Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-022-03085-6   (mentioned in the press )
  • Yadav, B., Jogawat, A., Lal, SK., Lakra, N., Mehta, S., Shabek, N., and Narayan OP (2021). Plant mineral transport systems and the potential for crop improvement. Planta doi.org/10.1007/s00425-020-03551-7
  • Palayam, M., Ganapathy, J., Guercio, AM., Tal, L., Deck, SL., and Shabek, N (2021). Structural Insights into Photoactivation of Plant Cryptochrome-2.  Communications Biology – Nature  doi. 10.1038/s42003-020-01531-x /     (mentioned in the press )

2018-2020

  • Sun, F., Ding, L., Feng, W., Cao, Y., Lu, F., Yang, Q., Li, W., Lu, Y., Shabek, N., Fu, F., and Yu, H (2020). Maize transcription factor ZmBES1/BZR1-5 positively regulates kernel size. Journal of Experimental Botany doi.org/10.1093/jxb
  • Kuppu, S., Marimuthu, M., Ron, M., Li, G., Huddleson, A., Siddeek, MH., Terry, J., Buchner, R., Shabek, N., Comai, L., and Britt, AB (2020). A variety of changes, including CRISPR/Cas9 mediated deletions, in CENH3 lead to uniparental genome elimination and haploid induction on outcrossing. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 10.1111/pbi.13365
  • Tal, L., Anleu-Gil, MX., Guercio, AM., and Shabek, N (2020). Structural Aspects of Plant Hormone Signal Perception and Regulation by Ubiquitin Ligases. Plant Physiology. 10.1104/pp.19.01282
  • Shabek, N., Ticchiarelli, F., Mao, H., Hinds, TR., Leyser, O. & Zheng, N. (2018). Structural plasticity of D3-D14 Ub ligase in strigolactone signalling. Nature. 10.1038/s41586-018-0743-5
  • Shabek, N., Ruble, J., Waston CJ, Garbutt KC, Hinds, TR., and Zheng, N. (2018). Structural insights into DDA1 function as a core component of the CRL4-DDB1 ubiquitin ligase. Nature – Cell Discovery. 10.1038/s41421-018-0064-8

before 2018

  • Zheng, N., Shabek, N. (2017).  Ubiquitin ligases:  structure, function, and regulation. Annual Reviews Biochemistry. 86, 129-157. 10.1146/annurev-biochem-060815-014922
  • Shabek, N., Zheng, N. (2014). Plant ubiquitin ligases as signaling hubs. Nature Structure Molecular Biology 21, 293-296. 10.1038/nsmb.2804
  • Zhou, F., Lin, Q., Zhu, L., Ren, Y., Zhou, K., Shabek, N., et al. (2013). D14-SCF(D3)-dependent degradation of D53 regulates strigolactone signaling. Nature. 504, 406-410. 10.1038/nature12878
  • Shabek, N., Herman-Bachinsky, Y., Buchsbaum, S., Lewinson, O., Haj-Yahya, M., Hejjaoui, M., Lashuel, HA., Sommer, T., Brik, A., and Ciechanover, A. (2012). The Size of the Proteasomal Substrate Determines Whether Its Degradation Will Be Mediated by Mono- or Polyubiquitylation. Mol Cell. 48, 87-97. 10.1016/j.molcel.2012.07.011.
    • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT –  Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. Protein Metabolism: Length Matters (2012). doi.org/10.1038/nrm3445
  • Braten O., Shabek, N., Kravtsova-Ivantsiv, Y., and Ciechanover, A. (2011).  Generation of free ubiquitin chains is upregulated in stress, and facilitated by the HECT domain ubiquitin ligases, Ufd4 and Hul5. Biochem J. 444, 611-617. 10.1042/BJ20111840
  • Weissman, AM., Shabek, N., and Ciechanover, A. (2011).  The predator becomes the prey: regulation of the ubiquitin system by ubiquitylation and degradation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 12, 605-620. 10.1038/nrm3173
  • Shabek, N., Ciechanover, A. (2010). The degradation of ubiquitin: the fate of the cellular reaper. Cell Cycle 9, 523-530. 10.4161/cc.9.3.11152
  • Shabek, N., Herman-Bachinsky, Y., and Ciechanover, A. (2009). Ubiquitin degradation with its substrate, or as a monomer in a ubiquitination-independent mode, provides clues to proteasome regulation. PNAS 106, 11907-11912. 10.1073/pnas.0905746106
  • Shabek, N., Iwai, K., and Ciechanover, A. (2007). Ubiquitin is degraded by the ubiquitin system as a monomer and as part of its conjugated target. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 363, 425-431. 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.08.185

(* equal contribution)

Full publications list in: Pubmed  ;  Google Scholar