By uncovering how RipAV hijacks the regulatory mechanism PUB-CPK28, and reduces BIK1 accumulation, our work reveals a sophisticated strategy of immune suppression. I would like to thank
@albertopmacho.bsky.social
and all collaborators!
@type3lab.bsky.social

@ihsmumacsic.bsky.social

This mechanism is not just incidental: we show that RipAV is required to keep BIK1 levels low during infection. Dampening BIK1 is a common virulence strategy in R. solanacearum — RipAC also reduces BIK1 levels via PUB4.
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

This modification promotes the proteasome-mediated degradation of BIK1, a core immune component required for pattern-triggered immunity. In other words, RipAV accelerates the removal of one of the plant’s most important defense proteins.

RipAV promotes phosphorylation of PUBs by CPK28 on a specific Thr site. This post-translational modification boosts PUB25/26 activity, as previously shown by Wang et al. (2018).
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Ralstonia solanacearum causes bacterial wilt, a devastating disease in many crops. We found that its effector RipAV directly interacts with plant ubiquitin ligases (PUBs) and the kinase CPK28, both central regulators of immune signaling.

Our new paper is out in New Phytologist! We describe how the Ralstonia solanacearum effector RipAV suppresses plant immunity by directly interfering with key defense regulators. 🧵👇
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Thanks Suayb!

🎉 Thrilled to announce that CoBEPP — Using conserved bacterial effectors to probe plant-pathogen interactions — has been funded by @ageinves.bsky.social & @cienciagob.bsky.social!
Grateful for the support to launch my first project @ihsmumacsic.bsky.social , exploring effector functions! 🌱🔬

And now for something completely different!

Very proud to have contributed to this work on molecular plant-pest interaction led by Isabel Diaz Rodriguez at CBGP

doi.org/10.1111/nph....

@cbgpmadrid.bsky.social
@ihsmumacsic.bsky.social
#PlantScience

As a bonus, this one comes with an always welcomed predoc contract! We'll be looking for PhD candidates soon...

Very grateful to @ageinves.bsky.social we'll try and get the most out of those funds!

@type3lab.bsky.social keeps going strong!

We have just been awarded a Project Grant (PID2024) from the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación on the topic "Cooperative virulence in plants: mechanisms, dynamics and adaptive impact"

How Bacteria Outsmart Plants—Then Flee the Scene!

#MicroSky #PlantScience #Pseudomonas

Our new research in Nature Microbiology uncovers the sophisticated teamwork of Pseudomonas syringae, a notorious plant pathogen.

🔗 rdcu.be/egczU

The Ralstonia solanacearum effector RipAV targets Plant U-box proteins and induces proteasomal-dependent degradation of BIK1 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.06.631554v1