Hanyang University · Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Professor Tae-Wuk Kim's research lab specializes in plant hormone signaling, particularly brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis, perception, and signal transduction. The lab employs integrative approaches combining molecular genetics, biochemistry, and proteomics to dissect the dynamic regulation of BR pathways, including kinase cascades, post-translational modifications, and targeted protein degradation. Key research directions include identifying novel enzymes in BR biosynthesis—such as cytochrome P450s and sterol reductases—and elucidating the mechanisms of substrate-specific kinase and phosphatase interactions in development and stress responses. The lab also pioneers the use of advanced proximity labeling techniques (e.g., TurboID) to map transient signaling networks in plants.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Brassinosteroids (BRs) are growth-promoting steroid hormones in plants. Genetic studies in Arabidopsis illustrated the essential roles of BRs in a wide range of developmental processes and helped identify many genes involved in BR biosynthesis and signal transduction. Recently, proteomic studies identified missing links. Together, these approaches established the BR signal transduction cascade, which includes BR perception by the BRI1 receptor kinase at the cell surface, activation of BRI1/BAK1
The conversion of castasterone (CS) to brassinolide (BL), a Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, represents the final and rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of BL in plants. Heterologously expressed Arabidopsis thaliana CYP85A2 in yeast mediated the conversion of CS to BL as well as the C-6 oxidation of brassinosteroids (BRs). This indicated that CYP85A2 is a bifunctional enzyme that possesses BR C-6 oxidase and BL synthase activity. CYP85A2 is thus a cytochrome P450 that mediates Baeyer-Villiger oxid
Elucidating enzyme-substrate relationships in posttranslational modification (PTM) networks is crucial for understanding signal transduction pathways but is technically difficult because enzyme-substrate interactions tend to be transient. Here, we demonstrate that TurboID-based proximity labeling (TbPL) effectively and specifically captures the substrates of kinases and phosphatases. TbPL-mass spectrometry (TbPL-MS) identified over 400 proximal proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana BRASSINOSTEROID-IN
Brassinosteroid (BR) regulates a wide range of physiological responses through the activation of BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT1 (BZR1), whose activity is tightly controlled by its phosphorylation status and degradation. Although BZR1 appears to be degraded in distinct ways in response to different hormonal or environmental cues, little is known about how BR signaling regulates its degradation. Here we show that the BR-regulated U-box protein PUB40 mediates the proteasomal degradation of BZR1 in a root-
DWARF1 (DWF1) is a sterol C-24 reductase that catalyses the conversion of 24-methylenecholesterol (24-MCHR) to campesterol (CR) in Arabidopsis. A loss-of-function mutant, dwf1, showed similar phenotypic abnormalities to brassinosteroid (BR)-deficient mutants. These abnormalities were reversed in the wild-type phenotype by exogenous application of castasterone (CS) and brassinolide (BL), but not dolichosterone (DS). Accumulation of DS and decreased CS were found in quantitative analysis of endoge
Endogenous brassinosteroids (BRs) in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) seedlings are known to be composed of C27- and C28-BRs. The biosynthetic pathways of C27-BRs were examined using a cell-free enzyme solution prepared from tomato seedlings that yielded the biosynthetic sequences cholesterol --> cholestanol and 6-deoxo-28-norteasterone <--> 6-deoxo-28-nor-3-dehydroteasterone <--> 6-deoxo-28-nortyphasterol --> 6-deoxo-28-norcastasterone --> 28-norcastasterone (28-norCS). Arabidopsis CYP85A1 that
Abstract Transient protein-protein interactions (PPIs), such as those between posttranslational modifying enzymes and their substrates, play key roles in cellular regulation, but are difficult to identify. Here we demonstrate the application of enzyme-catalyzed proximity labeling (PL), using the engineered promiscuous biotin ligase TurboID, as a sensitive method for characterizing PPIs in signaling networks. We show that TurboID fused with the GSK3-like kinase BIN2 or a PP2A phosphatase biotinyl
Anthocyanins play critical roles in protecting plant tissues against diverse stresses. The complicated regulatory networks induced by various environmental factors modulate the homeostatic level of anthocyanins. Here, we show that anthocyanin accumulation is induced by brassinosteroids (BRs) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) shoots and shed light on the underlying regulatory mechanism. We observed that anthocyanin levels are altered considerably in BR-related mutants, and BRs induce anthocya
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