AmirAli Toghani

Research

1. Phylogenomics of Plant Immune Receptors

Plants have a variety of immune receptors that detect pathogen invasions and provide immunity. These receptors can be located on the cell surface, such as leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases (LRR-RKs), or within the cytoplasm, like nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs). My research focuses on the diversity and evolution of plant NLR and LRR-RK immune receptors at both interspecies and intraspecies levels [1,2].

Figure 1

Phylogenetics of NLR networks. Contreras et al., 2023. DOI: 10.15252/embr.202357495

2. Sequence Motifs and Diversification of Plant CC-type NLRs

Immune receptors often contain conserved sequence patterns essential for their functions, known as sequence motifs. One example is the N-terminal MADA motif found in approximately 20% of plant CC-NLRs [3]. My research focuses on examining the conservation and diversification of these sequence motifs across various NLR lineages [4,5].

Figure 2

The NRC homodimerization interface has diversified throughout the evolution of NRC clade. Selvaraj et al., 2024. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002868

3. Computational Structural Biology

Recent advances in structural modelling have enabled high-throughput computational structural analysis of plant immune receptors. My research focuses on studying the stoichiometry of activated and resting-state plant NLRs through structural modelling and analysis [6].

Figure 3

AlphaFold 3 can predict a high-confidence lipid-bound NbNRC2 resistosome. Madhuprakash et al., 2024. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr2594

References

1. Torres-Ascurra et al., Functional diversification of a wild potato immune receptor at its center of origin. 2023.

2. Lüdke et al., A root-specific NLR network confers resistance to plant parasitic nematodes. 2023.

3. Adachi et al., An N-terminal motif in NLR immune receptors is functionally conserved across distantly related plant species. 2019.

4. Sakai et al., Phylogenomics of Plant NLR Immune Receptors to Identify Functionally Conserved Sequence Motifs. 2024.

5. Selvaraj et al., Activation of plant immunity through conversion of a helper NLR homodimer into a resistosome. 2024.

6. Madhuprakash et al., A disease resistance protein triggers oligomerization of its NLR helper into a hexameric resistosome to mediate innate immunity. 2024.