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Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Author Spotlight: Direct Infusion Device for Molecule Delivery in Plants
Published on: June 2, 2023
A structural biology perspective on bioactive small molecules and their plant targets
Selva Kumari1, Renier A L van der Hoorn
1Plant Chemetics Lab, Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829 Cologne, Germany.
Abstract:
Structural biology efforts in recent years have generated numerous co-crystal structures of bioactive small molecules interacting with their plant targets. These studies include the targets of various phytohormones, pathogen-derived effectors, herbicides and other bioactive compounds. Here we discuss that this collection of structures contains excellent examples of nine collective observations: molecular glues, allostery, inhibitors, molecular mimicry, promiscuous binding sites, unexpected electron densities, natural selection at atomic resolution, and applications in structure-guided mutagenesis and small molecule design.
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