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Large-Scale Multigenome-Wide Study Predicts the Existence of Transmembrane Phosphotransfer Proteins in Plant
Sergey N Lomin1, Wolfram G Brenner2, Ekaterina M Savelieva1
1Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya 35, 127276 Moscow, Russia.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|January 10, 2026
Summary
Researchers discovered novel transmembrane phosphotransfer proteins (TM-HPts) involved in plant cytokinin signaling. These membrane-bound proteins, found across diverse plant species, play a potential role in regulating multistep phosphorelay pathways.
Area of Science:
- Plant molecular biology
- Bioinformatics
- Cell signaling
Background:
- The multistep phosphorelay (MSP) system regulates plant phytohormone cytokinin signaling.
- Canonical phosphotransfer proteins are typically soluble, nucleo-cytosolic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discover and characterize a new class of plant phosphotransfer proteins with transmembrane domains.
- To investigate their evolutionary relationships, expression, and potential function in cytokinin signaling.
Main Methods:
- Large-scale bioinformatics analysis to identify homologs.
- Phylogenetic analysis using Bayesian methods at the DNA level.
- Transcriptomic analysis and molecular modeling (including molecular dynamics simulations).
Main Results:
- Identified 94 transmembrane phosphotransmitter (TM-HPt) homologs in 62 plant species.
- TM-HPts possess conserved HPt motifs, suggesting potential activity in MSP signaling.
- Phylogenetic analysis revealed two main groups of TM-HPts.
- Transcriptomic data confirmed gene expression, often at moderate-to-low levels, suggesting inducible/tissue-specific regulation.
- Molecular modeling supported TM domain function in membrane tethering.
Conclusions:
- Discovered a novel class of membrane-bound phosphotransfer proteins (TM-HPts) in plants.
- These TM-HPts are conserved across diverse plant lineages and potentially active in MSP signaling.
- TM-HPts may act as modulators of cytokinin signaling pathways through membrane association.
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