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Research interest:
My research focus is on receptor kinase FERONIA-mediated signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana. FERONIA, along with co-receptors LLG/LRE, perceives peptide ligands RALFs, and is involved in many aspects of a plant’s life, such as reproduction, roothair development, vegetative growth and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Previously, we have found that FER is induced by phytohormone Brassinosteroids (BRs) at the transcript level and is required for optimal plant growth (Guo et al., 2009, PNAS 106, 7648-7653). We have also established that FER phosphorylates and destabilizes MYC2, a major transcription factor in Jasmonic acid signaling pathway, to positively contribute to plant immunity (Guo et al., 2018, Curr Biol 28, 3316-3324). To gain new insights into the molecular interplay of these processes and to identify new functions of FER, we carried out quantitative transcriptome, proteome, and phosphoproteome profiling of wild-type and a loss-of- function fer mutant in Arabidopsis. Gene Ontology terms for hormone signaling, abiotic stress, and biotic stress are significantly enriched among mis-expressed transcripts, proteins, and/or mis-phosphorylated proteins, in agreement with FER’s known roles in these processes. Analysis of multi-omics data and subsequent experimental evidence revealed previously unknown functions of FER in ER (Endoplasmic Reticulum) body formation and autophagy. Furthermore, we found that a group of abscisic acid (ABA)-induced transcription factors are hypo-phosphorylated in the fer mutant and demonstrated that FER acts through ABI5 to negatively regulate ABA response during germination (Wang et al., 2022. Plant Cell; Wang et al., 2022. Frontiers in Plant Science ). Our integrated omics study therefore reveals novel functions of FER and provides new insights into the underlying mechanisms of FER function. We are currently using molecular genetics, functional genomics, single cell transcriptomics and cell type-specific gene manipulation to dissect the molecular mechanisms through which FERONIA receptor kinase regulates plant growth and stress responses.
The research is supported by NIH.
Selected publications:
Jie Tang and Hongqing Guo*. 2025.Jack of all trades: Crosstalk between FERONIA signaling and hormone pathways. Journal of Experimental Botany. Accepted.
Kai Wang, Hongqing Guo, Yanhai Yin. 2024. AP2/ERF Transcription Factors and Their Functions in Arabidopsis in response to Abiotic Stress. Environmental and Experimental Botany.
Hao Wang, Yumou Qiu, Hongqing Guo, Yanhai Yin, Peng Liu. 2024. Information-incorporated gene network construction with FDR control. Bioinformatics.
Liao CY, Y Pu, TM Nolan, C Montes, H Guo, JW Walley, Y Yin, and DC Bassham. 2023. Brassinosteroids modulate autophagy through phosphorylation of RAPTOR1B by the GSK3-like kinase BIN2 in Arabidopsis. Autophagy.
Wang P, NM Clark, TM Nolan, G Song, OG Whitham, CY Liao, C Montes-Serey, DC Bassham, JW Walley, Y Yin, H Guo* (2022) Feronia functions through Target of Rapamycin (TOR) to negatively regulate autophagy. Front Plant Sci,13:961096. (*corresponding author)
Montes C, P Wang, CY Liao, TM Nolan, G Song, NM Clark, JM Elmore, H Guo, DC Bassham, Y Yin, JW Walley. 2022. Integration of multi-omics data reveals interplay between brassinosteroid and TORC signaling in Arabidopsis. New Phytol, 236: 893–910.
Xiong, J. W., Yang, F. B., Yao, X. H., Zhao, Y. Q., Wen, Y., Lin, H. H., Guo, H. Q., Yin, Y. H., and Zhang, D. W. 2022. The deubiquitinating enzymes UBP12 and UBP13 positively regulate recovery after carbon starvation by modulating BES1 stability in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell, 34 (11): 4516-4530.
Wang P, Clark MC, Nolan TM, Song G, Bartz PM, Liao CY, Montes C, Katz E, Polko JK, Kieber JJ, Kliebenstein DJ, Bassham DC, Walley JW, Yin Y*, Guo H*. 2022. Integrated Omics Reveal Novel Functions and Underlying Mechanisms of FERONIA Receptor Kinase in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell. 34 (7): 2594-2614. (*co-corresponding author) (In Brief: https://academic.oup.com/plcell/advance-article/doi/10.1093/plcell/koac112/6569841)
Wang P, Nolan TM, Clark NM, Jiang H, Montes C. Guo H, Bassham DC, Walley JW, Yin Y. 2021. F-box E3 Ubiquitin Ligase BAF1 Mediates the Degradation of Brassinosteroid-activated Transcription Factor BES1 through Selective Autophagy in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 0:1-23
Clark NM, Nolan TM, Wang P, Song G, Montes C, Guo H, Sozzani R, Yin Y, Walley JW. 2021. Integrated omics networks reveal the temporal signaling events of brassinosteroid response in Arabidopsis. Nature Communications. 12:5858
Zhang D, Tan W, Li J, Wen Y, Guo H, Liu B, Yin Y, Lin H. 2021. BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE2 Phosphorylates GOLDEN2-LIKE1 to Modulate Brassinosteroid Responses and Photomorphogenesis during Chloroplast Development. Developmental Cell 56 (3), 310-324. e7
Guo H*, Yin, Y. 2019. Measuring protein half-life in Arabidopsis thaliana. Bio-Protocol 9 (15) : e3318. (*corresponding author)
Hansen RL, Guo H, Yin Y, Lee, YJ. 2019. High-throughput Lipid Screening Discovers Arabidopsides as Biomarkers of FERONIA in Arabidopsis thaliana. The Plant Journal. 97(2): 341-351.
Guo H*, Nolan T, Song G, Liu S, Xie, Z., Chen, J., Schnable, P., Walley, J and Yin, Y*. 2018. Feronia receptor kinase contributes to plant immunity by suppressing Jasmonic acid signaling. Current Biology. 28: 3316-3324. (* co-corresponding author) (News release: https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2018/10/24/feronia)
Nolan, T., Liu, S., Guo, H., Li, L., Schnable, S. & Yin, Y. 2017. Identification of Brassinosteroid Target Genes by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Followed by Highthroughput Sequencing (ChIPseq) and RNAseq. Method in Molecular Biology. 1564: 63-79.
Ye, H., Liu, S., Tang, B., Nolan. T., Xie, Z., Chen, J., Schulte, R., Guo, H., Li, Z., Aluru, M., Aluru, S., Schnable, P., Yin, Y. 2017. RD26 mediates the crosstalk between drought and Brassinosteroid signaling pathway. Nature Communications. 8:14753
Chockalingam, S. P., Aluru, M., Guo, H., Yin, Y., Aluru, S. 2017. Reverse Engineering Gene Networks: A Comparative Study at Genome-scale. The 8th ACM International Conference. DOI: 10.1145/3107411.3107428.
Deng XG, Zhu T, Peng XJ, Xi DH, Guo H, Yin Y, Zhang DW, Lin HH. 2016. Role of brassinosteroid signaling in modulating Tobacco mosaic virus resistance in Nicotiana benthamiana. Sci Rep. 6:20579.
Wang, X., Chen J., Xie, Z., Liu, S., Nolan, T., Ye, H., Zhang, M., Guo, H., Schnable, P.S., Li, Z. and Yin, Y. 2014. Histone Lysine Methyltransferase SDG8 Is Involved in Brassinosteroid Regulated Gene Expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Molecular Plant. 7: 1303-1315.
Zhang, D., Ye, H, Guo, H., Johnson, A., Zhang, M., Lin, H, and Yin, Y. 2014. Transcription Factor HAT1 is Phosphorylated by BIN2 Kinase and Mediates Brassinsteroid Repressed Gene Expression in Arabidopsis. Plant J. 77: 59-70.
Zhang, D., Ye, H, Guo, H., Johnson, A., Zhang, M., Lin, H, and Yin, Y. 2014. Transcription factors involved in brassinosteroid repressed gene expression and their regulation by BIN2 kinase. Plant Signal Behav. 9: e27849
Guo H, Li L, Aluru M, Aluru S, Yin Y. 2013. Mechanisms and networks for brassinosteroid regulated gene expression. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 16:545-53.
Ye, H., Li, L., Guo, H., Yin Y. 2012. MYBL2 is a substrate of GSK3-like kinase BIN2 and acts as a corepressor of BES1 in brassinosteroid signaling pathway in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 109: 20142-20147.
Yu, X., Li, L., Zola, J., Aluru, M., Ye, H., Foudree, A., Guo, H., Anderson, S., Aluru, S., Liu, P., Rodermel, S., and Yin, Y. 2011. A Brassinosteroid transcriptional network revealed by genome-wide identification of BES1 target genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J. 65: 634-646
Li, L., Ye, H, Guo, H., Yin Y. 2010. Arabidopsis IWS1 interacts with transcription factor BES1 and is involved in Brassinosteroid regulated gene expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 107:3918-3923
Guo, H, Li, L, Ye, H, Yu, X, Algreen, A, Yin Y. 2009. Three Related Receptor-Like Kinases Are Required for Optimal Cell Elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 106: 7648-7653
Guo, H., Ye, H., Li, L.,Yin Y. 2009. A family of Receptor-Like Kinases are regulated by BES1 and involved in plant growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Signaling & Behavior. 4: 784-786