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Maurice König

@maukoe.bsky.social
81 followers 102 following 13 posts

Postdoctoral researcher Plant microbe interactions AG Döhlemann University of Cologne

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Maurice König @maukoe.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Very happy to see our Zip1 work highlighted in Plant Physiology 🌽 Sequential proteolysis across compartments can shape where, when and in which form peptide signals act. Thanks to @mamoonakhan.bsky.social for the insightful highlight! academic.oup.com/plphys/artic...
academic.oup.com
A tale of 2 realms: spatial processing of the maize phytocytokine Zip1
Plants rely on sophisticated cell-to-cell communication to perceive environmental changes and coordinate appropriate responses. Among the signalling molecu
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Maurice König @maukoe.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Very happy to share our new paper in Plant Physiology! 🌽 We uncover a 2-step mechanism controlling maize phytocytokine Zip1: ZmMC9 processes PROZIP1 intracellularly, enabling export of bioactive Ct-PROZIP1, while apoplastic proteases attenuate the signal. doi.org/10.1093/plph...
Schematic model of the two-step processing and regulation of the maize phytocytokine PROZIP1/Zip1. Intracellularly, PROZIP1 associates with the ER and is cleaved by the Ca²⁺-dependent type II metacaspase ZmMC9, generating the C-terminal fragment Ct-PROZIP1. This bioactive fragment is exported to the apoplast through a Golgi-independent route, where it activates immune signaling. In a second step, apoplastic proteases, including the papain-like cysteine proteases CP1 and CP2, further process and degrade Ct-PROZIP1 and Zip1, thereby attenuating and clearing the signal.
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Maurice König @maukoe.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Happy to be part of this collaborative work from the Zuccaro lab 🌱 Prion-like fungal PEPSI effectors target plastids and modulate host metabolism during root symbiosis, including the PEPSI6–DXR interaction. PEPSI6 also connects to phytocytokine biology through possible CAP/CAPE-like processing.
biorxiv.org
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Reposted by Maurice König
Botany One @botany.one · 16/05/2026
Science Shared: May 16 www.botany.one/science-shar... This week: hybrids everywhere, plasmodesmata in many places, and more. #Botany #PlantScience
botany.one
Science Shared: May 16
This week: hybrids everywhere, plasmodesmata in many places, and more.
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Maurice König @maukoe.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
An immune signal can hide inside a precursor protein. 🌱 Phytocytokines are cut free by proteases - from proteins with related, unrelated, or unclear functions. The challenge: predicting which protease acts where, when, and at which site. Read more in our review: doi.org/10.1111/tpj....
doi.org
Processing and release of endogenous immunogenic peptide signals
Plant endogenous peptides, termed phytocytokines, coordinate immune responses and mediate intercellular communication within and across plant tissues. While an expanding repertoire of ligands, recept...
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Maurice König @maukoe.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
One highlight from our review: peptide signals can be copied or rerouted to redirect plant responses. 🌱 Bacteria, fungi and nematodes tap into phytocytokine pathways via mimics or altered release - steering infection, colonization and symbiosis. Read more about it here: doi.org/10.1111/tpj....
doi.org
Processing and release of endogenous immunogenic peptide signals
Plant endogenous peptides, termed phytocytokines, coordinate immune responses and mediate intercellular communication within and across plant tissues. While an expanding repertoire of ligands, recept...
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Maurice König @maukoe.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Plants use immunogenic peptides to coordinate immunity. Pathogens can mimic them to hijack defense. 🌱 We compare phytocytokines with animal cytokines and ask how these signals are made, released, mimicked, and controlled in space and time. doi.org/10.1111/tpj....
Conceptual comparison of animal cytokine and plant phytocytokine signaling ranges, from cell-autonomous/local action to systemic communication.
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Reposted by Maurice König
MadFungi @madfungi.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Thank you to @izzysaurlab.bsky.social, @teamthomma.bsky.social, and their teams for hosting our next two MadFungi workshops, "Expression in Barley Protoplasts" and "Expression of Antimicrobial Proteins," at @unicologne.bsky.social. It was a great week with all of our MadFungi PhD candidates! 🍄
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Reposted by Maurice König
bioRxiv Plant Bio @biorxiv-plants.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Spatial organization of plant defense at the infection front www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Reposted by Maurice König
bioRxiv Plant Bio @biorxiv-plants.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Metabolic Engineering Boosts Strigolactone Production in Nicotiana benthamiana and Uncovers a Novel P450 Function www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Reposted by Maurice König
bioRxiv Plant Bio @biorxiv-plants.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Plant-parasitic nematodes produce functional mimics of plant PSK peptides to facilitate parasitism www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Maurice König @maukoe.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Have you ever wondered how phytocytokines are transported to the extracellular space and which factors regulate this process? We elucidated this mechanism for the maize-specific phytocytokine Zip1. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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Maurice König @maukoe.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Here, we dissect the processing and release mechanism of the maize phytocytokine Zip1. Our results reveal a two-step mechanism of phytocytokine processing, translocation, activation and clearance. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
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Reposted by Maurice König
bioRxiv Plant Bio @biorxiv-plants.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Processing and release of the maize phytocytokine Zip1 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202…
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Reposted by Maurice König
Johana Misas Villamil @jomivi.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Happy to share our last preprint where we discovered a two step mechanism for the release of the maize signaling peptide Zip1. A “two - factor authentication”. Enjoy the reading! 👇
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Reposted by Maurice König
bioRxiv Plant Bio @biorxiv-plants.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Non-invasive imaging of salicylic and jasmonic acid activities in planta www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202…
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Reposted by Maurice König
Team Thomma @teamthomma.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Today we celebrate a wide diversity in plant sciences at the Symposium of our institute at @unicologne.bsky.social with support from @ceplas.bsky.social & @trr341.bsky.social #PlantScience
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Reposted by Maurice König
MadFungi @madfungi.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
The MadFungi🍄 research unit funded by @dfg.de kicked off this week with our meeting in Cologne @unicologne.bsky.social. We're excited to see what great science we'll achieve over the next four years.
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