Our research focuses on the role of protein degradation in light-controlled development of Arabidopsis thaliana. Our studies include the analysis of seedling deetiolation, leaf shape and photoperiodic regulation of flowering time. Within CEPLAS, we are interested in the development of a C4-type leaf as well as in the role of light in the differentiation of the C4 syndrome and perennialism.

1. Ponnu J, Riedel T, Penner E, Schrader A, Hoecker U (2019) Cryptochrome 2 competes with COP1 substrates to repress COP1 ubiquitin ligase activity during Arabidopsis photomorphogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1909181116.
2. Sharma A, Sharma B, Hayes S, Kerner K, Hoecker U, Jenkins GI, Franklin KA (2019) UVR8 disrupts stabilisation of PIF5 by COP1 to inhibit plant stem elongation in sunlight. Nat Commun 10(1):4417. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12369-1.
3. Artz O, Dickopf S, Ranjan A, Kreiss M, Abraham ET, Boll V, Rensing SA, Hoecker U (2019) Characterization of spa mutants in the moss Physcomitrella provides evidence for functional divergence of SPA genes during the evolution of land plants. New Phytol. doi: 10.1111/nph.16004.
4. Holtkotte X, Ponnu J, Ahmad M, Hoecker U (2017) The blue light-induced interaction of cryptochrome 1 with COP1 requires SPA proteins during Arabidopsis light signaling. PLoS Genet 13(10):e1007044. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007044.
5. Balcerowicz M, Kerner K, Schenkel C, Hoecker U (2017) SPA Proteins Affect the Subcellular Localization of COP1 in the COP1/SPA Ubiquitin Ligase Complex during Photomorphogenesis. Plant Physiol 174(3):1314-1321. doi: 10.1104/pp.17.00488.

Interview at CEPLAS Faces