Think vacuoles are just plant cell dumpsters? Think again.
They sense. They signal. They reshape. They fight back! ⚔️

Vacuoles are emerging as central hubs for plant resilience and adaptation. 🌱

@plantophagy.bsky.social and I unpack it all in our new review. Check it out!

🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.pb...

For the first time in plants, we used APEX-based electron microscopy to map the precise localization of ATG8 at the vacuolar membrane after stress! 🚀

Pushing the boundaries of plant cell biology—one EM image at a time. ⚡👀

#PlantScience #ElectronMicroscopy #Autophagy #Vacuole #NaturePlants

We found that the key autophagy protein ATG8 gets conjugated to the vacuolar membrane (tonoplast), acting as a safeguard for vacuolar integrity—and, by extension, cellular survival. 🛡️

This is the first evidence of a vacuolar quality control (VQC) mechanism! Check out the figure below. 👇

I'm very happy to receive this prize! Thanks to Professor Byung-Ho and the #plantproteolysis2025 committee for awarding my poster at #GRC.

Just starting the Autophagy session at Plant Proteolysis meeting with an introduction into the field by @plantophagy.bsky.social #GRC

Getting close to Luca (Toscana) for the GRC in Plant Proteolysis!