S. D'Alessandro

Characterization of antimalarial activity of artemisinin-based hybrid drugs

This study characterizes the antimalarial activity of two artemisinin-based hybrid drugs against drug-sensitive and resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites, finding that slow peroxide bond homolysis correlates with increased efficacy against resistant strains.

An SMR cell-cycle inhibitor inducible by a carotenoid metabolite resets root development and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis

This study shows that β-CCA, a carotenoid metabolite, induces SMR5 gene expression in Arabidopsis roots, leading to growth inhibition and increased drought tolerance through metabolic reprogramming.

Post-translational regulation of photosynthetic activity via the TOR kinase in plants.

The paper identifies a TOR-RSH3 signaling axis that post-translationally regulates photosynthetic activity in plants by controlling ppGpp signaling.

Broad antiviral effects of Echinacea purpurea against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and potential mechanism of action

This study evaluates the antiviral effects of Echinacea purpurea against SARS-CoV-2 variants and identifies potential mechanisms of action through molecular dynamics analysis.

Structural Maintenance of Chromosome 3 interacts with the Topoisomerase VI complex and contributes to the oxidative stress response in Arabidopsis thaliana.

This study shows that BIN4, a Topo VI subunit, interacts with AtSMC3 and both regulate singlet oxygen response genes, contributing to plant tolerance to photooxidative stress.

A ppGpp-mediated brake on photosynthesis is required for acclimation to nitrogen limitation in Arabidopsis.

This study shows that ppGpp is essential for Arabidopsis to acclimate to nitrogen limitation by remodeling photosynthesis and coordinating chloroplast-nuclear gene expression.

MoBiFC: development of a modular bimolecular fluorescence complementation toolkit for the analysis of chloroplast protein-protein interactions.

The paper develops a modular toolkit (MoBiFC) for chloroplast bimolecular fluorescence complementation and proximity labeling to study protein-protein interactions in plants.

β-cyclocitric acid: a new apocarotenoid eliciting drought tolerance in plants

This study identifies β-cyclocitric acid as a drought-tolerant signal in plants, distinct from known stress responses and conserved across species.