Aleksandra Skirycz

Professor
Aleksandra Skirycz
as4258@cornell.edu
Lab Number: 210
Office number: 205
Research Overview

Small-molecule regulatory networks – from interactions to function

Small-molecule Regulatory Network

The Small-molecule Regulatory Networks group aims to uncover the function of small molecules. We are especially interested in identifying and characterizing the functionality of metabolites acting at the nexus of metabolism and growth under control (health) and stress (disease) conditions. The group works primarily with Arabidopsis and yeast, but we don’t shy away from other model and non-model organisms. The long-term goal of our research is to apply our findings to improve plant and animal health.

Living organisms are outstanding organic chemists, producing diverse small-molecule compounds that cover vast structural and functional diversity. These compounds – called metabolites – are central to all biological processes, from structural elements and energy sources, to regulators and signals. Not surprisingly, natural compounds constitute an essential source of drugs and agrochemicals. Yet, the metabolome remains largely terra incognita.

Why the mystery? First of all, we do not understand the full chemical complexity of even well-studied model organisms. Secondly, we often do not understand the function of the metabolites we do know, while new roles are constantly being assigned to central compounds such as amino acids and sugars.

How do you identify the function of a metabolite? Small molecules rarely work on their own but rather via interactions with proteins. Thus, following the proverbial “tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are,” identification of protein interactors can be used to unravel the function of a metabolite.

How do you identify metabolite–protein interactions? To gain insight into the function of small molecules, the Small-molecule Regulatory Networks group uses a unique experimental toolbox, which enables metabolite–protein–protein interaction studies on a cell-wide scale and in near-in vivo conditions. We combine classical biochemistry with state-of-the-art mass spectrometry metabolomic and proteomic methods, and use computational tools to generate and mine metabolite–protein interaction networks.

The group originated at the Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Golm, Germany, where it will continue as a partner guest group until March 2022. https://www.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/2218806/skirycz

Proteinogenic dipeptides, an emerging class of small-molecule regulators
2023.
Minen, R.I., Thirumalaikumar, V.P., Skirycz, Aleksandra
Current Opinion in Plant Biology.
75
:
Protein interactome of 3′,5′-cAMP reveals its role in regulating the actin cytoskeleton
2023.
Figueroa, N.E., Franz, P., Luzarowski, M., Martinez-Seidel, F., Moreno, J.C., Childs, D., Ziemblicka, A., Sampathkumar, A., Andersen, T.G., Tsiavaliaris, G., Chodasiewicz, M., Skirycz, Aleksandra
The Plant Journal.
115
:
1214–1230
Grafting systems for plant cadmium research: Insights for basic plant physiology and applied mitigation
2023.
Marques, D.N., Mason, C., Stolze, S.C., Harzen, A., Nakagami, H., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Piotto, F.A., Azevedo, R.A.
Science of The Total Environment.
892
:
Stress-related biomolecular condensates in plants
2023.
Solis-Miranda, J., Chodasiewicz, M., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Fernie, A.R., Moschou, P.N., Bozhkov, P.V., Gutierrez-Beltran, E.
:
Hello darkness, my old friend: 3-KETOACYL-COENZYME A SYNTHASE4 is a branch point in the regulation of triacylglycerol synthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana
2023.
Luzarowska, U., Ruß, A.K., Joubès, J., Batsale, M., Szymański, J., Thirumalaikumar, V.P., Luzarowski, M., Wu, S., Zhu, F., Endres, N., Khedhayir, S., Schumacher, J., Jasinska, W., Xu, K., Cordoba, S.M.C., Weil, S., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Fernie, A.R., Li-Beisson, Y., Fusari, C.M., Brotman, Y.
Oxford Academic.
:
Metabolism of crown tissue is crucial for drought tolerance and recovery after stress cessation in Lolium/Festuca forage grasses.
2023.
Perlikowski, D., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Marczak, Ł., Lechowicz, K., Augustyniak, A., Michaelis, Ä., Kosmala, A.
J Exp Bot..
74
:
396–414
Don’t let go – co-fractionation mass spectrometry for untargeted mapping of protein-metabolite interactomes
2022.
Schlossarek, D., Zhang, Y., Sokolowska, E.M., Fernie, A.R., Luzarowski, M., Skirycz, Aleksandra
Plant J..
113
:
904–914
Composition and function of stress granules and P-bodies in plants
2022.
Kearly, A., Nelson, Andrew D.L., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Chodasiewicz, M.
Semin Cell Dev Biol..
:
Rewiring of the protein-protein-metabolite interactome during the diauxic shift in yeast.
2022.
Schlossarek, D., Luzarowski, M., Sokołowska, E.M., Thirumalaikumar, V.P., Dengler, L., Willmitzer, L., Ewald, J.C., Skirycz, Aleksandra
Cell Mol Life Sci..
79
:
550
OPDA, more than just a jasmonate precursor.
2022.
Jimenez Aleman, G.H., Thirumalaikumar, V.P., Jander, Georg, Fernie, A.R., Skirycz, Aleksandra
Phytochemistry.
:
The diversity of quinoa morphological traits and seed metabolic composition
2022.
Tabatabaei, I., Alseekh, S., Shahid, M., Leniak, E., Wagner, M., Mahmoudi, H., Thushar, S., Fernie, A.R., Murphy, K.M., Schmöckel, S.M., Tester, M., Mueller-Roeber, B., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Balazadeh, S.
Sci Data.
9
:
323
Identification and functional annotation of long intergenic non-coding RNAs in Brassicaceae.
2022.
Palos, K., Nelson Dittrich, A.C., Yu, L., Brock, J.R., Railey, C.E., Wu, H.L., Sokolowska, E., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Hsu, P.Y., Gregory, B.D., Lyons, E., Beilstein, M.A., Nelson, Andrew D.L.
Plant Cell..
:
Past accomplishments and future challenges of the multi-omics characterization of leaf growth.
2022.
Skirycz, Aleksandra, Fernie, A.R.
Plant Physiol..
:
Regulation of Plant Primary Metabolism–How Results From Novel Technologies Are Extending Our Understanding From Classical Targeted Approaches
2022.
Skirycz, Aleksandra, Caldana, C., Fernie, A.R.
Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences.
:
A manipulation of carotenoid metabolism influence biomass partitioning and fitness in tomato
2022.
Mi, J., Vallarino, J.G., Petřík, I., Novák, O., Correa, S.M., Chodasiewicz, M., Havaux, M., Rodriguez-Concepcion, M., Al-Babili, S., Fernie, A.R., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Moreno, J.C.
Metab Eng..
70
:
166–180
2′,3′-cAMP treatment mimics the stress molecular response in Arabidopsis thaliana
2022.
Chodasiewicz, M., Kerber, O., Gorka, M., Moreno, J.C., Maruri-Lopez, I., Minen, R.I., Sampathkumar, A., Nelson, Andrew D.L., Skirycz, Aleksandra
Plant Physiol..
:
The AtMYB60 transcription factor regulates stomatal opening by modulating oxylipin synthesis in guard cells
2022.
Simeoni, F., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Simoni, L., Castorina, G., de Souza, L.P., Fernie, A.R., Alseekh, S., Giavalisco, P., Conti, L., Tonelli, C., Galbiati, M.
Sci Rep.
12
:
533
The Role of Triacylglycerol in the Protection of Cells Against Lipotoxicity Under Drought in Lolium multiflorum/Festuca arundinacea Introgression Forms.
2022.
Perlikowski, D., Lechowicz, K., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Michaelis, Ä., Pawłowicz, I., Kosmala, A.
Plant Cell Physiol..
pcac003
:
Combination of network and molecule structure accurately predicts competitive inhibitory interactions
2021.
Razaghi-Moghadam, Z., Sokolowska, E.M., Sowa, M.A., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Nikoloski, Z.
Comput Struct Biotechnol J..
19
:
2170–2178
Proteogenic Dipeptides Are Characterized by Diel Fluctuations and Target of Rapamycin Complex-Signaling Dependency in the Model Plant Arabidopsis thaliana
2021.
Calderan-Rodrigues, M.J. Luzarowski, M., Monte-Bello, C.C., Minen, R.I., Zühlke, B.M., Nikoloski, Z., Skirycz, Aleksandra, Caldana, C.
Front Plant Sci..
12
:
758933
Ligand identification by co-fractionation
Aleksandra Skirycz
US Patent: 10,976,310

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