The Arabidopsis SPFH protein HIR2 modulates receptor signaling and plasma membrane organization.

HIR2, a plant-specific SPFH protein in Arabidopsis, regulates receptor signaling and plasma membrane organization by affecting BAK1 mobility and clustering.

• Why it matters: Understanding how plasma membrane proteins are organized is crucial for revealing mechanisms of cell signaling and immune responses in plants, yet these principles remain unclear.
• What they did: Researchers used interaction assays, mutant phenotyping, sptPALM imaging, and structural modeling to study HIR2, discovering its role in membrane dynamics and receptor clustering.
• The result: Findings show HIR2 forms multimeric complexes that organize membrane subdomains, enabling precise receptor function and signaling, which could inform strategies to enhance plant growth and immunity.