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Plant Science and Agronomy
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Plant Science and Agronomy

D-Index
118
Citations
73969
World Ranking
74
National Ranking
24

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in United States Leader Award
  • 2018 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 2002 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

Richard D. Vierstra is affiliated with Washington University in St. Louis in the United States. Their research primarily spans several interconnected fields including Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Agricultural and Biological Sciences, and Medicine. Within these, their work emphasizes Molecular Biology, Plant Science, Epidemiology, Cell Biology, and Ecology.

The scientist's research focuses on a range of topics centering on cellular and molecular mechanisms, notably:

  • Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
  • Ubiquitin and proteasome pathways
  • Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Disease
  • Light effects on plants
  • Plant Molecular Biology Research
  • Cellular transport and secretion

Vierstra has contributed numerous publications to several frequent venues, including:

  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • eLife
  • The Plant Cell
  • Cell Reports
  • Journal of Cell Science

Significant recent papers authored include:

  • "Selective autophagy regulates heat stress memory in Arabidopsis by NBR1-mediated targeting of HSP90.1 and ROF1" (2020, Autophagy)
  • "Reticulon proteins modulate autophagy of the endoplasmic reticulum in maize endosperm" (2020, eLife)
  • "Autophagy Plays Prominent Roles in Amino Acid, Nucleotide, and Carbohydrate Metabolism during Fixed-Carbon Starvation in Maize" (2020, The Plant Cell)
  • "Plant phytochrome B is an asymmetric dimer with unique signalling potential" (2022, Nature)
  • "AUTOPHAGY-RELATED14 and Its Associated Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Complex Promote Autophagy in Arabidopsis" (2020, The Plant Cell)

The scientist has worked collaboratively with several frequent coauthors, including Fionn McLoughlin, Richard S. Marshall, Faqiang Li, Marisa S. Otegui, and Kuo-En Chen.

Vierstra's contributions have been recognized through awards such as their election as a Member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2018 and being named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2002.

Best Publications

  • Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

    Daniel J. Klionsky;Amal Kamal Abdel-Aziz;Sara Abdelfatah;Mahmoud Abdellatif

  • Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy

    Daniel J. Klionsky;Fabio C. Abdalla;Hagai Abeliovich;Robert T. Abraham

  • Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

    Daniel J. Klionsky;Kotb Abdelmohsen;Akihisa Abe;Joynal Abedin

  • The HPV-16 E6 and E6-AP complex functions as a ubiquitin-protein ligase in the ubiquitination of p53

    Martin Scheffner;Jon M. Huibregtse;Richard D. Vierstra;Peter M. Howley

  • Genome sequencing and analysis of the model grass Brachypodium distachyon

    John P. Vogel;David F. Garvin;Todd C. Mockler;Jeremy Schmutz

  • The ubiquitin 26S proteasome proteolytic pathway

    Jan Smalle;Richard D. Vierstra

  • The ubiquitin–26S proteasome system at the nexus of plant biology

    Richard D. Vierstra

  • Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

    Daniel J. Klionsky;Kotb Abdelmohsen;Akihisa Abe;Joynal Abedin

  • Phytochrome B integrates light and temperature signals in Arabidopsis

    Martina Legris;Cornelia Klose;E. Sethe Burgie;Cecilia Costigliolo Rojas Rojas

  • The F-box subunit of the SCF E3 complex is encoded by a diverse superfamily of genes in Arabidopsis

    Jennifer M. Gagne;Brian P. Downes;Shin-Han Shiu;Adam M. Durski

  • The ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway, the complex last chapter in the life of many plant proteins

    Richard D. Vierstra

  • The APG8/12-activating enzyme APG7 is required for proper nutrient recycling and senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Jed H. Doelling;Joseph M. Walker;Eric M. Friedman;Allison R. Thompson

  • Autophagic Nutrient Recycling in Arabidopsis Directed by the ATG8 and ATG12 Conjugation Pathways

    Allison R. Thompson;Jed H. Doelling;Anongpat Suttangkakul;Richard D. Vierstra

  • A light-sensing knot revealed by the structure of the chromophore-binding domain of phytochrome

    Jeremiah R. Wagner;Joseph S. Brunzelle;Katrina T. Forest;Richard D. Vierstra

  • The Cullin-RING Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases

    Zhihua Hua;Richard D. Vierstra

  • Autophagy: The Master of Bulk and Selective Recycling.

    Richard S. Marshall;Richard D. Vierstra

  • The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protein modification system in Arabidopsis. Accumulation of SUMO1 and -2 conjugates is increased by stress.

    Jasmina Kurepa;Joseph M. Walker;Jan Smalle;Mark M. Gosink

  • Proteolysis in plants: mechanisms and functions.

    Richard D. Vierstra

  • Arabidopsis EIN3-binding F-box 1 and 2 form ubiquitin-protein ligases that repress ethylene action and promote growth by directing EIN3 degradation.

    Jennifer M. Gagne;Jan Smalle;Derek J. Gingerich;Joseph M. Walker

  • The multiubiquitin-chain-binding protein Mcb1 is a component of the 26S proteasome in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and plays a nonessential, substrate-specific role in protein turnover.

    S van Nocker;S Sadis;D M Rubin;M Glickman

  • Soluble, highly fluorescent variants of green fluorescent protein (GFP) for use in higher plants.

    Seth J. Davis;Richard D. Vierstra

Frequent Co-Authors

Marisa S. Otegui
Marisa S. Otegui University of Wisconsin–Madison
Seth J. Davis
Seth J. Davis University of York
Lloyd M. Smith
Lloyd M. Smith University of Wisconsin–Madison
Sergio Lavandero
Sergio Lavandero University of Chile
Jorge J. Casal
Jorge J. Casal University of Buenos Aires
Evelina Gatti
Evelina Gatti Aix-Marseille University
Michael H. Glickman
Michael H. Glickman Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Daniel Finley
Daniel Finley Harvard University
Beth Levine
Beth Levine The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Peter H. Quail
Peter H. Quail University of California, Berkeley

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