Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header

Endocytic logistics of defense signaling in plants

Project description

The role of endosomal signaling in plant immunity

Cells communicate with their environment through chemical signals that bind to receptors on the cell surface and initiate a cascade of intracellular events. Ligand binding also triggers the internalisation of receptors into the endosomal system, where they continue to signal, leading to distinct cellular responses. The EU-funded ENDOLOGISTIC project proposes to investigate how endosomal signaling is implicated in plant immune responses. Researchers will employ a multidisciplinary approach to identify the components of the signaling pathway and provide important information on the role of the endosomal system in plant physiology.

Objective

Cells sense extracellular signals via their surface localized transmembrane receptor kinases. Although long regarded as a conduit for cell surface receptor degradation or recycling, the endosomal system is also an essential site for signal transduction. Say endosomes are the logistics platforms for receptors, activated receptors accumulate in endosomes, and certain signaling components are exclusively localized to endosomes. Receptors can continue to transmit signals from endosomes that are different from those that arise from the plasma membrane, resulting in distinct physiological responses. In mammals, endosomal signaling was demonstrated for many receptor families including receptor tyrosine kinases, G‐protein‐coupled receptors and toll‐like receptors. Unlike mammals, the mechanisms of endosomal signaling in plants are unknown. Recent study of the immune receptor PEPR1 that perceives the endogenous peptide Pep1, showed that endocytosis is required for mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation after elicitation with Pep1. However, because MAPK activation occurs faster than the endocytosis of the main receptor it raised the question if endocytosis of so far unknown signaling components is required for Pep1-elicited immune responses. In ENDOLOGISTIC, I aim to identify those components. To reach this goal, I will perform proteomics and phosphoproteomics analyses on isolated endosomes after elicitation with Pep1. This will enabled me to map and to correlate endosomal-specific phosphorylation with changes in subcellular protein distribution. Furthermore, I will employ the proximity labelling method to identify components of both the PEPR1 signaling complex and endosomal or autophagy machinery. In ENDOLOGISTIC I will combine my expertise in immunity with state -of- the -art proteomics, live cell imaging and genome-editing techniques available at the host institute to further advance our understanding of how endocytosis controls immunity in plants.

Coordinator

VIB VZW
Net EU contribution
€ 178 320,00
Address
SUZANNE TASSIERSTRAAT 1
9052 ZWIJNAARDE - GENT
Belgium

See on map

Region
Vlaams Gewest Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen Arr. Gent
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
€ 178 320,00