Antje Heese

Research

My lab focuses on elucidating the roles of vesicular trafficking in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress, with the goal of improving plant yield and nutritional value. Plants use a dynamic vesicular trafficking network to regulate the protein composition of the plasma membrane (PM) in response to environmental stress.

Our primary research project integrates plant-pathogen interactions with cell biology to uncover the physiological roles of vesicular trafficking proteins in plant immunity. Through interdisciplinary approaches, we have identified novel functions of dynamin-related proteins (DRPs), epsin, and clathrin components in plant defense. We demonstrate that these proteins, either alone or in combination, regulate immune receptor FLAGELLIN SENSING 2 (FLS2) and other immune proteins at the PM to ensure effective defense responses against pathogenic Pseudomonas bacteria. Specifically, we found synergistic roles for DRP1A and DRP2B in endocytosis of activated FLS2 and its attenuation of immune signaling. Notably, we link ligand-induced endocytosis of activated immune receptor FLS2 to attenuation of immune signaling. These proteins are involved in trafficking events mediated by clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs), highlighting the importance of clathrin-mediated cargo trafficking in plant immune responses.

Additionally, we recently identified Arabidopsis CCV proteins involved in iron (Fe)-deficiency responses, potentially by regulating communication between Fe-sensing sites in leaves and Fe-uptake in root epidermis. Given the global reliance on plants for food and dietary Fe, our long-term goal is to enhance crop yield and nutritional value to improve food security and human health.

Awards & Honors

• Recipient, 2023 CAFNR-Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award, MU (April 2023)
• Recipient, 2021 CAFNR-Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Award, MU (Spring 2022)
• Ann K. Covington Award for Outstanding Mentoring, Univ. of Missouri (April 2018)
• Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, Univ. of Missouri (April 2018)
• Mentor for four “American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB)- Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF)” students (Summers 2014, 2016, 2022, 2023)
• Outstanding Undergraduate Mentor Award – Biochemistry, Univ. of Missouri (April 2015)
• EMBO Long Term Fellowship, Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, England (Feb. 2001- Jan. 2003)
• Human Frontier Science Program Fellowship, Biozentrum, Univ. of Basel, Basel, Switzerland (Oct. 1998 – Sep. 2000)
• EMBO Short Term Fellowship, Technical Univ. of Graz, Graz, Austria (March 1999)
• Fulbright Scholarship, Michigan State University, DOE-PRL, East Lansing, USA (Sep. 1989 – Aug. 1990)