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GDCB Seminar — 'Novel insights into the mechanism of secondary plasmodesmata formation revealed by studies with plant viruses'

Mar 10, 2020 - 4:10 PM
to Mar 10, 2020 - 5:00 PM
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Tessa Burch-Smith, associate professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Speaker: Tessa Burch-Smith, associate professor in Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Title: "Novel insights into the mechanism of secondary plasmodesmata formation revealed by studies with plant viruses"

Abstract: Plasmodesmata (PD) are membrane-bound cytoplasmic bridges that span plant cell walls to form direct connections between neighboring cells. They are essential for plant growth, development and defense, as they allow metabolite exchange and signaling between cells. PD can form in already existing cell walls, allowing communication across tissues, as in between cell files in roots, and the epidermis and mesophyll in leaves. The mechanisms mediating the addition of these so-called secondary PD to existing cell walls remain elusive. While PD are essential to plant survival, they also serve as direct routes for the cell-to-cell spread of plant viruses during infection. Plant viruses are known to increase trafficking through PD in a process referred to as gating. Gating increases PD permeability, allowing viral genomes in association with host and viral proteins to move from infected to uninfected cells. Gating also increases the intercellular trafficking of fluorescent dyes and proteins used as markers for PD function. Using a combination of advanced imaging approaches, we have recently made significant progress into understanding the mechanisms of both gating and secondary PD formation. Our data reveal that one mechanism of gating is the induction of secondary plasmodesmata, reiterating that plant viruses are adept at manipulating plant developmental programs for their success.

Host: Joe Aung, GDCB assistant professor

Please join us for refreshments before the seminar outside Room 1414 of the Molecular Biology Building.