Associate Professor
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Education
Ph.D., Prof. Natasha Raikhel. Dept. Botany and Plant Pathology; Michigan State University (MSU), DOE-Plant Research Laboratory (PRL), East Lansing MI, USA. Nuclear pore complex proteins in plants (1992-1997)
Diplom (Master), Prof. Elmar Weiler. Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, Germany; Analysis of a modified barley lectin expressed in E. coli and transgenic Nicotiana tabacum (1986-1991)
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor, Division of Biochemistry, Univ. of Missouri-Columbia (MU), Vesicular trafficking in plant innate immunity (2009-present)
Research Assistant Professor, Division of Biochemistry, MU, Vesicular trafficking in plant innate immunity (2006-2009)
Post-doctoral fellow, Prof. Jonathan Jones. Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, GB. Syntaxin phosphorylation during Avr9/Cf-9 defense signaling (2001–2004)
Post-doctoral fellow, Prof. Howard Riezman. Biochemistry; Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland. Requirement of sterols in yeast endocytosis (1998-2000)
Research Interest: My lab studies the role(s) of vesicular trafficking in plant innate immunity using the Arabidopsis receptor kinase FLS2- bacterial flagellin (flg22) as a model system. FLS2 must be present at the PM to perceive apoplastic flg22, implicating that PM-localization of FLS2 and initiation of flg22-signaling must require functional secretory and endocytic pathways. My lab focusses on identifying and characterizing vesicle components with novel roles in flg22-signaling, trafficking and innate immunity against Pseudomonas syringae using a combination of biochemical, cell biological, proteomic, genetic and live-cell imaging approaches.
Selected Publications
1. Smith JM et al. (2014). Loss of the Arabidopsis vesicular trafficking protein Dynamin-Related Protein 2B reveals separation of innate immune signaling pathways. PLOS Pathogens 10(12): e1004578.
2. Smith JM et al. (2014). Sensitivity to flg22 is modulated by ligand-induced degradation and de novo synthesis of the endogenous flagellin-receptor FLS2. Plant Physiology 164: 440-454
3. Korasick D et al (2010). Novel functions of Stomatal Cytokinesis-Defective 1 (SCD1) in innate immune responses against bacteria. J. Biological Chemistry 285:23342-50
Sunday, August 6, 2023
1:30 PM EDT
Sunday, August 6, 2023
1:33 PM – 1:53 PM EDT