Cellular Gateways: Expanding the Role of Endocytosis in Plant Development

Since demonstrating that endocytosis occurs in plants, rapid progress has been made in understanding some of the basic mechanisms and their contribution to plant growth and development. Endocytosis impacts on various plant processes including nutrient uptake, signal transduction, development, cytokinesis, polarity and tropic growth, immunity and responses to abiotic stress in plants, but the molecular mechanism of how the endocytic machinery interacts with its cargoes are largely unknown. In plants, endocytosis is exclusively studied in the context of a multicellular organism and plant cells bear some fundamental differences compared to animal cells such as having a rigid cell wall and high turgor pressure. Moreover, endocytic internalization in plants appears to occur faster than in animal cells, which together with the above differences presents more challenges for endocytosis research. This Workshop aims to bridge the existing gap in knowledge about endocytic machinery and cargoes in the plant field by bringing together leading scientists with strong interests in endocytic machinery and mechanisms and researchers involved in studies of endocytic cargoes with impact of plant development, signalling, plant-pathogen interaction and cell wall biogenesis. In addition, we will also highlight advanced imaging technologies and opportunities relevant for studies of endocytosis in plants.

Specific themes:
Molecular mechanisms of endocytosis in plants
Endocytosis and plant polarity, development and nutrient uptake
Endocytosis and plant-pathogen interactions
Endocytosis and cell wall biogenesis
Enabling technologies: quantitative imaging

The goal of the Workshop is to provide a timely forum through which laboratories involved in studying different processes relying on endocytosis share their recent data, develop and share novel imaging tools and technologies to better serve the studies of endocytosis in plant cells and establish fruitful collaborations to enable future discoveries.

This Workshop will bring together experts devoted to the mechanisms and function of endocytosis as well as researchers focussing on endocytic cargoes with a role in plant development, signal transduction, nutrient uptake, immunity and cell wall biogenesis. In addition, microscopy experts working in plant model systems will highlight novel technologies and opportunities relevant for studies of endocytosis in plants and experts working in different fields with a more advanced understanding of the process will be able to provide conceptual insights into the differences and similarities.

The Company of Biologists’ Workshops only take place three times per year, on topics that are driving forward the progress of life sciences and biomedical research. The meetings are small and intensive, taking place over 3 days with 20 invited participants, all of whom we ask to make a presentation, and a further 10 chosen from submitted applications (students and postdocs as well as junior PIs). A condition of attendance is that you are present for the full meeting, from Sunday lunchtime through to Wednesday lunchtime.