Endocytosis In Plants

Endocytosis is a fundamental cellular process by means of which cells internalize extracellular and plasma membrane cargos for recycling or degradation. It is important for the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity, subcellular signaling and uptake of nutrients into specialized cells, but also for plant cell interactions with pathogenic and symbiotic microbes. Endocytosis starts by vesicle formation at the plasma membrane and progresses through early and late endosomal compartments. In these endosomes cargo is sorted and it is either recycled back to the plasma membrane, or degraded in the lytic vacuole. This book presents an overview of our current knowledge of endocytosis in plants with a main focus on the key molecules undergoing and regulating endocytosis. It also provides up to date methodological approaches as well as principles of protein, structural lipid, sugar and microbe internalization in plant cells. The individual chapters describe clathrin-mediated and fluid-phase endocytosis, as well as flotillin-mediated endocytosis and internalization of microbes. The book was written for a broad spectrum of readers including students, teachers and researchers.

Endocytosis is a fundamental biological process, which is conserved among all eukaryotes. It is essential not only for many physiological and signalling processes but also for interactions between eukaryotic cells and pathogens or symbionts. This book covers all aspects of endocytosis in both lower and higher plants, including basic types of endocytosis, endocytic compartments, and molecules involved in endocytic internalization and recycling in diverse plant cell types. It provides a comparison with endocytosis in animals and yeast and discusses future prospects in this new and rapidly evolving plant research field. Readers will find an overview of the state-of-the-art methods and techniques applied in plant endocytosis research.

The transport of macromolecules in membrane bounded vesicles is a fundamental process of all eukaryotic cells. The paths taken by this vesicular traffic have been intensively researched in animal cells but are less well characterised in plant cells. Nevertheless, with the development of and combination of techniques in biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology, progress in the study of plant vesicle traffic has been achieved in recent years. This book attempts to highlight the recent advances made and to explore avenues for future research. The book opens with a general overview of vesicular traffic both in animal and plant cells. This is followed by a more detailed consideration of higher plant coated vesicles, endocytosis, exocytosis and mechanisms of vesicle traffic and transport in cells. The biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology of each is considered and particular attention is given to those specialised cell systems in which vesicle traffic is of particular importance. This book brings together expertise from a wide range of research disciplines involved in the study of vesicle traffic in plants, and, as such, provides a unique synthesis from which the research can move forward. It will be of general interest to those involved in the study of vesicle traffic in both plant and animal cells.

In this book, skilled experts provide the most up-to-date, step-by-step laboratory protocols for examining molecular machinery and biological functions of exocytosis and endocytosis in vitro and in vivo. The book is insightful to both newcomers and seasoned professionals. It offers a unique and highly practical guide to versatile laboratory tools developed to study various aspects of intracellular vesicle trafficking in simple model systems and living organisms.

The establishment of polarity is a fundamental feature in eukaryotic development. Polarity in Plants provides an account of current research into the mechanisms by which polarity is generated at the level of the cell, organ and organism in plants, drawing especially on recent work with model organisms. The emphasis is on the use of the techniques of molecular genetics to dissect molecular mechanisms. This is the first volume to bring together the diverse aspects of polarity in plant development.

The highly structured eucaryotic cell with its complex division of biochemical labour requires a distinct protein complement in each cellular structure and compartment. Nuclear coded and cytosolically synthesized polypeptides are specifically sorted to every corner of the cell in a post- or co-translational manner. The presence of separate genomes and protein translation machineries in plastids and mitochondria requires further coordination not only on the transcriptional, translational but also most likely on the protein import level. Numerous different protein transport systems have developed and coexist within plant cells to ensure the specific and selective composition of every sub-cellular compartment. This volume summarizes the current knowledge on protein trafficking in plant cells. Aside from the fundamental aspects in cell biology of how specific pre-protein sorting and translocation across biological membranes is achieved, a major focus is on transport, modification and deposition of plant storage proteins. The increasing use of plants as bioreactors to provide custom-designed proteins of different usage requires detailed understanding of these events. This text is directed not only at students and professionals in plant cell and molecular biology but also at those involved in horticulture and plant breeding. It is intended to serve as a text and guide for graduate-level courses on plant cell biology and as a valuable supplement to courses in plant physiology and development. Scientists in other disciplines who wish to learn more about protein translocation in plants will also find this text an up-to-date source of information and reference.