Antje Heese

Ph.D.

Associate Professor Emerita

Biochemistry - CAFNR

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.

My lab’s primary research 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 immunity. We demonstrate that these proteins, either alone or in combination, regulate the abundance of the immune receptor FLAGELLIN SENSING 2 (FLS2) and other immune proteins at the PM to ensure effective immune responses against Pseudomonas bacteria. For example, we found synergistic roles for DRP1A and DRP2B in removal of activated FLS2 from the PM and modulating immune signaling. Notably, we link ligand-induced endocytosis of FLS2 to attenuation of immune signaling. As the identified vesicular trafficking proteins are involved in trafficking events mediated by clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs), our findings underscore the importance of clathrin-mediated cargo trafficking in plant immune responses.

Additionally, we identified Arabidopsis CCV proteins involved in iron (Fe)-deficiency responses, likely 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 aims at enhancing crop yield and nutritional value to improve food security and human health.

Educational background

• Ph.D. Botany & Plant Pathology; Michigan State University, DOE-Plant Research Laboratory (PRL), East Lansing, MI (USA)
• M.S. (Diplom) in Biology, Focus: Plant Physiology, Biochemistry & Biophysics; Ruhr Universität, Bochum (Germany)

Honors and Awards

1. 2026 American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) Carnegie Winslow Briggs Mentorship Award (Apr 2026)

2. MU Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG) Community Award, University of Missouri-Columbia (MU), Columbia MO (USA) (Mar 2026)

3. Mercator Fellow, Heinrich Heine Universität, Düsseldorf (Germany) (Sep – Dec 2024)

4. 2023 MU International Engagement Award, MU (Nov 2023)

5. 2023 College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources (CAFNR) Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award, MU (Apr 2023)

6. 2021 CAFNR Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Award, MU (Apr 2022)

7. 2018 Ann K. Covington Award for Outstanding Mentoring, MU Fellowship Office (Apr 2018)

8. 2018 Outstanding Undergraduate Mentor Award, MU Office Undergrad Research (Apr 2018)

9. Outstanding Undergraduate Mentor Award, Biochemistry, MU (Apr 2015)

10. European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Long Term Fellowship, Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, England (Feb 2001- Jan 2003)

11. EMBO Short Term Fellowship, Technical University of Graz, Graz, Austria (Mar 1999)

12. Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Fellowship, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland (Oct 1998 – Sep 2000)

13. Fulbright Scholarship, Michigan State University, DOE-PRL, E. Lansing, MI, USA (Sep 1989-Aug 1990)