CHRISTOPHER STAIGER

Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences
10% Biological Sciences, 90% Botany and Plant Pathology
Department Head, Botany and Plant Pathology
765-496-1769
HANS 335
staiger@purdue.edu

Associated website(s):

Lab Website , Motility Group , Publications

PROFESSIONAL FACULTY RESEARCH

(Plant cell/developmental biology) Cytoskeletal function during plant development and cellular morphogenesis; cytoskeletal response to environmental signals and host-cell response to microbes.

BIO

The cytoskeleton of actin filaments and microtubules is a dynamic framework that powers intracellular movements, executes cell division, organizes the cytoplasm, and transmits signals from the extracellular environment. How cells build different cytoskeletal structures in the same cytoplasm and who are the key molecular players that organize the cytoskeleton remain poorly understood. Our laboratory investigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin cytoskeletal dynamics in living plant cells. We pioneered the use of quantitative image analysis, high spatial and temporal resolution fluorescence microscopy, and reverse-genetic approaches to test a model for the role of actin-binding proteins in dynamic actin filament remodeling.

Plants and plant cells are unable to migrate or move to avoid attack by microbes or eukaryotic pests. We also explore how the cytoskeleton perceives and transduces signals during the plant innate immune response. Our research leverages powerful genetic tools associated with the Arabidopsis-Pseudomonas pathosystem and combines these with advanced imaging and quantitative cell biology approaches to discover new signaling pathways associated with biotic stress.

See complete citation record at https://scholar.google.com/cit...

Education

Ph.D., California, Berkeley, 1990

Professional Faculty Research

(Plant cell/developmental biology) Cytoskeletal function during plant development and cellular morphogenesis; cytoskeletal response to environmental signals and host-cell response to microbes.

Awards

University Faculty Scholar, Purdue University (2000-2005)
Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, Bonn, Germany (2001)
Seeds For Success, Purdue University (2006; 2010; 2011; 2017; 2021)
TEAM Award, Purdue College of Agriculture (2014)
Purdue College of Science Research Award (2015)
Fellow, American Society of Plant Biologists (2014)
Founding Member, ASPB Legacy Society (2016)

Grants

NSF-Biological Integration Institute : EMBRIO: Emergent Mechanisms in Biology of Robustness, Integration and Organization (co-PI and Deputy Director)
NSF-MCB: The catalytic activity and subcellular trafficking of plant cellulose synthase complexes
BARD: Developing new rooting enhancers and strategies for root regeneration from cuttings of pecan (Carya illinoinensis)

Other Activities

Editorial Boards

The Plant Cell, co-editor (2005–2015)
Cytoskeleton, editorial board member (2010-present)
Frontiers in Plant Science, associate editor (2013-present)
Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, co-editor (2015-present)
Molecular Plant, associate editor (2015-present)

Conferences

XIV Cell Wall Meeting, Chania, Crete, June 12-17, 2016. Invited talk: "Actin and myosins XI are involved in trafficking of cellulose synthase complexes in Arabidopsis ."
XVII International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (XVII IS-MPMI 2016), Portland, OR, July 17-21st, 2016. Co-chair session on "Cell Biology of Interactions" and give invited talk: "Cytoskeletal dynamics during the innate immune response of Arabidopsis ."
5th Pan-American Congress on Plants and BioEnergy, Santa Fe, NM, August 4-7th, 2016. Invited talk: "Myosins XI are involved in trafficking of cellulose synthase complexes in Arabidopsis ."
Gordon Research Conference, Plant and Microbial Cytoskeleton, Proctor Academy, Andover, NH, August 14-19, 2016. Keynote speaker: “Live-cell imaging reveals mechanisms of single actin filament turnover in plants".
253rd American Chemical Society (ACS) Meeting, CELL Division, San Francisco, CA. April 2-6, 2017. Invited talk: "Myosins XI are involved in cellulose synthase complex dynamics and delivery."
22 ^nd Plant Biology Symposium and 7 ^th Midwest Plant Cell Dynamics Meeting. Penn State University, June 18-21 ^st , 2019. Invited talk: “Auxin stimulates the actin cytoskeleton through AUX1.” Presented by Ruthie Arieti (graduate student, recipient of NSF Travel Award)
Plant Biology 2019, ASPB meeting, San Jose, CA, Aug. 2-7 ^th , 2019. Invited minisymposium talk. “Motors take a pause: A new role for myosin XI in secretory vesicle tethering.”
Plant Biology 2019, ASPB meeting, San Jose, CA, Aug. 2-7 ^th , 2019. Invited minisymposium talk. “Auxin-induced actin cytoskeleton rearrangements require AUX1.” presented by PhD student, Ruthie Arieti.
Gordon Research Conference, Plant and Microbial Cytoskeleton, Proctor Academy, Andover, NH, August 16-21, 2020. Keynote speaker: “Actin dynamics during the plant innate immune response." Postponed until 2022 due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for Aug. 14-19, 2022.
3rd Molecular Plant Symposium, Xi’an, China, June 11-15, 2018. Invited talk: "Signaling to actin dynamics during the plant innate immune response.”

Recent Publications & Reviews

Ju, Y., J. Yuan, D.S. Jones, W. Zhang ^P , C.J. Staiger, and S.A. Kessler.* 2021. Polarized NORTIA accumulation in response to pollen tube arrival at synergids promotes fertilization. Developmental Cell 56: doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2021.09.026
Zhang ^P , W., L. Huang, C. Zhang, and C.J. Staiger.* 2021. Arabidopsis myosin XIK interacts with the exocyst complex to facilitate vesicle tethering during exocytosis. Plant Cell 33: 2454-2478 doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koab116
Huang, L., X. Li, W. Zhang ^P , N. Ung, N. Liu, X.Yin, Y. Li, R.E. McEwan, B. Dilkes, M. Dai, G.R. Hicks, N.V. Raikhel, C.J. Staiger, and C. Zhang.* 2020. Endosidin20 targets the cellulose synthase catalytic domain to inhibit cellulose biosynthesis. Plant Cell 32: 2141-2157 doi.org/10.1105/tpc.20.00202
Arieti ^G , R., and C.J. Staiger.* 2020. Auxin-induced actin cytoskeleton rearrangements require AUX1. New Phytologist 226: 441-459 doi.10.1111/nph.16382
Wu, H., W. Zhang ^P , M. Schuster, M. Moch, R. Windoffer, G. Steinberg, C.J. Staiger, and R. Panstruga.* 2020. Alloxan disintegrates the plant cytoskeleton and suppresses mlo -mediated powdery mildew resistance. Plant Cell Physiol. 61: 505-518 doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcz216
Li ^P , J., L. Blanchoin, and C.J. Staiger.* 2015. Signaling to actin stochastic dynamics. Annu Rev. Plant Biol. 66: 415-440.
Zhang, W., Cai, C., Staiger, C. J. 2019. Myosins XI are involved in exocytosis of cellulose synthase complexes. Plant Physiol. 179:1537-1555.
Li, J., Staiger, C. J. 2018. Understanding cytoskeletal dynamics during the plant immune response. Annu Rev Phytopathol. 56:513-533. View Article
Kijima, S. T., Staiger, C. J., Katoh, K., Nagasaki, A., Ito, K., Uyeda, T. Q. P. 2018. Arabidopsis vegetative actin isoforms, AtACT2 and AtACT7, generate distinct filament arrays in living plant cells. Sci Rep . 8:4381.
Szymanski, D., Staiger, C. J. 2018. The actin cytoskeleton: Functional arrays for cytoplasmic organization and cell shape control. Plant Physiol . 176:106-118.
Li, J., Cao, L., Staiger, C. J. 2017. Capping protein modulates actin remodeling in response to reactive oxygen species during plant innate immunity. Plant Physiol . 173:1125-1136.
Liu, Y., Zhu, W., Tan, Y., Nakayasu, E. S., Staiger, C. J., Luo, Z.-Q. 2017. A Legionella effector disrupts host cytoskeletal structure by cleaving actin. PLoS Pathog . 13:e1006186.
Shimono, M., Lu, Y.-J., Porter, K., Kvitko, B. H., Henty-Ridilla, J., Creason, A., He, S. Y., Chang, J. H., Staiger, C. J., Day, B. 2016. The Pseudomonas syringae type III effector HopG1 induces actin remodeling to promote symptom development and susceptibility during infection. Plant Physiol . 171:2239-2255.
Cao, L., Henty-Ridilla, J. L., Blanchoin, L., Staiger, C. J. 2016. Profilin-dependent nucleation and assembly of actin filaments controls cell elongation in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol . 170:220-233.