Topic: Correlative in situ cryo-ET characterizes Salmonella-induced autophagy and plasmodesmata in plant tissue
Speaker: Dr. LI Meijing, Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART)
Date and time: 10:00–11:00, February 28
Venue: Auditorium, Y Building
Host: SUN Liping
Abstract:
Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) has emerged as a revolutionary technique in structural biology for determining macromolecular structures within their natural cellular context at near-atomic resolution. By integrating cryo-ET with cryo-correlative light microscopy (CLEM) and cryo-focused ion beam (FIB) milling, we analyzed the dynamic process of xenophagy, a selective autophagy for eliminating pathogens like Salmonella. This approach allowed us to observe unprecedented details of Salmonella-engaged phagophores, revealing their varied contacts with the ER and previously undescribed membrane curvatures. Additionally, we developed a novel method combining high-pressure freezing with FIB milling for cryo-ET analysis of plant tissue, enabling detailed characterization of plasmodesmata in Arabidopsis embryos.
Biography:
Dr. LI Meijing obtained her PhD at Tsinghua University in 2019. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in 2023. Now, she is a Principal Investigator at the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation. She has published several papers in journals such as Nature, eLife, and PNAS.