Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a highly orchestrated process in which a multitude of proteins partake. These proteins can largely be divided into three groups: the scaffolding protein complex Clathrin, the adaptor complexes (ADAPTOR PROTEIN 2 COMPLEX and the TPLATE COMPLEX) and lastly endocytic accessory proteins (EAPs). EAPs facilitate endocytosis in a plethora of ways.

In vitro plant regeneration holds great potential in the agriculture and horticulture, especially in crop improvement and hybrid breeding. Moreover, it is also applicable to studies of plant developmental regulatory mechanisms. For in vitro embryogenesis, the most important step is to re-establish the totipotency and further develop into an embryo. Embryo cell fate can be established from different tissue culture. Among the different pathways, we focus on microspore embryogenesis, where haploid embryos arise from stress-induced microspore culture.

Plants interact with their environment, including all the microbes around them such as bacteria, fungi, archaea and viruses. Plant-microbe interactions are complex and can be beneficial, neutral, or harmful to the plant. One such harmful interactions is between crops and fungal pathogens. Wheat in temperate climate regions suffers from diseases such as Fusarium Head Blight and Septoria Leaf Blotch, causing major yield losses every year.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is a multiplayer process that needs to be tightly controlled. However, how endocytosis is regulated in plants remains unknown. TPLATE complex (TPC) is an eight-core-component protein, essential for plant growth via its role as major adaptor module for CME. 

Autophagy, derived from Greek “self-eating”, is an important process for recycling of cellular material. Autophagy is initiated in response to environmental stresses such as nutrient starvation, and acts to re-mobilise nutrients which enhances stress tolerance and promotes plant survival. This pathway involves the formation of a double membrane structure termed the ‘autophagosome’, which fuses with the vacuole resulting in the degradation of cellular material.