Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Wiermer, Marcel, Prof. Dr.

Professor for Biochemistry of Plant-Microbe Interactions at Freie Universität Berlin


  • Since 2022 Professor for Biochemistry of Plant-Microbe Interactions at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
  • 2016 Group leader of the independent research group 'Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions' Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
  • 2011-2016 Junior research group leader, Department of Plant Cell Biology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
  • 2010 Feodor Lynen postdoctoral return fellow, Department of Plant Cell Biology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
  • 2006-2009 Feodor Lynen postdoctoral fellow, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
  • 2005-2006 Postdoctoral fellow, Max-Planck-Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
  • 2002-2005 Ph.D., Max-Planck-Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
  • 2001 Diploma (Biology), University of Münster, Germany



Major Research Interests

Research efforts in our laboratory are directed towards understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate spatial communication between the cytoplasm and the nucleus in plant cellular immunity to pathogenic microbes, using Arabidopsis as model organism. We employ biochemical, cell biological, genetic and molecular approaches to study the functions of nuclear transport receptors (NTRs) and nuclear pore complex proteins (Nucleoporins) that are essential for plant disease resistance and control nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of proteins and RNAs. Our studies further include affinity purification approaches coupled with mass spectrometry, forward and reverse genetics to identify novel biochemical and genetic interactors required for plant defense. Another line of research is aimed at exploring molecular functions of secreted fungal effector proteins that are targeted into host cell nuclei during infection and at identifying respective host cell NTRs that mediate nuclear effector translocation.



Homepage Department/Research Group

https://www.bcp.fu-berlin.de/en/biologie/arbeitsgruppen/physiologie_biochemie/ag_wiermer/index.html



Selected Recent Publications


  • Rekhter D, Lüdke D, Ding Y, Feussner K, Zienkiewicz K, Lipka V, Wiermer M, Zhang Y, Feussner I (2019) Isochorismate-derived biosynthesis of the plant stress hormone salicylic acid. Science 365: 498-502
  • Roth C, Lüdke D, Klenke M, Quathamer A, Valerius O, Braus G and Wiermer M (2017) The truncated NLR protein TIR-NBS13 is a MOS6/IMPORTIN-α3 interaction partner required for plant immunity. Plant J 92, 808-821
  • Genenncher B, Wirthmueller L, Roth C, Klenke M, Ma L, Sharon A and Wiermer M (2016) Nucleoporin-regulated MAP kinase signaling in immunity to a necrotrophic fungal pathogen. Plant Physiol 172, 1293-1305
  • Wirthmueller L, Roth C, Fabro G, Caillaud MC, Rallapalli G, Asai S, Sklenar J, Jones AME, Wiermer M, Jones JDG and Banfield MJ (2015) Probing formation of cargo/importin-alpha transport complexes in plant cells using a pathogen effector. Plant J 81, 40-52
  • Wirthmueller L, Roth C, Banfield MJ and Wiermer M (2013) Hop-on hop-off: importin-alpha-guided tours to the nucleus in innate immune signaling. Front Plant Sci 4: 149
  • Roth C and Wiermer M (2012) Nucleoporins Nup160 and Seh1 are required for disease resistance in Arabidopsis. Plant Signal Behav 7: 1212-1214
  • Wiermer M, Cheng YT, Imkampe J, Li M, Wang D, Lipka V and Li X (2012) Putative members of the Arabidopsis Nup107-160 nuclear pore sub-complex contribute to pathogen defense. Plant J 70: 796-808
  • Cheng YT, Germain H, Wiermer M, Bi D, García AV, Wirthmueller L, Després C, Parker JE, Zhang Y and Li X (2009) Nuclear Pore Complex Component MOS7/Nup88 Is Required for Innate Immunity and Nuclear Accumulation of Defense Regulators in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 21, 2503-2516