BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Provide the following information for the key personnel and other significant contributors in the order listed on Form Page 2.
Follow this format for each person. DO NOT EXCEED FOUR PAGES.
NAME
POSITION TITLE
STAIGER, Christopher J.
Professor of Biological Sciences
eRA COMMONS USER NAME
STAIGER
EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, and include postdoctoral training.)
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION
Carleton College, Northfield MN
University of California, Berkeley
John Innes Centre, Norwich UK
DEGREE
(if applicable)
YEAR(s)
B.A.
Ph.D.
post-doc
1981-1985
1985-1990
1990-1993
FIELD OF STUDY
Biology
Botany
Cell Biology
A. Positions and Honors
Positions and Employment:
1990-93 Senior Research Associate, John Innes Centre for Plant Science Research, England.
1993-99 Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
1999-03 Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
2000-05 University Faculty Scholar, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
2003—
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
2008—
Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of
Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
Other Experience and Professional Memberships:
American Society for Cell Biology; American Society of Plant Biologists; Society for Experimental Biology, UK
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB).
Honors and Awards
Teaching for Tomorrow Award, Purdue Univ. (1998)
University Faculty Scholar, Purdue Univ. (2000-2005)
Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, Bonn, Germany (2001)
Seeds for Success, Purdue Univ. (2006; 2010; 2011)
TEAM Award, Purdue College of Agriculture (2014)
Professional Activities
Reviewer of the following journals: Science, J. Cell Biol., Nature Cell Biol., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., J. Cell
Science, Plant Cell, Plant Journal, Developmental Genetics, Planta, Protoplasma, Cell Motil. Cytosk., J.
Biol. Chemistry, Plant Mol. Biol., Plant Physiology, Genetics, Mol. Biol. Cell, and J. Exp. Botany.
Ad hoc reviewer of grants for the following agencies: USDA-NRICGP, NSF, DOE, Samuel Roberts Noble
Foundation, and BBSRC (UK).
Panel member, Department of Energy-Energy Biosciences Division, 1995.
Panel member, USDA-NRICGP, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2004
Co-Editor, Protoplasma: An International Journal for Cell Biology, 1999–2003
Faculty of 1000, Plant Cell Biology Section, 2000-2005
Co-Editor, The Plant Cell, 2005—
Editorial Board Member, Plant and Cell Physiology, 2007-2010
Editorial Board Member, Cytoskeleton (CSK), 2010—
B. Selected publications, since 2000, of 98 total
Kovar, D.R., B.K. Drøbak, and C.J. Staiger. 2000. Maize profilin isoforms are functionally distinct. Plant Cell
12: 583-598
PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 09/04, Reissued 4/2006)
Page
Continuation Format Page
Kovar, D.R., C.J. Staiger, E.A. Weaver, and D.W. McCurdy. 2000. AtFim1 is an actin filament cross-linking
protein from Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Journal 24: 625-636
Staiger, C.J., F. Baluska, D. Volkmann, and P. Barlow (editors). 2000. Actin: A dynamic framework for
multiple plant cell functions. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 659 pp.
Staiger, C.J. 2000. Signaling to the actin cytoskeleton in plants. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 51:
257-288.
Kovar, D.R., B.C. Gibbon, D.W. McCurdy, and C.J. Staiger. 2001. Fluorescently-labeled fimbrin decorates a
dynamic actin filament network in live plant cells. Planta 213: 390-395
Kovar, D.R., B.K. Drøbak, D.A. Collings, and C.J. Staiger. 2001. The characterization of ligand-specific maize
(Zea mays) profilin mutants. Biochemical J. 358: 49-57
Bruno, K.S., J.L. Morrell, J.E. Hamer, and C.J. Staiger. 2001. SEPH, a Cdc7p orthologue from Aspergillus
nidulans, functions upstream of actin ring formation during cytokinesis. Mol. Microbiol. 42: 3-12
Kovar, D.R., P. Yang, W. S. Sale, B.K. Drøbak, and C.J. Staiger. 2001. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii produces a
profilin with unusual biochemical properties. J. Cell Sci. 114: 4293-4305
Snowman, B.N., D.R. Kovar, G. Shevchenko, V.E. Franklin-Tong, and C.J. Staiger. 2002. Signal-mediated
depolymerization of actin in pollen during the self-incompatibility response. Plant Cell, 14: 2613-2626
McGough, A., C.J. Staiger, J.K. Min, and K. Simonetti 2003. The gelsolin family of actin regulatory proteins:
Modular structures, versatile functions. FEBS Lett. 552: 75-81
Staiger, C.J. and V.E. Franklin-Tong 2003. The actin cytoskeleton is a target of the self-incompatibility
response in Papaver rhoeas. J. Exp. Bot. 54: 103-113
Huang, S., L. Blanchoin, D.R. Kovar, and C.J. Staiger. 2003. Arabidopsis capping protein (AtCP) is a
heterodimer that regulates assembly at the barbed ends of actin filaments. J. Biol. Chem., 278: 4483244842
Huang, S., L. Blanchoin, F. Chaudhry, V.E. Franklin-Tong, and C.J. Staiger. 2004. A gelsolin-like protein from
Papaver rhoeas pollen (PrABP80) stimulates calcium-regulated severing and depolymerization of actin
filaments. J. Biol. Chem., 279: 23364-23375
Klein, M.G., W. Shi, U. Ramagopal, Y. Tseng, D. Wirtz, D.R. Kovar, C.J. Staiger, and S.C. Almo. 2004.
Structure of the actin crosslinking core of fimbrin. Structure, 12: 999-1013
Drøbak, B.K., V.E. Franklin-Tong, and C.J. Staiger. 2004. Tansley Review: The role of the actin cytoskeleton
in plant cell signaling. New Phytol. 163: 13-30
Staiger, C.J., and P.J. Hussey. 2004. Actin and actin-modulating proteins. In P.J. Hussey (ed.) The Plant
Cytoskeleton in Cell Differentiation and Development. Blackwell Publishing, Sheffield, UK., 32-80.
Park, G., K.S. Bruno, C.J. Staiger, N.J. Talbot, and J.-R. Xu 2004. Independent genetic mechanisms mediate
turgor generation and penetration peg formation during plant infection in the rice blast fungus. Mol.
Microbiol. 53: 1695-1707
Fan, X., J. Hou, X. Chen, F. Chaudhry, C.J. Staiger, and H. Ren. 2004. Identification and characterization of a
Ca2+-dependent actin-filament severing protein from lily pollen. Plant Physiol. 136: 3979-3989.
Sheahan, M.B., C.J. Staiger, R.J. Rose, and D.W. McCurdy 2004. A green fluorescent protein fusion to actinbinding domain 2 of Arabidopsis fimbrin highlights new features of a dynamic actin cytoskeleton in live
plant cells. Plant Physiol. 136: 3968-3978.
Preuss, M.L., D.R. Kovar, Y.-R. J. Lee, C.J. Staiger, D.P. Delmer, and B. Liu. 2004. A plant-specific kinesin
binds to actin microfilaments and interacts with cortical microtubules in cotton fibers. Plant Physiol. 136:
3945-3955.
Basu, D., J. Le, S. E-D. El-Assal, S. Huang, C. Zhang, E.M.Mallery, G. Koliantz, C.J. Staiger, and D.B.
Szymanski. 2005. DISTORTED3/SCAR2 is a putative Arabidopsis WAVE complex subunit that activates
actin-related protein 2/3 and is required for epidermal morphogenesis. Plant Cell 17: 502-524
Huang, S., R.C. Robinson, L.Y. Gao, T. Matsumoto, A. Brunet, L. Blanchoin, and C.J. Staiger. 2005.
Arabidopsis VILLIN1 generates actin filament cables that are resistant to depolymerization. Plant Cell 17:
486-501
Michelot, A., C. Guérin, S. Huang, M. Ingouff, S. Richard, N. Rodiuc, C.J. Staiger, and L. Blanchoin. 2005. The
formin homology 1 domain modulates the actin nucleation and bundling activity of Arabidopsis FORMIN1.
Plant Cell 17: 2296-2313
PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 09/04, Reissued 4/2006)
Page
Continuation Format Page
Yokota, E., M. Tominaga, I. Mabuchi, Y. Tsuji, C.J. Staiger, K. Oiwa, T. Shimmen. 2005. Plant villin, P-135ABP, possesses G-actin binding activity and accelerates the polymerization and depolymerization of actin
in a Ca2+-sensitive manner. Plant Cell Physiol. 46: 1690-1703
Thomas, S.G., S. Huang, C.J. Staiger, and V.E. Franklin-Tong. 2005. Signals and targets triggered by selfincompatibility in plants: recognition of "self" can be deadly. In "Communication in plants—neuronal
aspects of plant life", F. Baluska, S. Mancuso, D. Volkmann eds. Heidelberg, Springer.
Yong, W., B. Link, R. O'Malley, J. Tewari, C.T. Hunter, C.-A. Lu, X. Li, A.B. Bleecker, K.E. Koch, M.C.
McCann, D.R. McCarty, S.E. Patterson, W.-D. Reiter, C. Staiger, S. R. Thomas, W. Vermerris, and N.C.
Carpita 2005. Genomics of plant cell wall biogenesis. Planta 221: 747-751
Huang, S., L. Gao, L. Blanchoin, and C.J. Staiger. 2006. Heterodimeric capping protein from Arabidopsis is
regulated by phosphatidic acid. Molecular Biology of the Cell 17: 1946-1958
Thomas, S.G., S. Huang, S. Li, C.J. Staiger, and V.E. Franklin-Tong. 2006. Actin depolymerization is sufficient
to induce programmed cell death in self-incompatible pollen. Journal of Cell Biology 174: 221-229
Abu-Abied, M., L. Golomb, E. Belausov, S. Huang, B. Geiger, Z. Kam, C.J. Staiger, and E. Sadot. 2006.
Identification of plant cytoskeleton-interacting proteins by screening for actin stress fiber association in
mammalian fibroblasts. Plant J. 48: 367-379
Michelot, A., E. Derivery, R. Paterski-Boujema, C. Guérin, S. Huang, F. Parcy, C.J. Staiger and L. Blanchoin.
2006. A novel mechanism for the formation of actin-filament bundles by a non-processive formin. Current
Biology 16: 1924-1930
Staiger, C.J. and L. Blanchoin. 2006. Actin dynamics: old friends with new stories. Current Opinion in Plant
Biology, 9: 554-562
Michelot, A., J. Berro, C. Guérin, R. Boujemaa-Patersky, C.J. Staiger, J.-L. Martiel, and L. Blanchoin. 2007.
Stochastic dynamics of individual actin filaments mediated by ADF/cofilin. Current Biology 17: 825-833
Chaudhry, F., C. Guérin, M. von Witsch, L. Blanchoin, and C.J. Staiger. 2007. Identification of Arabidopsis
cyclase-associated protein 1 as the first nucleotide-exchange factor for plant actin. Mol. Biol. Cell 18:
3002-3014
Chang, J.H., T.L. Lin, C.-C. Wu, C.J. Staiger and D. Zhou. 2007. SipC multimerization promotes actin
nucleation and contributes to Salmonella-induced inflammation. Mol. Microbiol., 66: 1548-1556
Choi, Y., Y. Lee, B. Jeon, C.J. Staiger and Y. Lee. 2008. Phosphatidylinositol 3- and 4-phosphate modulate
actin reorganization in dayflower guard cells. Plant Cell Environ. 31: 366-377
Zhang, C., E.L. Mallery, J. Schlueter, S. Huang, Y. Fan, S. Brankle, C.J. Staiger and D.B. Szymanski. 2008.
Arabidopsis SCARs function interchangeably to meet actin related protein (ARP)2/3 activation thresholds
during morphogenesis. Plant Cell 20: 995-1011
Lee, Y., E. Kim, Y. Choi, I. Hwang, C.J. Staiger, Y.-Y. Chung and Y. Lee. 2008. The Arabidopsis
phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase is important for pollen development. Plant Physiol. 147: 1886-1897
Staiger, C.J., M.B. Sheahan, P. Khurana, X. Wang, D.W. McCurdy and L. Blanchoin. 2009. Actin filament
dynamics are dominated by rapid growth and severing activity in the Arabidopsis cortical array. J. Cell Biol.,
184: 269-280
Tian, M., F. Chaudhry, D.R. Ruzicka, R.B. Meagher, C.J. Staiger and B. Day. 2009. Arabidopsis actindepolymerizing factor AtADF4 mediates defense signal transduction triggered by the Pseudomonas
syringae effector AvrPphB. Plant Physiol. 150: 815-824
Blanchoin, L., and C.J. Staiger. 2010. Plant formins: diverse isoforms and unique molecular mechanism.
Biochim. Biophys. Acta–Mol. Cell Res., 1803: 201-206
Staiger, C.J., N.S. Poulter, J.L. Henty, V.E. Franklin-Tong and L. Blanchoin. 2010. Regulation of actin
dynamics by actin-binding proteins in pollen. J. Exp. Bot. 61: 1969-1986
Poulter, N.S., C.J. Staiger, J.Z. Rappoport, and V.E. Franklin-Tong. 2010. Actin-binding proteins implicated in
formation of the punctate actin foci stimulated by the self-incompatibility response in Papaver. Plant
Physiol., 152: 1274-1283
Farquharson, K.L. and C.J. Staiger. 2010. Dissecting the functions of class XI myosins in moss and
Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 22: 1649
Blanchoin, L., R. Paterski-Boujemaa, J.L. Henty, P. Khurana, and C.J. Staiger 2010. Actin dynamics in plant
cells: A team effort from multiple proteins orchestrates this very fast-paced game. Current Opinion in Plant
Biology, 13: 714-723
PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 09/04, Reissued 4/2006)
Page
Continuation Format Page
Zhang, H., X. Qu, C. Bao, P. Khurana, Q. Wang, Y. Zheng, N. Chen, Y. Xie, L. Blanchoin, C.J. Staiger and S.
Huang. 2010. Arabidopsis VILLIN5, an actin filament bundling and severing protein, is necessary for
normal pollen tube growth. Plant Cell, 22: 2749-2767
Khurana, P., J.L. Henty, S. Huang, A.M. Staiger, L. Blanchoin, and C.J. Staiger. 2010. Arabidopsis VILLIN1
and VILLIN3 have overlapping and distinct activities in actin bundle formation and turnover. Plant Cell, 22:
2727-2748
Whippo, C.W., P. Khurana, P.A. Davis, S.L. DeBlasio, D. DeSloover, C.J. Staiger, and R.P. Hangarter. 2011.
THRUMIN1 is a light-regulated, actin-bundling protein involved in chloroplast motility. Current Biology, 21:
59-64
Reymann, A.-C., C. Suarez, C. Guérin, J.-L. Martiel, C.J. Staiger, L. Blanchoin, and R. Boujemaa-Paterski.
2011. Turnover of branched actin filament networks by stochastic fragmentation with ADF/cofilin. Mol. Biol.
Cell, 22: 2541-2550
Day, B., J.L. Henty, K.J. Porter, and C.J. Staiger. 2011. The pathogen-actin connection: A platform for defense
signaling in plants. Annu. Rev. Phytopath. 49: 483-506
Henty, J.L., S.W. Bledsoe, P. Khurana, R.B. Meagher, B. Day, L. Blanchoin, and C.J. Staiger. 2011.
Arabidopsis Actin Depolymerizing Factor4 (ADF4) modulates the stochastic dynamic behavior of actin
filaments in the cortical array of epidermal cells. Plant Cell, 23: 3711-3726
Li, J., J.L. Henty, S. Huang, X. Wang, L. Blanchoin, and C.J. Staiger. 2012. Capping protein modulates the
dynamic behavior of actin filaments in response to phosphatidic acid in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell, 24: 37423754
Pleskot, R., P. Pejchar, V. Žárský, C.J. Staiger*, and M. Potocký. 2012. Structural insights into the inhibition of
actin-capping protein by interactions with phosphatidic acid and phosphatidlyinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate.
PLoS Computational Biology 8(11): e1002765 doi: 10.1372/journal.pcbi.1002765
Li, J., R. Pleskot, J.L. Henty-Ridilla, L. Blanchoin, M. Potocký and C.J. Staiger. 2012 Arabidopsis capping
protein senses cellular phosphatidic acid levels and transduces these into changes in actin cytoskeleton
dynamics. Plant Signal. Behav. 7: 1727-1730
Henty-Ridilla, J.L., M. Shimono, J. Li, J.H. Chang, B. Day*, and C.J. Staiger*. 2013. The plant actin
cytoskeleton responds to signals from microbe-associated molecular patterns. PLoS Pathogens 9(4):
e1003290 [*co-corresponding authors]
Pleskot, R., J. Li, V. Žárský, M. Potocký and C.J. Staiger. 2013. Regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics by
phospholipase D and phosphatidic acid. Trends Plant Sci. 18: 496-504
Henty-Ridilla, J.L., J. Li, Blanchoin, L.*, and C.J. Staiger*. 2013. Actin dynamics in the cortical array of plant
cells. Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 16: 678-687 [*co-corresponding authors]
Pleskot, R., P. Pejchar, C.J. Staiger, and M. Potocký. 2014. When fat is not bad: the regulation of actin
dynamics by phospholipid signaling molecules. Front. Plant Sci. 5: 5 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00005
Henty-Ridilla, J.L., J. Li, B. Day, and C.J. Staiger. 2014. Actin Depolymerizing Factor4 regulates actin
dynamics during innate immune signaling in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell, 26: doi:10.1105/tpc.113.122499
Li, J., B.H. Staiger, J.L. Henty-Ridilla, M. Abu-Abied, E. Sadot, L. Blanchoin, and C.J. Staiger. 2014. The
availability of filament ends modulates actin stochastic dynamics in live plant cells. Mol. Biol. Cell in press
C. Research Support—Staiger
Ongoing Research Support
Staiger (co-PI)
8/2009-7/2014
DOE-EFRC Center for direct catalytic conversion of biomass to biofuel (C3Bio). M. McCann, PI, C.J. Staiger
one of 11 Purdue co-PIs ($20M total costs; ~$400,000 to CJS) 1 mo. Summer/5% effort
Staiger (PI)
5/2010-5/2014
DOE-Basic Energy Sciences Regulation of actin dynamics at filament ends: the role of capping protein in
stochastic dynamics and organellar function. ($510,000 total costs) 1 mo. Summer/20% effort
Staiger (PI)
PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 09/04, Reissued 4/2006)
9/2010-8/2014
Page
Continuation Format Page
NSF-Arabidopsis 2010: Dissecting cortical actin function during the pathogen-resistance response of
Arabidopsis (Staiger, lead; Brad Day, MSU, non-lead; Jeff Chang, Oregon State, non-lead) ($2.1M total
costs; $1.1M to Purdue)
1 mo. Summer/20% effort
Pending Support
Staiger (PI)
5/2014-5/2017
DOE-Basic Energy Sciences Regulation of actin stochastic dynamics: Single actin filaments as tracks for
delivery of materials to the cell wall. ($703,116 total costs) 1 mo. Summer/20% effort
Staiger (co-PI)
8/2014-7/2019
DOE-EFRC Center for direct catalytic conversion of biomass to biofuel (C3Bio). M. McCann, PI, C.J. Staiger
one of 11 Purdue co-PIs ($20M total costs; ~$400,000 to CJS) 1 mo. Summer/5% effort
Staiger (PI)
7/2014-6/2016
NSF-MRI Acquisition of a spinning disk confocal microscope for live-cell imaging. C. Aguilar, co-PI.
($747,899 total cost with Purdue cost share of $224,370; cost to sponsor = $523,529)
Completed Research Support (in the past 3 years)
Staiger (co-PI)
8/2007-8/2011
BARD Studies of novel cytoskeletal regulatory proteins that are involved in abiotic stress signaling.
Einat Sadot, Volcani Center, PI ($275,000 total costs, $175,000 to Staiger) 5% effort
D. Training of Junior Scientists
1. Graduate Students; 9 Previous, 2 Current
Sharon L. Ashworth, Ph.D. awarded 5/98 (currently Asst. Res. Professor, University of Maine)
Thesis title: Characterization of the actin depolymerizing factor, AtADF1, from Arabidopsis thaliana
Bryan C. Gibbon, Ph.D. awarded 12/99 (currently Asst. Professor, Baylor University)
Thesis title: The role of profilin in maize pollen growth and development
David R. Kovar, Ph.D. awarded 5/01 (currently Assoc. Professor, University of Chicago)
Thesis title: The characterization of plant actin-binding proteins
Kenneth S. Bruno, Ph.D. awarded 5/03 (currently Res. Scientist, Pacific Northwest National Labs)
Thesis title: Regulatory pathways that control septation in Aspergillus nidulans
Lisa Y. Gao, M.Sc. awarded 12/04 (currently employed at Genentech)
Thesis title: Biochemical analysis of the Arabidopsis fimbrin gene family
Faisal A. Chaudhry, M.Sc. awarded 8/05 (currently in industry)
Thesis title: Biochemical analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana cyclase-associated protein (AtCAP)
Preethi Chander, Ph.D. awarded 12/06 (student of Janet Smith)
Thesis title: Structural analysis of the regulatory protein of pyrimidine biosynthesis, PyrR
Parul Khurana, Ph.D. awarded 12/10 (currently Asst. Professor, Indiana University-East, Richmond)
Thesis title: Characterization of several Arabidopsis villin isovariants
Jessica Henty, Ph.D. PULSe awarded 12/12 (currently post-doc at Brandeis)
Thesis title: Actin Depolymerizing Factor 4 is required for actin filament turnover and patterntriggered immunity in Arabidopsis
Chao Cai, Ph.D. candidate PULSe
Ruthie Arieti, Ph.D. candidate PULSe
2. Post-doctoral Research Scientists: 16 Previous, 3 Current
Dr. Ming Yuan '94-'95 (currently Professor, China Agriculture University)
Dr. Haiyun Ren '95-'97 (currently Professor, Beijing Normal University)
Dr. Laura Zonia '95-'97 (currently Research Associate, University of Amsterdam)
Dr. David A. Collings ‘99-’01 (currently Asst. Professor, Univ. of Canterbury, NZ)
Dr. Matthias von Witsch ‘00–’01 (currrently Scientific Advisor, German Ministry of Research &
Education)
PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 09/04, Reissued 4/2006)
Page
Continuation Format Page
Dr. Tracie Matsumoto (Brower) ‘01-'02 (currently Research Horticulturist USDA-ARS Pacific Basin
Agricultural Research Center Hilo, Hawaii)
Dr. Kristen Lennon '02-'04 (currently Research Associate, AAAS)
Dr. Sathish Kasina ‘05 (currently Post-doc, Univ. Michigan)
Dr. Baruch Zimmermann '05 (currently employed in corporate setting, Israel)
Dr. Shanjin Huang ‘01–'06 (currently Professor, CAS-Beijing, Institute of Botany)
Dr. Songya Lu ‘05-'06 (currently Asst. Professor, Wuhan Univ. China)
Dr. Xia Wang '07-‘09 (currently post-doc, CAS, Institute Genetics)
Dr. Heping Zhao '07-'08 (currently Assoc. Professor, Beijing Normal Univ.)
Dr. Mohamad Abu Abied '08-’09 (currently Res. Associate, Volcani Institute, Israel)
Dr. Jose Carlos Jimenez Lopez '08-‘11 (currently Res. Associate, University of Grenada, Spain)
Dr. Jiejie Li ‘11—
Dr. Katie Wilkins ‘12–'13 (currently post-doc at Oxford University
Dr. Dave Huizinga '13—
Dr. Lingyan Cao '13—
PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 09/04, Reissued 4/2006)
Page
Continuation Format Page