Gross Lab.
at BOKU University Vienna
Where we explore how environmental stresses
regulate autophagy.
About the Lab.
Our Research Focus
In order to survive under harsh and changing environmental conditions organisms rely on rapid cellular reprogramming processes.
Autophagy is a quality control mechanism, crucial for the cellular stress-response. Autophagy selectively targets and degrades a vast range of cargo (metabolites, proteins, organelles, even pathogens), thereby mobilizing resources fueling cellular reprogramming.
Upon environmental stress, plants activate autophagy to rebalance their cellular metabolome and proteome. However, how autophagy is induced under different and complex stress conditions remains elusive.
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Here we explore how at a cellular level plants sense and translate abiotic stress signals such as heat-, salt- and light-stress into adaptive autophagic responses. How cells adapt the autophagic cargo composition to the respective stress conditions. And how this supports plant physiology and ultimately survival.
Figures adapted from Gross et al. 2025, Annual Review in Plant Biology
The Team.
We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated students, PhD candidates and Postdocs to join our team. For all inquiries please contact: angelina.gross@gmi.oeaw.ac.at
Publications.
Discover Our Latest Findings
2025
A.S.Gross, M. Raffeiner, Y. Zeng, S. Üstün, Y. Dagdas, Autophagy in plant health and disease, Annual Review of Plant Biology, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-arplant-060324-094912
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2024
A.S. Gross, R. Ghillebert, M. Schuetter, E. Reinartz, A. Rowland, B. Bishop, M. Stumpe, J. Dengjel and M. Graef, A metabolite sensor subunit of the Atg1/ULK complex regulates selective autophagy, Nature Cell Biology, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-024-01348-4
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2020
A.S. Gross and M. Graef, Stress eating: Autophagy targets nuclear pore complexes, Journal of Cell Biology 219 (7), https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202006007
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A.S. Gross and M. Graef, Mechanisms of autophagy in metabolic stress response, Journal of Molecular Biology 432 (1), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2019.09.005
2019
A.S. Gross, A. Zimmermann, T. Pendl, S. Schroeder, H. Schoenlechner, [...]T. Eisenberg, Acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1-dependent lipogenesis promotes autophagy downstream of AMPK, Journal of Biological Chemistry 294 (32), https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.ra118.007020
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G. Farrugia, M. Azzopardi, C. Saliba, G. Grech, A.S. Gross, J. Pistolic, V. Benes, N. Vassallo, J. Borg, F. Madeo, T. Eisenberg, R. Balzan, Apsirin impairs acetyl-coenzyme A metabolism in redox-compromised yeast cells, Nature Scientific Reports 9 (1), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-39489-4
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2017
T. Eisenberg, M. Abdellatif, A. Zimmermann, S. Schroeder, T. Pendl, A. Harger, S. Stekovic, J. Schipke, C. Magnes, A. Schmidt, C. Ruckenstuhl, C. Dammbrueck, A.S. Gross, V. Herbst, D. Carmona-Gutierrez, F. Pietrocola, T. Rieber, S.J. Sigrist, W. A. Linke, C. Muehlfeld, J. Sadoshima, J. Dengjel, S. Kiechl, G. Kroemer, S. Sedej, F. Madeo, Dietary spermidine for lowering high blood pressure, Autophagy 13 (4), https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2017.1280225
2016
T. Eisenberg, M. Abdellatif, S. Schroeder, U. Primessnig, S. Stekovic, T. Pendl, A. Harger. J. Schipke, A. Zimmermann, A. Schmidt, M. Tong, C. Ruckenstuhl, C. Dammbrueck, A.S. Gross, [...]F. Madeo, Cardioprotection and lifespan extension by the natural polyamine spermidine, Nature Medicine 22 (12), https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.4222
Address
BOKU University
Institute of Molecular Plant Biology
Armin-Szilvinyi-Haus
Muthgasse 18
1190 Vienna - Austria