Abstract

Functional Interactomics in Plants: Tapping our Way into Crop Biotechnology

Geert De Jaeger, Associate Director, Plant Systems Biology Dpt, VIB-Ghent University

At the very basis of cellular structures and functions lie networks of short- and long-term macromolecular interactions. As a discipline, functional interactomics maps system-wide molecular interactions and analyzes their function. Initially focused on protein-protein interactions, the field is rapidly expanding towards other interaction types, such as those between proteins and nucleic acids, or between proteins and metabolites. My research team develops interactomic tools for plants and runs a state of the art AP-MS platform for protein complex isolation both from Arabidopsis cell cultures and whole seedlings. Through its high specificity and explanatory power, our platform steadily became a central –omics tool in our research. Besides, it delivered data for more than 25% of all manuscripts containing AP-MS results, published worldwide. Complexes got isolated for hundreds of proteins involved in cell proliferation control and phytohormonal pathways leading towards protein discovery, functional analysis of proteins and protein complexes, and the mapping of protein networks. Recently we developed applications in crop plants as their bigger organs make them particularly suitable for the study of complex function in a developmental context. We obtained proof of concept for the study of protein complex dynamics during plant organ development and demonstrate its use for organ growth engineering.