Visualization of in vivo protein-protein interactions in plants

Abstract

Molecular processes depend on the concerted and dynamic interactions of proteins, either by one-on-one interactions of the same or different proteins or by the assembly of larger protein complexes consisting of many different proteins. Here, not only the protein-protein interaction (PPI) itself, but also the localization and activity of the protein of interest (POI) within the cell is essential. Therefore, in all cell biological experiments, preserving the spatio-temporal state of one POI relative to another is key to understanding the underlying complex and dynamic regulatory mechanisms in vivo. In this review, we examine some of the applicable techniques to measure PPIs in planta as well as recent combinatorial advances of PPI methods to measure the formation of higher order complexes with an emphasis on in vivo imaging techniques. We compare the different methods and discuss their benefits and potential pitfalls to facilitate the selection of appropriate techniques by providing a comprehensive overview of how to measure in vivo PPIs in plants.