Unlocking protein–protein interactions in plants: a comprehensive review of established and emerging techniques

Abstract

Protein–protein interactions orchestrate plant development and serve as crucial elements for cellular and environmental communication. Understanding these interactions offers a gateway to unravel complex protein networks that will allow a better understanding of nature. Methods for the characterization of protein–protein interactions have been around over 30 years, yet the complexity of some of these interactions has fueled the development of new techniques that provide a better understanding of the underlying dynamics. In many cases, the application of these techniques is limited by the nature of the available sample. While some methods require an in vivo set-up, others solely depend on protein sequences to study protein–protein interactions via an in silico set-up. The vast number of techniques available to date calls for a way to select the appropriate tools for the study of specific interactions. Here, we classify widely spread tools and new emerging techniques for the characterization of protein–protein interactions based on sample requirements while providing insights into the information that they can potentially deliver. We provide a comprehensive overview of commonly used techniques and elaborate on the most recent developments, showcasing their implementation in plant research.