Frontiers in Plant Science (Jun 2011)

Protein-protein interaction network and subcellular localization of the Arabidopsis thaliana ESCRT machinery

  • Lynn eRichardson,
  • Alex eHoward,
  • Nicholas eKhuu,
  • Satinder eGidda,
  • Andrew eMcCartney,
  • Brett eMorphy,
  • Robert eMullen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2011.00020
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2

Abstract

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The Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) consists of several multi-protein subcomplexes which assemble sequentially at the endosomal surface and function in multivesicular body (MVB) biogenesis. While ESCRT has been relatively well characterized in yeasts and mammals, comparably little is known about ESCRT in plants. Here we explored the yeast two-hybrid protein interaction network and subcellular localization of the Arabidopsis thaliana ESCRT machinery. We show that Arabidopsis ESCRT interactome possess a number of protein-protein interactions that are either conserved in yeasts and mammals or distinct to plants. We show also that most of the Arabidopsis ESCRT proteins examined at least partially localize to MVBs in plant cells when ectopically expressed on their own or co-expressed with other interacting ESCRT proteins, and some also induce abnormal MVB phenotypes, consistent with their proposed functional roles in MVB biogenesis. Overall, our results help define the plant ESCRT machinery by highlighting both conserved and unique features when compared to ESCRT in other evolutionarily diverse organisms, providing a foundation for further exploration of ESCRT in plants.

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