Protein-protein interactions visualized by bimolecular fluorescence complementation in tobacco protoplasts and leaves. 2014

Regina Schweiger, and Serena Schwenkert
Department Biologie I, Botanik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München.

Many proteins interact transiently with other proteins or are integrated into multi-protein complexes to perform their biological function. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) is an in vivo method to monitor such interactions in plant cells. In the presented protocol the investigated candidate proteins are fused to complementary halves of fluorescent proteins and the respective constructs are introduced into plant cells via agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Subsequently, the proteins are transiently expressed in tobacco leaves and the restored fluorescent signals can be detected with a confocal laser scanning microscope in the intact cells. This allows not only visualization of the interaction itself, but also the subcellular localization of the protein complexes can be determined. For this purpose, marker genes containing a fluorescent tag can be coexpressed along with the BiFC constructs, thus visualizing cellular structures such as the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, the Golgi apparatus or the plasma membrane. The fluorescent signal can be monitored either directly in epidermal leaf cells or in single protoplasts, which can be easily isolated from the transformed tobacco leaves. BiFC is ideally suited to study protein-protein interactions in their natural surroundings within the living cell. However, it has to be considered that the expression has to be driven by strong promoters and that the interaction partners are modified due to fusion of the relatively large fluorescence tags, which might interfere with the interaction mechanism. Nevertheless, BiFC is an excellent complementary approach to other commonly applied methods investigating protein-protein interactions, such as coimmunoprecipitation, in vitro pull-down assays or yeast-two-hybrid experiments.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008164 Luminescent Proteins Proteins which are involved in the phenomenon of light emission in living systems. Included are the "enzymatic" and "non-enzymatic" types of system with or without the presence of oxygen or co-factors. Bioluminescent Protein,Bioluminescent Proteins,Luminescent Protein,Photoprotein,Photoproteins,Protein, Bioluminescent,Protein, Luminescent,Proteins, Bioluminescent,Proteins, Luminescent
D011506 Proteins Linear POLYPEPTIDES that are synthesized on RIBOSOMES and may be further modified, crosslinked, cleaved, or assembled into complex proteins with several subunits. The specific sequence of AMINO ACIDS determines the shape the polypeptide will take, during PROTEIN FOLDING, and the function of the protein. Gene Products, Protein,Gene Proteins,Protein,Protein Gene Products,Proteins, Gene
D011523 Protoplasts The protoplasm and plasma membrane of plant, fungal, bacterial or archaeon cells without the CELL WALL. Protoplast
D011993 Recombinant Fusion Proteins Recombinant proteins produced by the GENETIC TRANSLATION of fused genes formed by the combination of NUCLEIC ACID REGULATORY SEQUENCES of one or more genes with the protein coding sequences of one or more genes. Fusion Proteins, Recombinant,Recombinant Chimeric Protein,Recombinant Fusion Protein,Recombinant Hybrid Protein,Chimeric Proteins, Recombinant,Hybrid Proteins, Recombinant,Recombinant Chimeric Proteins,Recombinant Hybrid Proteins,Chimeric Protein, Recombinant,Fusion Protein, Recombinant,Hybrid Protein, Recombinant,Protein, Recombinant Chimeric,Protein, Recombinant Fusion,Protein, Recombinant Hybrid,Proteins, Recombinant Chimeric,Proteins, Recombinant Fusion,Proteins, Recombinant Hybrid
D014026 Nicotiana A plant genus of the family SOLANACEAE. Members contain NICOTINE and other biologically active chemicals; the dried leaves of Nicotiana tabacum are used for SMOKING. Tobacco Plant,Nicotiana tabacum,Plant, Tobacco,Plants, Tobacco,Tobacco Plants
D060054 Agrobacterium A genus of gram negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacteria found in soil, plants, and marine mud.
D060066 Protein Interaction Maps Graphs representing sets of measurable, non-covalent physical contacts with specific PROTEINS in living organisms or in cells. Protein-Protein Interaction Map,Protein-Protein Interaction Network,Protein Interaction Networks,Interaction Map, Protein,Interaction Map, Protein-Protein,Interaction Network, Protein,Interaction Network, Protein-Protein,Map, Protein Interaction,Map, Protein-Protein Interaction,Network, Protein Interaction,Network, Protein-Protein Interaction,Protein Interaction Map,Protein Interaction Network,Protein Protein Interaction Map,Protein Protein Interaction Network,Protein-Protein Interaction Maps,Protein-Protein Interaction Networks
D018613 Microscopy, Confocal A light microscopic technique in which only a small spot is illuminated and observed at a time. An image is constructed through point-by-point scanning of the field in this manner. Light sources may be conventional or laser, and fluorescence or transmitted observations are possible. Confocal Microscopy,Confocal Microscopy, Scanning Laser,Laser Microscopy,Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy,Laser Scanning Microscopy,Microscopy, Confocal, Laser Scanning,Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy,Confocal Microscopies,Laser Microscopies,Laser Scanning Microscopies,Microscopies, Confocal,Microscopies, Laser,Microscopies, Laser Scanning,Microscopy, Laser,Microscopy, Laser Scanning,Scanning Microscopies, Laser,Scanning Microscopy, Laser

Related Publications

Regina Schweiger, and Serena Schwenkert
January 2024, Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.),
Regina Schweiger, and Serena Schwenkert
January 2016, Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.),
Regina Schweiger, and Serena Schwenkert
October 2011, Molecular biology reports,
Regina Schweiger, and Serena Schwenkert
March 2014, American journal of physiology. Renal physiology,
Regina Schweiger, and Serena Schwenkert
July 2008, Methods (San Diego, Calif.),
Regina Schweiger, and Serena Schwenkert
July 2008, Methods (San Diego, Calif.),
Regina Schweiger, and Serena Schwenkert
October 2011, Current molecular medicine,
Regina Schweiger, and Serena Schwenkert
January 2024, Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.),
Regina Schweiger, and Serena Schwenkert
February 2009, Trends in plant science,
Regina Schweiger, and Serena Schwenkert
December 2007, Plant physiology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!