Construction of a chloroplast protein interaction network and functional mining of photosynthetic proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana

Cell Res. 2008 Oct;18(10):1007-19. doi: 10.1038/cr.2008.286.

Abstract

Chloroplast is a typical plant cell organelle where photosynthesis takes place. In this study, a total of 1,808 chloroplast core proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana were reliably identified by combining the results of previously published studies and our own predictions. We then constructed a chloroplast protein interaction network primarily based on these core protein interactions. The network had 22,925 protein interaction pairs which involved 2,214 proteins. A total of 160 previously uncharacterized proteins were annotated in this network. The subunits of the photosynthetic complexes were modularized, and the functional relationships among photosystem I (PSI), photosystem II (PSII), light harvesting complex of photosystem I (LHC I) and light harvesting complex of photosystem I (LHC II) could be deduced from the predicted protein interactions in this network. We further confirmed an interaction between an unknown protein AT1G52220 and a photosynthetic subunit PSI-D2 by yeast two-hybrid analysis. Our chloroplast protein interaction network should be useful for functional mining of photosynthetic proteins and investigation of chloroplast-related functions at the systems biology level in Arabidopsis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Chloroplasts / genetics*
  • Chloroplasts / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / analysis
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Photosynthesis
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / genetics*
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / metabolism
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / genetics
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / metabolism
  • Photosystem II Protein Complex / genetics
  • Photosystem II Protein Complex / metabolism
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex
  • Photosystem II Protein Complex
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins