Order by disorder in plant signaling

Abstract

Protein intrinsic disorder (ID), referring to the lack of a fixed tertiary structure, is an emerging topic in plant science. Proteins with ID challenge our perception of protein interactions because of their malleable behavior. They are abundant in highly regulated processes such as cellular signaling and transcription, where they exploit the flexibility of ID. In this opinion article we highlight trends in the field of protein ID and discuss its implications for interactions between plant transcription factors (TFs) and the cellular signaling hub protein RADICAL-INDUCED CELL DEATH 1 (RCD1). We envision RCD1-TF interactions as models for translating knowledge of ID-based interactions in vitro to the organismal level in vivo, and urge increased focus on ID in basic plant research and agricultural sciences.