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Unconventional Protein Secretion in Plants.
Destiny J Davis1, Byung-Ho Kang2, Angelo S Heringer1
1Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Asmundson Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|September 26, 2016
Summary
Unconventional protein secretion (UPS) in plants bypasses traditional pathways for proteins lacking leader sequences. This process is increasingly linked to plant stress responses and pathogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Unconventional protein secretion (UPS) involves pathways that bypass canonical secretion routes or secrete leaderless proteins.
- UPS has been studied in yeast and animal cells, but recent proteomic studies highlight its significance in plants.
- Plants face unique challenges due to their sessile nature, making UPS crucial for adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the emerging role of unconventional protein secretion pathways in plant cells.
- To investigate the correlation between UPS induction and plant stress responses or pathogenesis.
- To address the challenge of categorizing diverse UPS routes in plants.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of proteomic studies identifying leaderless proteins in plants.
- Review of emerging research on plant UPS pathways.
- Discussion of novel technologies like vesicle proteomics and chemical genomics for studying UPS.
Main Results:
- A substantial number of leaderless proteins have been identified in plants, suggesting widespread UPS.
- UPS induction in plants appears correlated with responses to pathogenesis and environmental stress.
- Categorizing the diverse UPS routes in plants remains a complex challenge.
Conclusions:
- UPS is a significant and increasingly recognized mechanism in plant cells, particularly for stress and defense.
- Further research, aided by new technologies, is needed to fully elucidate plant UPS pathways and their cargo.
- Understanding plant UPS will provide a clearer picture of overall endomembrane trafficking.
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