Abstract
As an early adopter of plant chemical genetics to the study of endomembrane trafficking, we have observed the growth of small molecule approaches. Within the field, we often describe the strengths of the approach in a broad, generic manner, such as the ability to address redundancy and lethality. But, we are now in a much better position to evaluate the demonstrated value of the approach based on examples. In this perspective, we offer an assessment of chemical genetics in plants and where its applications may be of particular utility from the perspective of the cell biologist. Beyond this, we suggest areas to be addressed to provide broader access and enhance the effectiveness of small molecule approaches in plant biology.
Highlights
The collaboration between plant biologists and chemists aimed at discovering new genes and protein functions has been accelerating over the past decade
There is a modest number of plant-related research centers in the US, Belgium, Germany, and Sweden among other locations which house diverse and focused chemical collections, instruments, and expertise in screening for bioactive molecules and identification of their cognate targets. Such centers provide expertise and collaborative opportunities for plant biologists with varied interests who may not have access to chemical collections and other infrastructure. This is an important achievement given the broad range of plant biology, genomics, analytical and synthetic chemistry, proteomics, microscopy, and bioinformatics that may be required depending upon the specific project
Our laboratory was an early adaptor of chemical genetics with an emphasis on the cell biology of plants
Summary
The collaboration between plant biologists and chemists aimed at discovering new genes and protein functions has been accelerating over the past decade. Along with our domestic and international colleagues, we have learned much about the benefits and challenges of the approach as a means to understand biological systems through the use of small bioactive molecules and other tools including “omics” approaches and biochemistry (i.e., chemical biology) As such we would like to offer several practical perspectives on the field from the viewpoint of cell biologists who have come to appreciate and value the power of multiple disciplines in solving problems. There are novel aspects to using a chemical approach This includes access to an increased range of phenotypes compared to genetics alone since small molecules in principle are able to target multiple members of a protein family or essential proteins when applied at sub-lethal concentrations. Excluding industrial screens for pesticides, as a basic research community, we approaching a decade of experience in plant chemical screening, www.frontiersin.org
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