Protein Intrinsic Disorder in Plant Biology II

Dear Colleagues,

This Topical Collection aims to collect high-quality reviews and original papers in the research field of plant protein intrinsic disorder. Intrinsically disordered proteins and protein regions can be functional despite the lack of persistent structure. Intrinsic disorder (ID) is especially prevalent in proteins participating in large interaction networks regulating transcription and cellular signaling. However, it also plays significant roles in other functional systems involving chaperones and receptors and in physical phenomena such as the formation of membraneless organelles through phase separation. The flexibility and conformational plasticity of ID regions represent obvious functional advantages, making them readily accessible for various interactions and posttranslational modifications. ID is challenging to investigate, but the recent rapid development of methods and strategies for studying protein ID is currently dramatically increasing the understanding of ID in biological systems.

Within recent years, numerous global-scale studies have addressed ID in whole plant proteomes as well as in specific groups of plant proteins. Likewise, an increasing number of experimental studies have shown how complex interplays within and between ID regions, involving allosteric communication and several different types of posttranslational modifications, are essential to regulation of stress responses and development in plants. Specifically, ID-related phase separation and liquid-droplet formation is emerging as an important area for plant biology. Thus, recent examples demonstrate how condensates can function in storage and the inactivation of proteins to cope with environmental challenges as well as functioning as reaction chambers. With the possibility of translating results obtained in vitro to the in planta level, plants represent unique platforms for studies of structure–function aspects of ID. Therefore, a second topical collection on the role and function of intrinsically disordered proteins specifically in plant is timely and highly relevant, and embraces, broadly, all fields within plant biology.

Prof. Dr. Karen Skriver
Prof. Dr. Birthe B. Kragelund
Guest Editors