Protein-protein interactions: past, present and future.

Abstract

A detailed explanation in protein-protein interactions is the key element for breakthroughs in all fields related to biology and medicine. A variety of detection methods have been developed over decades to help in the interpretation of the intricate protein networks, ranging from the in vitro technique of co- immunoprecipitation and physical method of mass spectrometry to the latest in vivo technique of protein microarray. Recent studies have described the need for in vivo methodologies to provide an integrated view of protein-protein interactions and their dynamic networks to better understand various disease systems comprising different types of cancer, bacterial infections and neurodegenerative diseases. This report summarizes the pros and cons of each of the present and emerging in vivo methods used to elucidate protein-protein interactions. Better recognition of the applicability of emerging in vivo approaches in the detection of protein-protein interactions will bring us a step closer to achieving complete understanding of the human protein interaction network.