Glycomic analysis of plant endomembrane vesicles (Plant Cell)

Endomembrane vesicles carry not only secreted proteins but also carbohydrates for cell wall synthesis, yet relatively less is know about this latter process. Wilkop et al. describe a method to investigate the glycan contents of specific subsets of vesicles, to begin to understand how these cargos are affected by environmental conditions and developmental processes. They developed a hybrid method in which selected vesicles are isolated through a bait protein on the surface, and then the vesicles’ contents are characterized through carbohydrate-specific monoclonal antibodies, to reveal the vesicle-specific glycome; specifically, that of the SYNTAXIN OF PLANTS61 (SYP61) trans-Golgi network (TGN) compartment in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. (Summary by Mary Williams) Plant Cell 10.1105/tpc.18.00854