Studies Offer Guide As Protein Interaction Mapping Comes Of Age

During the past 20 years, researchers have identified thousands of cell protein interactions, with the ultimate goal of inventorying all that occur within cells of various organisms – a comprehensive catalogue known as the interactome. Such information will be critical to understanding the basic mechanics of cellular life, and how malfunctions in these processes contribute to cancer.

Unfortunately, the data collected by different teams of researchers has been somewhat inconsistent. One group's "map" of protein interactions in yeast cells, for example, may only partially overlap the map produced by another group. Because science depends on investigators' ability to reproduce and build on one another's work, such variability presents a considerable obstacle. The value of interactome maps -- and the potential of further research -- will be at issue as long as the accuracy and thoroughness of the underlying data is uncertain.

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