ASBMB Annual Meeting

MCP session focuses on proximity-dependent biotinylation

Anne-Claude Gingras
By Anne-Claude Gingras
March 18, 2021

How proteins interact with one another and with other macromolecules, their organization in cells and how these associations are modulated following perturbations long have defined an important branch of the field of functional proteomics. In the past 10 years, approaches that enable the study of these connections in the context of live cells — and now live organisms — have revolutionized the role of proteomics in cell biology.

This session at the 2021 ASBMB Annual Meeting focuses on proximity-dependent labeling approaches, which allow for the covalent tagging of proteins that have come in close proximity to a bait protein (a protein of interest fused to an enzyme) in the context of living cells. Coupling of this strategy to mass spectrometric identification of the labeled proteins permits the characterization of cellular organization.

Since its first implementation to identify the components of the nuclear lamina in cultured cells, proximity-dependent biotinylation has contributed to better understanding of the composition of both membrane-bound and membraneless organelles, defined new signaling complex components, and illuminated the molecular mechanisms underlying several diseases. Proximity-dependent biotinylation methods, including APEX and BioID, still are developing, permitting new experimental modalities and answering increasingly complex questions.

The three presenters selected by the editorial leadership of Molecular & Cellular Proteomics are early-career researchers pushing the boundaries of proximity-dependent biotinylation methods and their applications.

Tess C. Branon, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, will present her work on the directed evolution of promiscuous biotin ligases for efficient proteomic mapping in vivo.

Geoffrey Hesketh, a postdoctoral fellow at the Lunenfeld–Tanenbaum Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, will describe how he used proximity-dependent sensors to reveal new intricacies in amino acid signaling.

Ilia Droujinine, a principal investigator and Scripps fellow at Scripps Research in California, will introduce new work exploring protein trafficking by in vivo tissue-specific labeling in Drosophila.

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.

Learn more
Anne-Claude Gingras
Anne-Claude Gingras

Anne-Claude Gingras is an investigator at the Lunenfeld–Tanenbaum Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and a deputy editor of the journal Molecular & Cellular Proteomics.

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in People

People highlights or most popular articles

AI can be an asset, ASBMB educators say
Advice

AI can be an asset, ASBMB educators say

July 9, 2025

Pedagogy experts share how they use artificial intelligence to save time, increase accessibility and prepare students for a changing world.

ASBMB undergraduate education programs foster tomorrow’s scientific minds
Feature

ASBMB undergraduate education programs foster tomorrow’s scientific minds

July 8, 2025

Learn how the society empowers educators and the next generation of scientists through community as well as accreditation and professional development programs that support evidence-based teaching and inclusive pedagogy.

Honors for Gagna and Sundquist
Member News

Honors for Gagna and Sundquist

July 7, 2025

Claude Gagna is being honored for the diagnostic tool he developed that uses AI to streamline diagnostics. Wesley Sundquist is being honored for his role in finding that HIV’s capsid was a target for treatment.

Gaze into the proteomics crystal ball
In-person Conference

Gaze into the proteomics crystal ball

July 1, 2025

The 15th International Symposium on Proteomics in the Life Sciences symposium will be held August 17–21 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Bassler receives National Medal of Science
Member News

Bassler receives National Medal of Science

June 30, 2025

She was recognized for her research on the molecular mechanisms bacteria use for intercellular communication.

2025 ASBMB election results
Society News

2025 ASBMB election results

June 25, 2025

Learn about the new president, secretary, Council members and committee members.