Identification of potential interactors of NKS1 and QUA1

Adjacent plant cells are connected by specialized cell wall regions, called middle lamellae, which influence critical agricultural characteristics, including fruit ripening and organ abscission. Middle lamellae are enriched in pectin polysaccharides, specifically homogalacturonan (HG). Pectins are made in the Golgi apparatus by the coordinated action of transporters and enzymes. Here, in this project, we identify a plant-specific Arabidopsis DUF1068 protein, called NKS1/ELMO4, that is required for middle lamellae integrity and cell adhesion. We did an immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (IP-MS) analysis to identify potential interactors of NKS1. And we also performed an IP-MS analysis of QUA1, which is one of the interactors of NKS1.