The Use of Multidrug Approach to Uncover New Players of the Endomembrane System Trafficking Machinery

Abstract

Chemical genomics is an interdisciplinary research field that utilizes small bioactive molecules to modify cellular functions, being a powerful alternative to classical genetics. This approach is particularly useful to study essential or redundant cellular processes, such as endocytosis. We have developed a chemical genomics screen to identify small molecules that affect the endocytic pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we describe the use of the endocytic tracer FM4-64 and confocal microscopy to visualize the effects of these compounds on endosomal trafficking, allowing the identification of new components of the endomembrane system.