Diss, G. et al. Cell Rep. 3, 2155–2167 (2013).

Examining protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is not in itself enough to understand cell organization and function. Rather, the way in which these networks change under perturbation must also be studied. A recent report outlines a strategy and resources for examining PPIs in varying genetic backgrounds in yeast. Diss et al. use a protein complementation assay of dihydrofolate reductase to systematically examine PPIs in selected yeast strains from a gene knockout collection. They used synthetic genetic array technology to assemble the strain collections needed for these studies and then systematically examined interactions in two protein complexes, the nonessential retromer and the essential nuclear pore complex, in multiple genetic backgrounds.