This was achieved by expressing the covalent split-isopeptide interaction system, consisting of SpyTag and Sp圜atcher, in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. We developed a simple and specific method to in vivo tag and visualize, as well as isolate organelles of interest from crude plant extracts. Here we describe the use of this system to tag and purify plant organelles. The recently published SpySystem enables the in vitro and in vivo covalent linkage between proteins and protein complexes. Moreover, barely a protocol allows rapid and flexible isolation of different subcellular compartments. These procedures are often time consuming, require substantial amounts of plant material, have low yield or do not result in pure organelle fractions. Turnbull made it clear that, although Armstrong strongly denied it, the British Government had tacitly allowed the publication of some other books about the Secret Service, books which tended to show the government in a better light.Up-to-now, several biochemical methods have been developed to allow specific organelle isolation from plant tissues. Much of the entertainment of the book comes from excerpts of the verbatim transcript of the trial, as Turnbull relentlessly pursues Sir Robert Armstrong, the British Cabinet Secretary, and forensically exposes the contradictions and absurdities of the government’s case. Nevertheless, it’s impossible to doubt that Turnbull has a very sharp mind and a very determined approach to advocacy. Naturally, Turnbull shows himself in a very good light, and of course one has to take that with several grains of salt. There’s some interesting autobiographical information and then we move to the case itself. The Spycatcher Trial is Turnbull’s own account of the ultimately successful proceedings which allowed Wright to publish his memoir, and it makes engrossing reading. Malcolm Turnbull took on the case when most other lawyers were advising Heinemann, the publishers, that it was hopeless. He had even offered to let the British ‘blue-pencil’ (edit) his book, but that offer had been rebuffed and the Thatcher Government was trying to claim that the mere existence of a book written by an ex-employee of the secret services was enough to cause Britain significant damage. The reason for the British to act this way may seem obvious but in fact Wright had been very careful in Spycatcher not to reveal any currently secret matters, or matters which could compromise current secret operations. The British Government (then headed by Margaret Thatcher) was furiously trying to supress its publication on the grounds of national security. Retired and living on a pittance in Tasmania, Wright had written a memoir of his career, revealing many embarrassing matters including the accusation that Sir Roger Hollis, one time head of MI5, had himself been a Russian mole. Set in 1987, it tells the tale of how Malcolm Turnbull (with the able help of his wife Lucy) represented Peter Wright, once an agent of the British Secret Service. I remember enjoying it at the time, and I thought it well worth looking at again, to get a better sense of Turnbull’s way of thinking. I bought and first read it over 25 years previously, but it was still sitting on my shelf, together with Spycatcher itself. Obviously the reason that I re-read this book in 2015 is because its author had just become the Prime Minister of Australia.
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