Receptor Kinase Signaling in Plant Growth and Development

Plant receptor-like kinases (RLKs) form a vast family of single-pass transmembrane sensors that translate extracellular cues into intracellular responses, governing development, reproduction and stress adaptation. Each RLK comprises an extracellular ligand-binding region, a transmembrane helix and an intracellular serine/threonine kinase domain. Binding of peptide ligands, cell-wall fragments or environmental signals triggers receptor dimerization or co-receptor recruitment and subsequent phosphorylation cascades. A paradigmatic RLK, FERONIA, interacts with Rapid Alkalinisation Factor (RALF) peptides to regulate cell elongation, vacuolar expansion and defence responses. Accessory modules—such as leucine-rich repeat extensins and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins—serve as co-receptors or chaperones, refining ligand specificity and receptor trafficking to the plasma membrane. In tip-growing cells like pollen tubes and root hairs, Catharanthus roseus RLK1-like subfamily members coordinate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and polarised Ca2+ influx via NADPH oxidases and MLO calcium channels, ensuring steady growth and cell-wall integrity. Beyond development, RLKs integrate into hormone networks (jasmonate, brassinosteroid, salicylate) to modulate cell-wall remodelling under abiotic and biotic stresses. Through precise spatiotemporal control of ion fluxes, cytoskeletal dynamics and transcriptional programmes, receptor-kinase signalling constitutes a central nexus for plant form, function and resilience.

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Receptor Kinase Signaling in Plant Growth and Development publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in receptor kinase signaling in plant growth and development across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Receptor-like kinase (RLK): Transmembrane proteins with extracellular domains for ligand binding and intracellular kinase domains that phosphorylate downstream targets to transduce signals.

Rapid Alkalinisation Factor (RALF): Small secreted peptides that bind specific RLKs to regulate extracellular pH, ion fluxes and growth processes.

Leucine-rich repeat (LRR): A structural motif of tandem repeats rich in leucine residues forming a curved solenoid, mediating protein–protein interactions in receptors and co-receptors.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Chemically reactive oxygen derivatives that act as second messengers in signalling pathways and contribute to cell-wall cross-linking.

Ca2+ gradient: A spatial variation in cytosolic calcium concentration, often concentrated at the apical region of growing cells to direct vesicle trafficking and cytoskeletal organisation.

References

1. RALF signaling pathway activates MLO calcium channels to maintain pollen tube integrity. Cell Research (2023).
2. Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins as chaperones and co-receptors for FERONIA receptor kinase signaling in Arabidopsis. eLife (2015).
3. ANXUR Receptor-Like Kinases Coordinate Cell Wall Integrity with Growth at the Pollen Tube Tip Via NADPH Oxidases. PLOS Biology (2013).
4. Extracellular matrix sensing by FERONIA and Leucine‐Rich Repeat Extensins controls vacuolar expansion during cellular elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana. The EMBO Journal (2019).
5. EBP1 nuclear accumulation negatively feeds back on FERONIA-mediated RALF1 signaling. PLOS Biology (2018).