receptor-kinases
Receptor-kinases are cell-surface proteins that detect extracellular signals and trigger intracellular responses through phosphorylation cascades. In plants, they play a central role in perceiving environmental cues, pathogen threats, and developmental signals, making them essential regulators of immunity, growth, and stress adaptation. Understanding receptor-kinase signaling pathways is a key focus of plant molecular biology, offering insights into how plants sense and respond to their ever-changing environment.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-05-08
Scientists identified a gene in rapeseed (canola) called BnCrRLK1L1_5 that helps the plant resist a destructive fungal disease called Sclerotinia stem rot, which causes major crop losses worldwide. The gene works by regulating cell wall defenses and suppressing runaway cell death when the fungus attacks.
BnCrRLK1L1_5 was identified via genome-wide association study as a resistance gene against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Brassica napus, with expression strongly induced in resistant genotypes upon fungal inoculation.
Arabidopsis plants lacking the equivalent gene (FERONIA mutant fer-4) showed enhanced disease susceptibility, and adding BnCrRLK1L1_5 back restored resistance to levels exceeding wild-type plants.
Co-expression of BnCrRLK1L1_5 with a cell-death-triggering protein (BAX) in tobacco leaves significantly reduced necrosis and ion leakage, indicating the gene suppresses runaway cell death during infection.
