Receptor kinases in plant development

Receptor protein kinases (RPKs) are components of signal transduction pathways that elicit cellular responses to extracellular information. These proteins play an essential role in animal development, but the traditional thinking has been that the cell wall is a barrier to this type of signaling in plants and that most intercellular communication must therefore occur via the plasmodesmata. However, recent evidence indicates that RPKs are also essential for a variety of plant processes, including development. A combination of molecular and genetic analysis has revealed the existence of several plant proteins that possess the characteristics of RPKs, although their function as a receptor has yet to be demonstrated.