Peptide Signaling during Plant Reproduction

Abstract

Signaling Peptides and Plant Reproduction Processes Rapidly accumulating evidence suggests that small peptides play fundamental roles as signaling hormones in many plant growth and developmental processes [1-3]. Generally, the binding of small signaling peptides to receptor-like kinases (RLKs) induces their dimerization with coreceptors, bringing their cytoplasmic kinase domains together for signaling activation and initiates cellular signaling outputs. This apparently simple peptide perception mechanism can Plant signaling peptides are involved in cell-cell communication networks and coordinate a wide range of plant growth and developmental processes. Signaling peptides generally bind to receptor-like kinases, inducing their dimerization with co-receptors for signaling activation to trigger cellular signaling and biological responses. Fertilization is an important life event in flowering plants, involving precise control of cell-cell communications between male and female tissues. Peptide-receptor-like kinase-mediated signaling plays an important role in male-female interactions for successful fertilization in flowering plants. Here, we describe the recent findings on the functions and signaling pathways of peptides and receptors involved in plant reproduction processes including pollen germination, pollen tube growth, pollen tube guidance to the embryo sac, and sperm cell reception in female tissues.