Role of receptor-like kinases in plant-pathogen interaction

Plants are sessile organisms inevitably exposed to pathogenic invasions eager to fully conquer their hosts. To cope with these challenges, plants have evolved a large collection of surface-localized receptor-like kinases (RLKs) and receptor-like proteins (RLPs) to perceive those signals and regulate plant immunity. The ability of this wide arsenal of receptors to recognize distinct ligands relies on the diversity of their extracellular domains evolved. Co-regulatory receptors frequently combine RLKs and RLPs forming receptor complexes to facilitate cellular signal transduction, mounting adequate defense responses. In this chapter, we summarize recent advances in understanding the roles of major components of plasma membrane-located receptor complexes in plant-pathogen interactions. We also illustrate the mechanisms used by pathogens to overcome this defensive layer by secreting effector proteins to promote pathogen colonization.