Signaling Peptides and Receptors Coordinating Plant Root Development

Small peptides mediate cell–cell communication to coordinate a variety of plant developmental processes. Signaling peptides specifically bind to the extracellular domains of receptors that belong to the receptor-like kinase family, and the peptide–receptor interaction activates a range of biochemical and physiological processes. The plant root is crucial for the anchorage of plants in soil as well as for the uptake of water and nutrients. Over recent years great progress has been made in the identification of receptors, structural analysis of peptide–receptor pairs, and characterization of their signaling pathways during plant root development. We review here recent advances in the elucidation of the functions and molecular mechanisms of signaling peptides, the peptide–receptor pairs that activate signal initiation, and their signaling pathways during root development.