title: Signature motif-guided identification of receptors for peptide hormones essential for root meristem growth.
abstract: Peptide-mediated cell-to-cell signaling has crucial roles in coordination and definition of cellular functions in plants. Peptide-receptor matching is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying peptide-mediated signaling. Here we report the structure-guided identification of root meristem growth factor (RGF) receptors important for plant development. An assay based on a signature ligand recognition motif (Arg-x-Arg) conserved in a subfamily of leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases (LRR-RKs) identified the functionally uncharacterized LRR-RK At4g26540 as a receptor of RGF1 (RGFR1). We further solved the crystal structure of RGF1 in complex with the LRR domain of RGFR1 at a resolution of 2.6 Å, which reveals that the Arg-x-Gly-Gly (RxGG) motif is responsible for specific recognition of the sulfate group of RGF1 by RGFR1. Based on the RxGG motif, we identified additional four RGFRs. Participation of the five RGFRs in RGF-induced signaling is supported by biochemical and genetic data. We also offer evidence showing that SERKs function as co-receptors for RGFs. Taken together, our study identifies RGF receptors and co-receptors that can link RGF signals with their downstream components and provides a proof of principle for structure-based matching of LRR-RKs with their peptide ligands.
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
authors.forename: Jizong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
authors.forename: Heqiao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
authors.forename: Jiao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
authors.forename: Guangzhong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.|Department of Biology, South University of Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
authors.forename: Yichuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Wenyang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
authors.forename: Zhifu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.|Department of Biology, South University of Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
authors.forename: Jijie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chai
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008024:Ligands; D000073658:Loss of Function Mutation; D018519:Meristem / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D008024:Ligands; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases