RLK — Lactuca sativa

Summary

LsRLK, located on chromosome 4 of garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa), encodes a transmembrane receptor protein serine/threonine kinase with a legume lectin domain, exhibiting coreceptor activity, histidine kinase activity, sugar binding, and protein homodimerization activity. The gene is associated with pollen aperture formation and development, somatic embryogenesis, cell differentiation, regulation of developmental growth, cellular responses to ethylene and salinity, upregulation of innate immune response, defense response to oomycetes, regulation of defense response to fungi, response to salicylate, and cytokinin signaling. It is linked to ethylene sensitivity, defense against herbivory, and methyl jasmonate-mediated stomatal closure. The protein localizes to the plasma membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, cytosol, nucleus, extracellular region, and pollen aperture. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to stomatal immunity and resistance to Pseudomonas syringae, while tomato studies link it to Fusarium crown and root rot resistance.