Bioinformatics Analysis of the Receptor-Like Kinase (RLK) Superfamily

Receptor-like kinases (RLKs) play key roles during development and in responses to the environment. In plant immunity, some members of RLKs function as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which, upon recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP), are recruited into active complexes to induce pathogen-triggered immunity (PTI). In this chapter, we describe the bioinformatics tools and procedures for the identification and phylogenetic classification of RLKs from different plant species as a framework for understanding RLK function in signal transduction and immunity.