植物RLP含有保守的模块组成：N端信号肽，胞外结构域（主要是LRR，但是也包括其它结构域，例如LysM等），单次跨膜区，短的细胞内肽段的一大类细胞膜表面蛋白。作为高等植物细胞表面主要的一类受体，受体蛋白大家族成员通过与受体激酶作用在植物生长发育、抗逆和抗病中起着关键作用：例如在植物气孔发育中具有重要的作用的TMM；在植物茎干细胞发育起作用的CLV2；在西红柿抗病反应中的Cf类R蛋白以及水稻几丁质受体CEBiP等等。我们希望利用我们实验室成熟的蛋白质结构生物学及与合作者完善的细胞与在体功能研究方法相结合，探索这些典型的植物受体蛋白的配体识别及受体复合物活化的机制,为农业可持续发展提供思路及方案。

Plant receptor like proteins (RLPs) have a conserved structural organization with an N-terminal peptide secretion peptide followed by an extracellular domain (mainly LRR and some other motifs like LysM), a single transmebrane segment and a short cytoplasmic C-terminal peptide. RLPs as surface receptors have critical roles in development, stress and disease resistance of plants by acting together with receptor kinases. Examples of RLPs include TMM critical for development of stomata, CLV2 for development of stem cells and Cf proteins as R proteins in tomato and the chitin receptor CEBiP for plant immunity. However, the structural mechanisms underlying RLP-mediated signaling remain largely unknown. Using structural biology coupled with cellular and functional studies, the current proposal aims to address the atomic mechanisms of how RLPs are involved in ligand recognition and activation of their RK partners. The knowledge of the mechanisms is expected to provide valuable information on agricultural practice.