Revista de Biodiversidad, Bioprospección y Desarrollo

Plant Protein Kinase and Protein-Protein Interaction

Abstract

Hooi Ling Ho

External and internal stimuli trigger the response of signals in the cell which amplified and communicated by various complex signal transduction networks are mostly initiated with the activation of different receptor proteins. These signaling networks perform as protective strategy to allow cells to cope with external stresses that usually restrain the plant growth and development. Protein kinases are among the most common cellular regulatory components of signal transduction in plants. Protein phosphorylation plays prominent role in various biochemical pathways in plants as a result of active implication in the regulation of cell growth and development. Therefore, protein kinase becomes the most common target used to improve plant growth and development. Gravity force, touch, light, gradients in temperature, humidity, ions, chemicals and oxygen are among the environmental elements influencing the physiological and biological aspects of plants. Hence, many different plant species adopt and response to different environmental stresses where they develop physiological strategies to generate their optimum growth. Beside the involvement in the signal transduction pathways, protein kinases also encourage the proteinprotein interaction events within the cells. Therefore, protein phosphorylation plays pivotal roles in activating the protein kinases and transcription factors in various signal transduction pathways. A process whereby a cell communicates and responses to the stimuli from external environment to alter its growth, development, physiology and morphology is known as signal transduction. This signal transduction process involves a serial of biochemical phenomenon that are performed and conducted by many types of enzymes within the cells. Most of the signals are perceived and recognized at the cell surface. The integration and interaction of various signaling information and activities are important, for example, addition of a phosphate to a protein kinase to target the protein substrate. Hence, modification of protein forms protein-protein interaction useful for signal transduction in plant growth and development.