Review: Structural biology of cell surface receptor–ligand interactions (COPB)

In recent months, a flurry of papers have come out that reveal new insights into the structural interactions of cell-surface receptors with each other and with their ligands. This timely review by Moussu and Santiago captures the highlights, in case you haven’t been following along. The review features the BRI1 brassinosteroid receptor and its toggling between binding partners to switch from inactive to active; receptor interactions with Cys-rich peptides including those involved in epidermal patterning and fertilization; and other, less well-characterized receptor-ligand interactions. These new insights reveal the complexity of the “sensosomes” that cell-surface receptors are integral to, and also affirms that “seeing is believing”. (Summary by Mary Williams) Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 10.1016/j.pbi.2019.07.001