# s-phyto: versatile SERK1, in shedding and growing ...

<< During  their  life,  plants  constantly  renew  themselves.  They  sprout  new  leaves  in  the  spring  and shed  them  in  the  fall.  >>

<< When  it  is time  to  shed  an  organ,  a  small  hormone  binds  to  this  membrane  receptor  and,  together  with  a helper  protein,  the  abscission  process  is  initiated. >>

<< To  fully  initiate  the abscission  process,  another  player  is  needed:  the  helper  protein  SERK1. >>

<< The  fascinating  thing  about  SERK1  is  that  it  not  only  plays  a  role  in  the  shedding  mechanism  of plant  organs,  but  also  acts  together  with  other  membrane  receptors  that  regulate  totally  different aspects  of  plant  development >>

<< Indeed,  SERK1  is  a versatile  helper  protein  shared  between  different  signaling  pathways.  When  bound  to  another protein  receptor,  it  can  also  for  example  signal  the  plant  to  grow. >>

Unveiling the withering process. April 14, 2016

http://scienmag.com/unveiling-the-withering-process/

Julia Santiago, Benjamin Brandt, et al.
Mechanistic insight into a peptide hormone signaling complex mediating floral organ abscission. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15075. Published April 8, 2016. eLife 2016;10.7554/eLife.15075

http://elifesciences.org/content/5/e15075v1