Abstract
Receptor-like kinases (RLKs) belong to the large gene family and play important roles in several biological processes such as growth, development and defense responses. Recently, several plant RLKs have been proven to be required for plant-pathogen or plant-symbiont interactions. To understand the diversity and function of RLKs of legume, we tried to identify RLK gene family in the genome of model legume Lotus japonicus and classified them by their protein domains. By comparing Lotus RLK genes to that of Arabidopsis, we found that several RLK subfamilies which proposed to be involved in the response to rhizobium or plant pathogen have expanded in Lotus genome. Among these subfamilies, we focused on LysM and LRRXII RLK family to understand phylogenetic and microsyntenic relations with Medicago and Arabidopsis. In this study, we will present the diversity of Legume RLKs and suggest their importance in plant-microbe interactions.
