Comparisons of two receptor-MAPK pathways in a single cell-type reveal mechanisms of signalling specificity.

Cells harbour numerous receptor pathways to respond to diverse stimuli, yet often share common downstream signalling components. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MPK) cascades are an example of such common hubs in eukaryotes. How such common hubs faithfully transduce distinct signals within the same cell-type is insufficiently understood, yet of fundamental importance for signal integration and processing in plants.

Specificity models in MAPK cascade signaling.

The precise execution of various cellular functions relies on the maintenance of signaling specificity from input detection to cellular outputs. However, diverse signaling pathways share similar or identical intermediate components. A well-conserved intermediate, the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) cascade, participates in a myriad of signaling pathways, regulating signal transduction from input to output.