Targeting the Plant Kinome: From MAPK Cascades to Receptor-Like Kinase Editing for Stress Resilience

Arooba Aslam1 and Zaib un Nisa1

1Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad Pakistan

Abstract

Plants rely on complex and highly coordinated signaling networks to perceive and respond to fluctuating environmental conditions. Central to these networks is the plant kinome, comprising large families of protein kinases that regulate growth, development, and stress adaptation. Major kinase groups, including mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), receptor-like kinases (RLKs), calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), and SNF1-related kinases (SnRKs), function as interconnected hubs that integrate extracellular stimuli, calcium dynamics, hormonal signals, and cellular energy status. Through tightly regulated phosphorylation events, these kinases orchestrate transcriptional reprogramming, metabolic adjustments, and physiological responses to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and heat, as well as biotic challenges like pathogen attack. Recent advances in phosphoproteomics, interactomics, and systems biology have revealed that stress signaling is governed by dynamic, multilayered kinase networks characterized by feedback regulation and extensive cross-talk. Parallel progress in genome editing, particularly CRISPR/Cas-based approaches, along with structural biology, computational modeling, and artificial intelligence, has enabled precise functional interrogation and rational modification of kinase genes. These integrative strategies provide new opportunities to fine-tune stress-responsive signaling while maintaining growth and yield. Collectively, kinome-centered approaches offer a promising framework for developing climate-resilient crops capable of sustaining productivity under increasingly variable environmental conditions.