Receptor-mediated endocytosis in plants

Binding of ligands activates cell-surface receptors and triggers a series of signalling events. The activation of the receptors accelerates their internalisation, a process called receptor-mediated endocytosis. Thus, entire receptor-ligand complexes are internalised and processed within the cell. Recent work in a variety of cellular and developmental animal systems further supports the idea that the role of endocytosis extends beyond simply controlling the number of receptors at the cell surface. It has been shown that endocytic transport of the receptor complexes regulates signal transduction and mediates the formation of specialised signalling complexes. Signal transduction events can also modulate specific components of the endocytic machinery. Receptor internalisation in plant cells has recently been demonstrated; however, evidence for receptor-mediated endocytosis in plants is just beginning to emerge. In this review, we highlight the most recent advances in the study of receptor-mediated endocytosis in animals and compare them with what is currently known in plant systems