How Membrane Receptors Mediate Biochemical Responses in Leaf Development under Environmental Stresses

The architecture, shape, size, and structure of leaves are regulated by endogenous and exogenous signals, including phytohormones, various stresses, and pathogens. Plants can sense these stimuli through various receptors, which trigger intracellular signaling cascades, modulate gene expression, and guide leaf development. In recent years, many receptors located at the plasma membrane have been reported to participate in leaf development in response to developmental signals and environmental factors. These membrane receptors, which perceive signals in epidermis cells, mesophyll cells, and vascular tissues, act as the "eyes" of plants to regulate leaf development, especially under various stresses. In this review, we briefly summarize the signaling mechanisms mediated by membrane receptors during leaf development, including the upstream factors influencing leaf development, their dedicated membrane receptors, and their downstream signaling pathways. Plants perceive external signals (such as salt, drought, pathogens, etc.) through receptors, which then initiate signal transduction cascades and ultimately form a regulatory network. Understanding how plant membrane receptors sense, decode, and transduce signals has important theoretical and practical implications for the study of plant responses to the environment and the genetic improvement of crop resistance to stress conditions imposed by the external milieu.