Emerging roles of vascular brassinosteroid receptors of the BRI1-like family

•Arabidopsis BRI1-like receptors (BRLs) are localized in plant vascular tissues.•BRLs are conserved across plant species.•Structural studies propose similar activation mechanisms for BRI1 and BRLs.•BRLs receptor-specific roles are determined by its specific localization in the plant.•BRLs work in vascular development and the finely tuning plant responses to stress. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are essential hormones for plant growth and development that are perceived at the plasma membrane by a group of Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Kinases (LRR–RLKs) of the BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1) family. The BRI1 receptor was first discovered by genetic screenings based on the dwarfism of BR-deficient plants. There are three BRI1 homologs, named BRI1-like 1, 2 and 3 (BRLs), yet only BRL1 and BRL3 behave as functional BR receptors. Whereas the BRI1 pathway operates in the majority of cells to promote growth, BRL receptor signaling operates under specific spatiotemporal constraints. Despite a wealth of information on the BRI1 pathway, data on specific BRL pathways and their biological relevance is just starting to emerge. Here, we systematically compare BRLs with BRI1 to identify any differences that could account for specific receptor functions. Understanding how vascular and cell-specific BRL receptors orchestrate plant development and adaptation to the environment will help shed light on membrane signaling and cell communication in plants, while opening up novel possibilities to improve stress adaptation without penalizing growth.