Plant dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase optimizes light-regulated growth and development in Arabidopsis

Light controls vegetative and reproductive development of plants. For a plant, sensing the light input properly ensures coordination with the ever-changing environment. Previously, we found that LIGHT-REGULATED WD1 (LWD1) and LWD2 regulate the circadian clock and photoperiodic flowering. Here, we identified Arabidopsis YET ANOTHER KINASE1 (AtYAK1), an evolutionarily conserved protein and a member of dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinases (DYRKs), as an interacting protein of LWDs. Our study revealed that AtYAK1 is an important regulator for various light responses, including the circadian clock, photomorphogenesis and reproductive development. AtYAK1 could antagonize the function of LWDs in regulating the circadian clock and photoperiodic flowering. By examining phenotypes of atyak1, we found that AtYAK1 regulated light-induced period-length shortening and photomorphogenic development. Moreover, AtYAK1 mediated plant fertility especially under inferior light conditions including low light and short-day length. This study discloses a new regulator connecting environmental light to plant growth.