TOR and RPS6 transmit light signals to enhance protein translation in deetiolating <i>Arabidopsis</i> seedlings

Abstract

Significance Light enhances the translation efficiency of thousands of mRNAs during photomorphogenic development in Arabidopsis , but the underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. Here we show that light activates the auxin-target of rapamycin (TOR)-ribosome protein S6 (RPS6) pathway to enhance translation in deetiolating Arabidopsis . We discovered that CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) represses TOR activity in dark-grown seedlings. The perception of far-red and blue light by photoreceptors inactivates COP1, which leads to the derepression of the auxin-TOR-RPS6 pathway and enhanced de novo protein synthesis. Our study revealed a light-triggered signaling pathway for translational regulation. This sophisticated regulation also functions to ensure that young seedlings have strict skotomorphogenic development in the dark and a timely switch to photomorphogenic development.