D6 PROTEIN KINASE activates auxin transport-dependent growth and PIN-FORMED phosphorylation at the plasma membrane.

The directed cell-to-cell transport of the phytohormone auxin by efflux and influx transporters is essential for proper plant growth and development. Like auxin efflux facilitators of the PIN-FORMED (PIN) family, D6 PROTEIN KINASE (D6PK) from Arabidopsis thaliana localizes to the basal plasma membrane of many cells, and evidence exists that D6PK may directly phosphorylate PINs. We find that D6PK is a membrane-bound protein that is associated with either the basal domain of the plasma membrane or endomembranes. Inhibition of the trafficking regulator GNOM leads to a rapid internalization of D6PK to endomembranes. Interestingly, the dissociation of D6PK from the plasma membrane is also promoted by auxin. Surprisingly, we find that auxin transport-dependent tropic responses are critically and reversibly controlled by D6PK and D6PK-dependent PIN phosphorylation at the plasma membrane. We conclude that D6PK abundance at the plasma membrane and likely D6PK-dependent PIN phosphorylation are prerequisites for PIN-mediated auxin transport.