Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yi Liao, Michael J. Rust
Summary: The study shows that in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus, the clock generates rhythms in DNA replication to ensure successful completion of genome replication during the night, while providing resources in time to support the process.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yoshihiko Furuike, Atsushi Mukaiyama, Shin-Ichi Koda, Damien Simon, Dongyan Ouyang, Kumiko Ito-Miwa, Shinji Saito, Eiki Yamashita, Taeko Nishiwaki-Ohkawa, Kazuki Terauchi, Takao Kondo, Shuji Akiyama
Summary: KaiC is a dual ATPase that drives the circadian clock system of cyanobacteria through the coordination of its N-terminal and C-terminal active sites. The activities of these two sites are regulated differently and their delicate interactions drive the assembly and disassembly cycle of KaiA and KaiB.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mingxu Fang, Archana G. Chavan, Andy LiWang, Susan S. Golden
Summary: In this study, the researchers used the IVC reactions and massively parallel experiments to study entrainment, the synchronization of the circadian clock with the environment. The results showed that the IVC better explains the in vivo clock-resetting phenotypes of wild-type and mutant strains, and the output components are deeply engaged with the core oscillator, affecting the way input signals entrain the core pacemaker. These findings blur the line between input and output pathways and support the previous demonstration that key output components are fundamental parts of the clock.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eui Min Jeong, Miri Kwon, Eunjoo Cho, Sang Hyuk Lee, Hyun Kim, Eun Young Kim, Jae Kyoung Kim
Summary: In metazoan organisms, circadian rhythms are regulated by pacemaker neurons organized in a master-slave hierarchy. This study reveals the heterogeneity in molecular clockworks between master pacemakers and slave oscillators, with higher PER synthesis and turnover, as well as lower CLK levels in the master pacemakers. The distinct molecular clockwork of the master pacemakers allows them to generate strong rhythms and adapt flexibly to environmental changes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Ewan M. Stephenson, Laura E. J. Usselmann, Vinay Tergaonkar, David M. Virshup, Robert Dallmann
Summary: Circadian rhythms play a significant role in cancer biology, with clock genes impacting tumourigenesis through various pathways. However, the function of the clock can be both pro- and anti-tumourigenic depending on the model and cell type. To fully understand the role of the circadian clock in tumors, analysis of molecular clock status compared to healthy tissue is necessary.
ENDOCRINE-RELATED CANCER
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Miguel Fuentes-Cabrera, Jonathan K. Sakkos, Daniel C. Ducat, Maxim Ziatdinov
Summary: Carboxysomes are bacterial microcompartments found in cyanobacteria that play a crucial role in photosynthetic metabolism. The assembly and dynamics of carboxysomes are not well understood, partly due to the limitations of microscopy in analyzing subtle changes in carboxysome morphology. In this study, deep learning techniques were used to analyze fluorescence microscopy images of cyanobacteria and quantitatively evaluate the impact of carboxysome shell remodelling on microcompartment morphology over time. The results suggest that this approach can accelerate the analysis of carboxysome assembly and dynamics.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hazuki Hasegawa, Tatsuhiro Tsurumaki, Sousuke Imamura, Kintake Sonoike, Kan Tanaka
Summary: This study identified an upshift in the preferable temperature range for growth in a mutant strain of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 lacking the circadian rhythm regulator RpaA. The decrease in electron transport caused by RpaA was found to inhibit H2O2 generation under high-temperature conditions, contributing to the observed upshift in the preferable temperature range. The importance of the circadian rhythm regulator on the preferable temperature range for growth was discussed.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michal Dudek, Honor Morris, Natalie Rogers, Dharshika R. J. Pathiranage, Sujitha Saba Raj, Danny Chan, Karl E. Kadler, Judith Hoyland, Qing-Jun Meng
Summary: Studies on mice have shown that the sleep-wake cycle is crucial in regulating molecular and cellular processes in intervertebral discs (IVDs), and disruption to this cycle may contribute to IVD degeneration and musculoskeletal diseases. The research also found that mice with disrupted sleep-wake cycles exhibited changes in gene expression patterns in the IVD, leading to alterations in cell fate and extracellular matrix homeostasis. These findings may provide insights into the identification of new molecular targets for treating IVD degeneration.
Article
Plant Sciences
Kyohei Uemoto, Fumito Mori, Shota Yamauchi, Akane Kubota, Nozomu Takahashi, Haruki Egashira, Yumi Kunimoto, Takashi Araki, Atsushi Takemiya, Hiroshi Ito, Motomu Endo
Summary: The circadian clock in plants conveys circadian information between shoots and roots through sucrose and K+. Root sucrose accumulation is regulated by the circadian clock, and sucrose from the shoot regulates the expression of root clock genes. Additionally, root PRR7 regulates K+ transport and suppresses variance of period length in the shoot, contributing to the precision of the shoot circadian clock.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Physiology
Muege Yalcin, Annakarina Mundorf, Freya Thiel, Sandra Amatriain-Fernandez, Ida Schulze Kalthoff, Jan-Carl Beucke, Henning Budde, Susan Garthus-Niegel, Jutta Peterburs, Angela Relogio
Summary: This article addresses the role of the circadian clock in health and disease, particularly in relation to behavior, cognitive functioning, and mental health. The disruption of circadian rhythms is linked to the onset and progression of various pathologies. The article also highlights the potential use of circadian activators in delaying the progression of certain diseases.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Ying Li, Guang-Kun Zhang, Yan-Ming Ge
Summary: Cyanobacteria have a circadian clock system consisting of a transcriptional/translational feedback loop and a post-translational oscillator. The protein CikA plays a crucial role in the regulation of the circadian clock, enhancing sensitivity and adaptability. Mathematical models have shown that CikA regulation strengthens the central role of the post-translational oscillator and improves the system's ability to modulate its period against environmental changes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aliaa A. Alamoudi
Summary: Disruption of circadian clock may lead cancer cells to reprogram their metabolism. In unicellular organisms, activation of oxidative pentose phosphate pathway and production of NADPH are crucial for night survival. The circadian clock controls sugar metabolism, shifting between anabolic proliferation and homeostatic survival modes.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Paige Allard, Fotini Papazotos, Laurent Potvin-Trottier
Summary: Cells are dynamic, and the development of microfluidic methods allows for tracking and long-term observation of bacterial cells. This review focuses on the recent developments of a microfluidic device known as the mother machine, and discusses the associated analysis methods and modifications to the experimental setup.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jia Hwei Cheong, Xiao Qiu, Yang Liu, Ahmad Al-Omari, James Griffith, Heinz-Bernd Schuttler, Leidong Mao, Jonathan Arnold
Summary: We investigated the phase synchronization of cellular clocks and found that the macroscopic limit is 150,000 cells or less. The maximum radius of a hypothesized quorum sensing signal molecule was estimated to be 13.05 nm using a diffusion approximation for signal travel. By using a second microwell device, we refined the macroscopic limit to a cell density of 2166 cells per fixed area for phase synchronization.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Nils Reinhard, Frank K. Schubert, Enrico Bertolini, Nicolas Hagedorn, Giulia Manoli, Manabu Sekiguchi, Taishi Yoshii, Dirk Rieger, Charlotte Helfrich-Foerster
Summary: Drosophila's dorsal clock neurons (DNs) play an important role in regulating activity and connecting with downstream neurons in the fly's circadian system. Recent research has revealed the heterogeneity of these neurons, with some being strongly connected with lateral clock neurons (LNs) and others serving as output neurons. Additionally, two putative communication centers, located in the superior lateral protocerebrum and the posterior lateral protocerebrum, have been identified as potential key players in the clock network.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benoit Landrein, Pau Formosa-Jordan, Alice Malivert, Christoph Schuster, Charles W. Melnyk, Weibing Yang, Colin Turnbull, Elliot M. Meyerowitz, James C. W. Locke, Henrik Jonsson
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2018)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Noga Mosheiff, Bruno M. C. Martins, Sivan Pearl-Mizrahi, Alexander Gruenberger, Stefan Helfrich, Irina Mihalcescu, Dietrich Kohlheyer, James C. W. Locke, Leon Glass, Nathalie Q. Balaban
Article
Biology
Peter D. Gould, Morela Domijian, Mark Greenwood, Isao T. Tokuda, Hannah Rees, Laszlo Kozma-Bognar, Anthony J. W. Hall, James C. W. Locke
Article
Biology
Isao T. Tokuda, Ozgur E. Akman, James C. W. Locke
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sandra Cortijo, Zeynep Aydin, Sebastian Ahnert, James C. W. Locke
MOLECULAR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mark Greenwood, Mirela Domijan, Peter D. Gould, Anthony J. W. Hall, James C. W. Locke
Review
Plant Sciences
Mark Greenwood, James C. W. Locke
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eugene Nadezhdin, Niall Murphy, Neil Dalchau, Andrew Phillips, James C. W. Locke
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Review
Plant Sciences
Sandra Cortijo, James C. W. Locke
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Sandra Cortijo, Marcel Bhattarai, James C. W. Locke, Sebastian E. Ahnert
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christian P. Schwall, Torkel E. Loman, Bruno M. C. Martins, Sandra Cortijo, Casandra Villava, Vassili Kusmartsev, Toby Livesey, Teresa Saez, James C. W. Locke
Summary: Genetically identical individuals in bacterial populations can exhibit significant phenotypic variability, which can be functionally adjusted through stress level, environmental history, and genetic perturbations. The alternative sigma factor sigma(V) circuit in Bacillus subtilis generates functional phenotypic variability that can be tuned by stress level, environmental history, and genetic perturbations. This tunability is explained by the autoregulatory feedback structure of the sigV operon.
MOLECULAR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Katie Abley, Pau Formosa-Jordan, Hugo Tavares, Emily Y. T. Chan, Mana Afsharinafar, Ottoline Leyser, James C. W. Locke
Summary: Genetically identical plants can display heterogeneous phenotypes under the same conditions, and a study on Arabidopsis seed germination time has revealed the underlying mechanisms of this phenotypic variability. The research identified genetic loci and genes involved in modulating abscisic acid sensitivity, showing that the ABA-GA network acts as a bistable switch in the decision to germinate. A simple stochastic model of this network was validated through experimental observations, providing a foundation for understanding phenotypic variability in germination time.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mark Greenwood, Isao T. Tokuda, James C. W. Locke
Summary: Individual plant cells possess a circadian clock that times internal processes to the day-night cycle. This clock is regulated by a genetic network and is sensitive to light. The cells communicate their timing through local or long-distance sharing of clock components, allowing for spatial coordination. Local coupling minimizes timing errors caused by noisy light-dark cycles and maintains different clock phases in different plant regions.
MOLECULAR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
William Davis, Motomu Endo, James C. W. Locke
Summary: Plants have evolved a genetic network, called the circadian clock, to coordinate processes with day/night cycles. This clock regulates development and influences various physiological aspects of plants. Recent advancements in technology have provided insights into the spatial view and specificity of this clock regulation, highlighting its significance in providing fitness benefits for plants.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paul K. Grant, Gregory Szep, Om Patange, Jacob Halatek, Valerie Coppard, Attila Csikasz-Nagy, Jim Haseloff, James C. W. Locke, Neil Dalchau, Andrew Phillips
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)