Drosophila clock can generate ectopic circadian clocks.
Circadian rhythms of behavior, physiology, and gene expression are present in diverse tissues and organisms. The function of the transcriptional activator, Clock, is necessary in both Drosophila and mammals for the expression of many core clock components. We demonstrate in Drosophila that Clock misexpression in nai;ve brain regions induces circadian gene expression. This includes major components of the pacemaker program, as Clock also activates the rhythmic expression of cryptochrome, a gene that CLOCK normally represses. Moreover, this ectopic clock expression has potent effects on behavior, radically altering locomotor activity patterns. We propose that Clock is uniquely able to induce and organize the core elements of interdependent feedback loops necessary for circadian rhythms.
Zhao
Jie
J
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
Kilman
Valerie L
VL
Keegan
Kevin P
KP
Peng
Ying
Y
Emery
Patrick
P
Rosbash
Michael
M
Allada
Ravi
R
D000818:Animals; D056926:CLOCK Proteins; D002828:Choristoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000235:genetics*; D056931:Cryptochromes; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005136:Eye Proteins; D025461:Feedback, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D005420:Flavoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000235:genetics; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
C120526:Clk protein, Drosophila; D056931:Cryptochromes; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D005420:Flavoproteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D014157:Transcription Factors; C119828:cry protein, Drosophila; C096445:tim protein, Drosophila; D056926:CLOCK Proteins