A constitutively active cryptochrome in Drosophila melanogaster.
Light-activated cryptochrome (CRY) regulates circadian photoresponses in Drosophila melanogaster. Removing the carboxy (C) terminus to create CRYDelta produces, in yeast, a light-independent, constitutively active form. Here we show that flies overexpressing CRYDelta have a longer free-running period of locomotor activity, as well as altered cycling kinetics of the clock proteins timeless (TIM) and period (PER). Moreover, at the cellular level, they show a reduction in the level of TIM and in the nuclear localization of TIM and PER in two significant clusters of behavioral pacemaker cells: the large and the small ventral lateral neurons (LN(v)s). These effects are similar to those seen in wild-type flies under continuous light and suggest a regulatory role for the C terminus of CRY on the photosensitive, photolyase-like part of the protein.
Dissel
Stephane
S
Department of Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK.
Codd
Veryan
V
Fedic
Robert
R
Garner
Karen J
KJ
Costa
Rodolfo
R
Kyriacou
Charalambos P
CP
Rosato
Ezio
E
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D056931:Cryptochromes; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D005420:Flavoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D008027:Light; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology
D056931:Cryptochromes; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005420:Flavoproteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C539040:PER protein, Drosophila; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins; C096445:tim protein, Drosophila