title: A kinase for light and time.
abstract: The eukaryotic filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa has proven to be a dependable model system for the analysis of light-regulated gene expression and circadian rhythmicity. The molecular basis of the core circadian clock is a transcription/translation-based feedback loop in which a heterodimer of the white-collar 1 (WC-1) and white-collar 2 (WC-2) proteins act as a transcription factor to promote expression of the negative elements in the clock, frq mRNA and FRQ protein. Additionally, WC-1 is a flavoprotein that acts as the primary responder to environmental light and, in conjunction with WC-2, is the major photoreceptor for the clock as well as other light-regulated processes. Protein kinase C acts as a light-dependent regulator of the WC-1 protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, 7200 Vail Rm 413, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH 03755-3844, USA. jennifer.loros@darmouth.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Loros
mesh_terms: D001683:Biological Clocks; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008027:Light; D008954:Models, Biological; D009492:Neurospora crassa / Q000502:physiology*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C105589:wc-1 protein, Neurospora crassa; C103772:white collar 2 protein, Neurospora; D011493:Protein Kinase C