Circadian clocks in changing weather and seasons: lessons from the picoalga Ostreococcus tauri.
Daylight is the primary cue used by circadian clocks to entrain to the day/night cycle so as to synchronize physiological processes with periodic environmental changes induced by Earth rotation. However, the temporal daylight pattern is not the same every day due to erratic weather fluctuations or regular seasonal changes. Then, how do circadian clocks operate properly in varying weather and seasons? In this paper, we discuss the strategy unveiled by recent studies of the circadian clock of Ostreococcus tauri, the smallest free-living eukaryotic organism. It combines mechanisms controlling light inputs and clock sensitivity, shaping both the dynamics of the core circadian oscillator and its forcing by light so as to ensure stable and precise synchronization in all weather and seasons.
Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, Atomes et Molécules, Université Lille 1, CNRS, UMR 8523, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
Benjamin
B
Pfeuty
Quentin
Q
Thommen
Florence
F
Corellou
El Batoul
el B
Djouani-Tahri
Francois-Yves
FY
Bouget
Marc
M
Lefranc
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D020418:Algal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D057906:Circadian Clocks; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008027:Light; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D017440:Photoperiod; D012621:Seasons; D013045:Species Specificity; D014887:Weather
D020418:Algal Proteins