title: The cyanobacterial clock and metabolism.
abstract: Cyanobacteria possess the simplest known circadian clock, which presents a unique opportunity to study how rhythms are generated and how input signals from the environment reset the clock time. The kaiABC locus forms the core of the oscillator, and the remarkable ability to reconstitute oscillations using purified KaiABC proteins has allowed researchers to study mechanism using the tools of quantitative biochemistry. Autotrophic cyanobacteria experience major shifts in metabolism following a light-dark transition, and recent work suggests that input mechanisms that couple the day-night cycle to the clock involve energy and redox metabolites acting directly on clock proteins. We offer a summary of the current state of knowledge in this system and present a perspective for future lines of investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, 900 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, United States.
authors.forename: Gopal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pattanayak
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, 900 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, United States. Electronic address: mrust@uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rust
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001683:Biological Clocks; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D056925:Circadian Rhythm Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D003624:Darkness; D008027:Light; D008660:Metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D056925:Circadian Rhythm Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C114269:KaiA protein, cyanobacteria; C114270:KaiB protein, cyanobacteria; C114271:KaiC protein, cyanobacteria