Enhanced fitness conferred by naturally occurring variation in the circadian clock

Natural variation in clock parameters is necessary for the circadian clock to contribute to organismal fitness over a broad geographic range. Considerable variation is evident in the period, phase, and amplitude of 150 Arabidopsis accessions, and the period length is correlated with the day length at the latitude of origin, implying the adaptive significance of correctly regulated circadian timing. Quantitative trait loci analysis of recombinant inbred lines indicates that multiple loci interact to determine period, phase, and amplitude. The loss-of-function analysis of each member of the ARABIDOPSIS PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR family suggests that they are candidates for clock quantitative trait loci.     

Photic induction of mPer1 and mPer2 in cry-deficient mice lacking a biological clock

Mice lacking mCry1 and mCry2 are behaviorally arrhythmic. As shown here, cyclic expression of the clock genes mPer1 and mPer2 (mammalian Period genes 1 and 2) in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and peripheral tissues is abolished and mPer1 and mPer2 mRNA levels are constitutively high. These findings indicate that the biological clock is eliminated in the absence of both mCRY1 and mCRY2 (mammalian cryptochromes 1 and 2) and support the idea that mammalian CRY proteins act in the negative limb of the circadian feedback loop. The mCry double-mutant mice retain the ability to have mPer1 and mPer2 expression induced by a brief light stimulus known to phase-shift the biological clock in wild-type animals. Thus, mCRY1 and mCRY2 are dispensable for light-induced phase shifting of the biological clock.     

An inherited functional circadian clock in zebrafish embryos

Circadian clocks are time-keeping systems found in most organisms. In zebrafish, expression of the clock gene Period3 (Per3) oscillates throughout embryogenesis in the central nervous system and the retina. Per3 rhythmic expression was free-running and was reset by light but not by the developmental delays caused by low temperature. The time of fertilization had no effect on Per3 expression. Per3 messenger RNA accumulates rhythmically in oocytes and persists in embryos. Our results establish that the circadian clock functions during early embryogenesis in zebrafish. Inheritance of maternal clock gene products suggests a mechanism of phase inheritance through ovogenesis.     

Turnover of rat liver tyrosine transaminase: stabilization after inhibition of protein synthesis

Turnover of the rat liver tyrosine transaminase in vivo was measured by a label and chase procedure under conditions where the amount of enzyme undergoes no change. Half-life of the (14)C-labeled enzyme in this basal condition was found to be 1.5 +/- 0.3 hours. Inhibitors of protein synthesis (cycloheximide or puromycin) do not appreciably influence the basal enzyme level over a 5-hour period, although these drugs will block hormonal induction of this enzyme. In pulse-labeling experiments, cycloheximide blocked transaminase synthesis almost completely. The conclusion that enzyme degradation, as well as synthesis, must be blocked when protein synthesis is stopped was confirmed in experiments showing that labeled enzyme is stable in the liver of rats treated with cycloheximide The participation of a continuously synthesized polypeptide in the degradative phase of transaminase turnover is suggested.     

JETLAG resets the Drosophila circadian clock by promoting light-induced degradation of TIMELESS

Organisms ranging from bacteria to humans synchronize their internal clocks to daily cycles of light and dark. Photic entrainment of the Drosophila clock is mediated by proteasomal degradation of the clock protein TIMELESS (TIM). We have identified mutations in jetlag-a gene coding for an F-box protein with leucine-rich repeats-that result in reduced light sensitivity of the circadian clock. Mutant flies show rhythmic behavior in constant light, reduced phase shifts in response to light pulses, and reduced light-dependent degradation of TIM. Expression of JET along with the circadian photoreceptor cryptochrome (CRY) in cultured S2R cells confers light-dependent degradation onto TIM, thereby reconstituting the acute response + of the circadian clock to light in a cell culture system. Our results suggest that JET is essential for resetting the clock by transmitting light signals from CRY to TIM.     

AWGN信道下小波多速率调制的时钟提取

为解决极值点抖动和假同步问题,首先在分析AWGN信道下小波多速率调制最佳接收的基础上,应用单子带上的最大似然估计方法,提出了改进的同步时钟提取算法,不仅能准确估计小波相位延时,而且可以校正收发时钟的频率偏差。在此基础上,对相位误差函数进行了重新定义,并分析了它在抗假同步和提高稳定性上所作的改进。仿真结果表明,该算法具有快速、稳定的收敛性能和随尺度增大而逐级优化的误码性能。     

Carrier-envelope phase control of femtosecond mode-locked lasers and direct optical frequency synthesis

We stabilized the carrier-envelope phase of the pulses emitted by a femtosecond mode-locked laser by using the powerful tools of frequency-domain laser stabilization. We confirmed control of the pulse-to-pulse carrier-envelope phase using temporal cross correlation. This phase stabilization locks the absolute frequencies emitted by the laser, which we used to perform absolute optical frequency measurements that were directly referenced to a stable microwave clock.     

Biochemical modeling of an autonomously oscillatory circadian clock in Euglena

Eukaryotic microorganisms, as well as higher animals and plants, display many autonomous physiological and biochemical rhythmicities having periods approximating 24 hours. In an attempt to determine the nature of the timing mechanisms that are responsible for these circadian periodicities, two primary operational assumptions were postulated. Both the perturbation of a putative element of a circadian clock within its normal oscillatory range and the direct activation as well as the inhibition of such an element should yield a phase shift of an overt rhythm generated by the underlying oscillator. Results of experiments conducted in the flagellate Euglena suggest that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), the mitochondrial Ca2+-transport system, Ca2+, calmodulin, NAD+ kinase, and NADP+ phosphatase represent clock "gears" that, in ensemble, might constitute a self-sustained circadian oscillating loop in this and other organisms.     

Synchrony dynamics during initiation, failure, and rescue of the segmentation clock

The "segmentation clock" is thought to coordinate sequential segmentation of the body axis in vertebrate embryos. This clock comprises a multicellular genetic network of synchronized oscillators, coupled by intercellular Delta-Notch signaling. How this synchrony is established and how its loss determines the position of segmentation defects in Delta and Notch mutants are unknown. We analyzed the clock's synchrony dynamics by varying strength and timing of Notch coupling in zebra-fish embryos with techniques for quantitative perturbation of gene function. We developed a physical theory based on coupled phase oscillators explaining the observed onset and rescue of segmentation defects, the clock's robustness against developmental noise, and a critical point beyond which synchrony decays. We conclude that synchrony among these genetic oscillators can be established by simultaneous initiation and self-organization and that the segmentation defect position is determined by the difference between coupling strength and noise.     

Light-driven changes in energy metabolism directly entrain the cyanobacterial circadian oscillator

Circadian clocks are self-sustained biological oscillators that can be entrained by environmental cues. Although this phenomenon has been studied in many organisms, the molecular mechanisms of entrainment remain unclear. Three cyanobacterial proteins and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) are sufficient to generate oscillations in phosphorylation in vitro. We show that changes in illumination that induce a phase shift in cultured cyanobacteria also cause changes in the ratio of ATP to adenosine diphosphate (ADP). When these nucleotide changes are simulated in the in vitro oscillator, they cause phase shifts similar to those observed in vivo. Physiological concentrations of ADP inhibit kinase activity in the oscillator, and a mathematical model constrained by data shows that this effect is sufficient to quantitatively explain entrainment of the cyanobacterial circadian clock.     

环己酰亚胺对烟草疫霉菌的抑制作用

利用生物测定法研究了环己酰亚胺对烟草疫霉的菌丝生长、孢子萌发的抑制作用,并进行了环己酰亚胺对烟草黑胫病的盆栽药效试验.结果表明:环己酰亚胺浓度为5μg/mL时对烟草疫霉菌的孢子萌发已起到明显的抑制作用,浓度为20μg/mL时抑制率达100%;环己酰亚胺能够抑制烟草疫霉菌丝的生长,在燕麦片培养基平板上,4μg/mL和8μg/mL的环己酰亚胺抑制效果达到84.0%和98.5%;在盆栽试验中15μg/mL的环己酰亚胺对烟草黑胫病的防治效果为75%.     

Microcomputer interfacing of a real-time clock for data acquisition and control applications

This article describes the interfacing of National Semiconductor's MM58167 real-time clock/calendar to a 6502 microprocessor-based SYM-1 microcomputer. The functions of the clock, details for interfacing to a microcomputer, programming required, and use of its special features are described.A real-time clock/calendar is an essential part of many microcomputer data acquisition and control systems. It provides a 24-hour clock and an accurate interval timer for data acquisition and control functions. The main advantage of a real-time clock is that it keeps track of true time independent of software execution speeds.The MM58167 clock is a CMOS integrated circuit in a 24-pin, dual-in-line package. It is designed for direct connection to the address and data buses of most common microcomputers. This application involved interfacing the clock with a SYM-1 6502-based microcomputer. The clock has eight counters and corresponding latches that contain months through thousands of seconds. The latches can be used for alarm-type functions. Low power battery backup is available through a special ‘power down’ mode. The clock has two interrupt outputs that can be used for control functions.     

Cycloheximide: its effects on activity are dissociable from its effects on memory

Cycloheximide, when injected subcutaneously or intracerebrally, produces changes in the activity level of mice. Isocycloheximide, injected intracerebrally, produces identical effects on activity, but it does not produce inhibition of cerebral protein synthesis or amnesia. Amphetamine, in doses that can antagonize the amnesic action of cycloheximide, does not antagonize the effect of cycloheximide on activity. Effects of cycloheximide on activity do not appear to be responsible for its amnesic action.     

Resetting of circadian time in peripheral tissues by glucocorticoid signaling

In mammals, circadian oscillators reside not only in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain, which harbors the central pacemaker, but also in most peripheral tissues. Here, we show that the glucocorticoid hormone analog dexamethasone induces circadian gene expression in cultured rat-1 fibroblasts and transiently changes the phase of circadian gene expression in liver, kidney, and heart. However, dexamethasone does not affect cyclic gene expression in neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This enabled us to establish an apparent phase-shift response curve specifically for peripheral clocks in intact animals. In contrast to the central clock, circadian oscillators in peripheral tissues appear to remain responsive to phase resetting throughout the day.     

Complex diel cycles of gene expression in coral-algal symbiosis

Circadian regulation of plant-animal endosymbioses is complicated by a diversity of internal and external cues. Here, we show that stress-related genes in corals are coupled to the circadian clock, anticipating major changes in the intracellular milieu. In this regard, numerous chaperones are "hard-wired" to the clock, effectively preparing the coral for the consequences of oxidative protein damage imposed by symbiont photosynthesis (when O(2) > 250% saturation), including synexpression of antioxidant genes being light-gated. Conversely, central metabolism appears to be regulated by the hypoxia-inducible factor system in coral. These results reveal the complexity of endosymbiosis as well as the plasticity regulation downstream of the circadian clock.     

Very low gene duplication rate in the yeast genome

The gene duplication rate in the yeast genome is estimated without assuming the molecular clock model to be approximately 0.01 to 0.06 per gene per billion years; this rate is two orders of magnitude lower than a previous estimate based on the molecular clock model. This difference is explained by extensive concerted evolution via gene conversion between duplicated genes, which violates the assumption of the molecular clock in the analyses of duplicated genes. The average length of the period of concerted evolution and the gene conversion rate are estimated to be approximately 25 million years and approximately 28 times the mutation rate, respectively.     

Failure of cycloheximide to induce tyrosine transaminase in the anesthetized rat

It was recently reported that cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, induces tyrosine transaminase in the liver of adrenalectomized rats. We have been unable to confirm this effect in the anesthetized animal and our data show that cycloheximide inhibits the induction caused by hydrocortisone in adrenalectomized rats or by stress in intact rats.     

菊花节律钟输出基因CmGI（GIGANTEA）的cDNA全长克隆、序列信息及定量表达分析

【目的】克隆菊花节律钟输出基因GIGANTEA的cDNA全长序列,进行序列信息学分析,研究其mRNA的相对定量表达。【方法】利用多聚酶链式反应（PCR）结合5′RACE、3′RACE技术,克隆节律钟输出基因GIGANTEA的cDNA全长序列,应用生物信息学软件对获得的基因核苷酸序列及编码的蛋白质序列进行分析;通过在线建模软件对蛋白质的三维结构进行建模预测;利用实时荧光定量PCR技术,用2-△△Ct法进行GIGANTEA的mRNA相对定量表达分析。【结果】从菊花品种‘Jinba’中克隆得到节律钟输出基因GIGANTEA的cDNA全长序列,核苷酸序列长度3 461 bp,开放阅读框3 453 bp,编码1 150个氨基酸。氨基酸序列分析显示,该基因编码的蛋白与植物节律钟输出基因GIGANTEA同源,命名为CmGI基因,序列提交到GenBank,登录号为JQ043439。序列比对显示与葡萄、蓖麻等的GI的相似度依次为76%、75%。构建类似蛋白系统进化树显示,菊花CmGI与拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana GIGANTEA,ABP96482.1）分子进化距离最近,其次是白菜（Brassica rapa GIGANTEA,AEB33730.1）;预测CmGI蛋白有6个跨膜螺旋多次跨膜;为转录因子,定位在细胞核中,为非分泌性蛋白质;不具备信号肽;对CmGI三级结构建模预测表明,蛋白核心结构符合转录因子与DNA结合常见的功能域HTH、HLH;采用荧光相对定量分析,菊花CmGI的表达呈昼夜节律表达模式;不同花芽分化阶段叶片中CmGI基因mRNA水平差异大,两个高峰值分别出现在花芽分化启动期和小花原基分化中期;营养生长的组培苗、长日照条件下的叶、芽、花蕾期均是痕量表达;盛花期表达量依次为叶片>舌状花>筒状花。【结论】从菊花中克隆得到节律钟输出基因CmGI,对该基因的进一步深入研究有助于探索光周期途径菊花成花的分子调控机制,可作为切花菊花期调控分子育种的目标基因。     

光照对小鼠下丘脑视上核及乳腺组织钟基因Clock表达的影响

分析光照对泌乳期小鼠下丘脑视上核(SCN)及乳腺组织内生物钟基因Clock表达的影响.采用荧光定量RT-PCR法测定不同光照条件下SCN和乳腺组织中Clock基因的昼夜表达规律.试验发现Clock基因的mRNA不但在SCN,而且在乳腺组织也具有昼夜节律性表达.在光照-黑暗交替光制下,SCN和乳腺组织Clock基因的mRNA表达的峰值相位存在约6 h的相位差;在全黑暗条件下,Clock基因的mRNA表达存在昼夜节律,SCN和乳腺组织Clock基因的mRNA表达的峰值相位基本同步.结果显示,Clock基因的昼夜节律表达具内源性特征;光照影响Clock基因mRNA的表达.