Rhythmic Expression of timeless: A Basis for Promoting Circadian Cycles in period Gene Autoregulation

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 270; no. 5237; pp. 808 - 810
• Main Authors: Sehgal, Amita, Rothenfluh-Hilfiker, Adrian, Hunter-Ensor, Melissa, Chen, Yifeng, Myers, Michael P., Young, Michael W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 03.11.1995; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Animals; Autoregulation; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Clocks - genetics; Circadian rhythm; Circadian Rhythm - genetics; Circadian rhythms; Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids; Coding; Darkness; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; Drosophila Proteins; Feedback (Response); Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gels; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes; Genes, Insect; Genetic aspects; Genetic mutation; Genetic regulation; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Invertebrata; Messenger RNA; Mutation; Neuroscience; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; Oscillation; Period Circadian Proteins; Proteins; Proteins - genetics; Proteins - metabolism; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA - genetics; RNA - metabolism; RNA probes; Gene product; Insecta; Drosophila; Molecular interaction; Biological rhythm; Circadian rhythm; Gene expression; Heterodimer; Drosophilidae; Regulation(control); Arthropoda; Mutation; Invertebrata; Diptera
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.270.5237.808

The clock gene timeless (tim) is required for circadian rhythmicity in Drosophila. The accumulation of tim RNA followed a circadian rhythm, and the phase and period of the tim RNA rhythm were indistinguishable from those that have been reported for per. The tim RNA oscillations were found to be dependent on the presence of PER and TIM proteins, which demonstrates feedback control of tim by a mechanism previously shown to regulate per expression. The cyclic expression of tim appears to dictate the timing of PER protein accumulation and nuclear localization, suggesting that tim promotes circadian rhythms of per and tim transcription by restricting per RNA and PER protein accumulation to separate times of day.