How the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii keeps time. 2010

Thomas Schulze, and Katja Prager, and Hannes Dathe, and Juliane Kelm, and Peter Kiessling, and Maria Mittag
Institute of General Botany and Plant Physiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Am Planetarium 1, 07743, Jena, Germany.

The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has two flagella and a primitive visual system, the eyespot apparatus, which allows the cell to phototax. About 40 years ago, it was shown that the circadian clock controls its phototactic movement. Since then, several circadian rhythms such as chemotaxis, cell division, UV sensitivity, adherence to glass, or starch metabolism have been characterized. The availability of its entire genome sequence along with homology studies and the analysis of several sub-proteomes render C. reinhardtii as an excellent eukaryotic model organism to study its circadian clock at different levels of organization. Previous studies point to several potential photoreceptors that may be involved in forwarding light information to entrain its clock. However, experimental data are still missing toward this end. In the past years, several components have been functionally characterized that are likely to be part of the oscillatory machinery of C. reinhardtii since alterations in their expression levels or insertional mutagenesis of the genes resulted in defects in phase, period, or amplitude of at least two independent measured rhythms. These include several RHYTHM OF CHLOROPLAST (ROC) proteins, a CONSTANS protein (CrCO) that is involved in parallel in photoperiodic control, as well as the two subunits of the circadian RNA-binding protein CHLAMY1. The latter is also tightly connected to circadian output processes. Several candidates including a significant number of ROCs, CrCO, and CASEIN KINASE1 whose alterations of expression affect the circadian clock have in parallel severe effects on the release of daughter cells, flagellar formation, and/or movement, indicating that these processes are interconnected in C. reinhardtii. The challenging task for the future will be to get insights into the clock network and to find out how the clock-related factors are functionally connected. In this respect, system biology approaches will certainly contribute in the future to improve our understanding of the C. reinhardtii clock machinery.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D013997 Time Factors Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations. Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D014158 Transcription, Genetic The biosynthesis of RNA carried out on a template of DNA. The biosynthesis of DNA from an RNA template is called REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION. Genetic Transcription
D016825 Chlamydomonas reinhardtii A species of GREEN ALGAE. Delicate, hairlike appendages arise from the flagellar surface in these organisms. Chlamydomonas reinhardii,Chlamydomonas reinhardius,Chlamydomonas reinhardtius,reinhardius, Chlamydomonas,reinhardtii, Chlamydomonas
D049490 Systems Biology Comprehensive, methodical analysis of complex biological systems by monitoring responses to perturbations of biological processes. Large scale, computerized collection and analysis of the data are used to develop and test models of biological systems. Biology, Systems
D057906 Circadian Clocks Biological mechanism that controls CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. Circadian clocks exist in the simplest form in cyanobacteria and as more complex systems in fungi, plants, and animals. In humans the system includes photoresponsive RETINAL GANGLION CELLS and the SUPRACHIASMATIC NUCLEUS that acts as the central oscillator. Circadian Clock System,Circadian Timing System,Circadian Clock,Circadian Clock Systems,Circadian Timing Systems,Clock System, Circadian,Clock Systems, Circadian,Clock, Circadian,Clocks, Circadian,System, Circadian Clock,System, Circadian Timing,Systems, Circadian Clock,Systems, Circadian Timing,Timing System, Circadian,Timing Systems, Circadian
D020543 Proteome The protein complement of an organism coded for by its genome. Proteomes

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