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Fang M, LiWang A, Golden SS, Partch CL. The inner workings of an ancient biological clock. Trends Biochem Sci 2024; 49:236-246. [PMID: 38185606 PMCID: PMC10939747 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Circadian clocks evolved in diverse organisms as an adaptation to the daily swings in ambient light and temperature that derive from Earth's rotation. These timing systems, based on intracellular molecular oscillations, synchronize organisms' behavior and physiology with the 24-h environmental rhythm. The cyanobacterial clock serves as a special model for understanding circadian rhythms because it can be fully reconstituted in vitro. This review summarizes recent advances that leverage new biochemical, biophysical, and mathematical approaches to shed light on the molecular mechanisms of cyanobacterial Kai proteins that support the clock, and their homologues in other bacteria. Many questions remain in circadian biology, and the tools developed for the Kai system will bring us closer to the answers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxu Fang
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Circadian Biology, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Andy LiWang
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California - Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines, University of California - Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Susan S Golden
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Circadian Biology, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Carrie L Partch
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California - Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
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2
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Chakraborty C, Das A, Basak C, Roy S, Agarwal T, Ray S. Chloroplastic RecA protein from Physcomitrium patens is able to repair chloroplastic DNA damage by homologous recombination but unable to repair nuclear DNA damage. PHYSIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANTS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2057-2067. [PMID: 36573145 PMCID: PMC9789214 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-022-01264-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Plants are unavoidably exposed to a range of environmental stress factors throughout their life. In addition to the external environmental factors, the production of reactive oxygen species as a product of the cellular metabolic process often causes DNA damage and thus affects genome stability. Homologous recombination (HR) is an essential mechanism used for DNA damage repair that helps to maintain genome integrity. Here we report that the recombinase, PpRecA2, a bacterial RecA homolog from moss Physcomitrium patens can partially complement the function of Escherichia coli RecA in the bacterial system. Transcript analysis showed induced expression of PpRecA2 upon experiencing DNA damaging stressors indicating its involvement in DNA damage sensing and repair mechanism. Over-expressing the chloroplast localizing PpRecA2 confers protection to the chloroplast genome against DNA damage by enhancing the chloroplastic HR frequency in transgenic tobacco plants. Although it fails to protect against nuclear DNA damage when engineered for nuclear localization due to the non-availability of interacting partners. Our results indicate that the chloroplastic HR repair mechanism differs from the nucleus, where chloroplastic HR involves RecA as a key player that resembles the bacterial system. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01264-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrima Chakraborty
- Plant Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019 India
| | - Arup Das
- Plant Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019 India
| | - Chandra Basak
- Plant Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019 India
| | - Shuddhanjali Roy
- Plant Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019 India
| | - Tanushree Agarwal
- Plant Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019 India
| | - Sudipta Ray
- Plant Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019 India
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3
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Sasai M. Role of the reaction-structure coupling in temperature compensation of the KaiABC circadian rhythm. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010494. [PMID: 36067222 PMCID: PMC9481178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
When the mixture solution of cyanobacterial proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC, is incubated with ATP in vitro, the phosphorylation level of KaiC shows stable oscillations with the temperature-compensated circadian period. Elucidating this temperature compensation is essential for understanding the KaiABC circadian clock, but its mechanism has remained a mystery. We analyzed the KaiABC temperature compensation by developing a theoretical model describing the feedback relations among reactions and structural transitions in the KaiC molecule. The model showed that the reduced structural cooperativity should weaken the negative feedback coupling among reactions and structural transitions, which enlarges the oscillation amplitude and period, explaining the observed significant period extension upon single amino-acid residue substitution. We propose that an increase in thermal fluctuations similarly attenuates the reaction-structure feedback, explaining the temperature compensation in the KaiABC clock. The model explained the experimentally observed responses of the oscillation phase to the temperature shift or the ADP-concentration change and suggested that the ATPase reactions in the CI domain of KaiC affect the period depending on how the reaction rates are modulated. The KaiABC clock provides a unique opportunity to analyze how the reaction-structure coupling regulates the system-level synchronized oscillations of molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Sasai
- Department of Applied Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Complex Systems Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- * E-mail:
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4
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Simon D, Mukaiyama A, Furuike Y, Akiyama S. Slow and temperature-compensated autonomous disassembly of KaiB–KaiC complex. Biophys Physicobiol 2022; 19:1-11. [PMID: 35666689 PMCID: PMC9135616 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.bppb-v19.0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Damien Simon
- Research Center of Integrative Molecular Systems (CIMoS), Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
| | - Atsushi Mukaiyama
- Research Center of Integrative Molecular Systems (CIMoS), Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
| | - Yoshihiko Furuike
- Research Center of Integrative Molecular Systems (CIMoS), Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
| | - Shuji Akiyama
- Research Center of Integrative Molecular Systems (CIMoS), Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
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5
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Mechanism of autonomous synchronization of the circadian KaiABC rhythm. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4713. [PMID: 33633230 PMCID: PMC7907350 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84008-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyanobacterial circadian clock can be reconstituted by mixing three proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC, in vitro. In this protein mixture, oscillations of the phosphorylation level of KaiC molecules are synchronized to show the coherent oscillations of the ensemble of many molecules. However, the molecular mechanism of this synchronization has not yet been fully elucidated. In this paper, we explain a theoretical model that considers the multifold feedback relations among the structure and reactions of KaiC. The simulated KaiC hexamers show stochastic switch-like transitions at the level of single molecules, which are synchronized in the ensemble through the sequestration of KaiA into the KaiC–KaiB–KaiA complexes. The proposed mechanism quantitatively reproduces the synchronization that was observed by mixing two solutions oscillating in different phases. The model results suggest that biochemical assays with varying concentrations of KaiA or KaiB can be used to test this hypothesis.
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Scheurer NM, Rajarathinam Y, Timm S, Köbler C, Kopka J, Hagemann M, Wilde A. Homologs of Circadian Clock Proteins Impact the Metabolic Switch Between Light and Dark Growth in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:675227. [PMID: 34239525 PMCID: PMC8258377 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.675227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The putative circadian clock system of the facultative heterotrophic cyanobacterial strain Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 comprises the following three Kai-based systems: a KaiABC-based potential oscillator that is linked to the SasA-RpaA two-component output pathway and two additional KaiBC systems without a cognate KaiA component. Mutants lacking the genes encoding the KaiAB1C1 components or the response regulator RpaA show reduced growth in light/dark cycles and do not show heterotrophic growth in the dark. In the present study, the effect of these mutations on central metabolism was analyzed by targeted and non-targeted metabolite profiling. The strongest metabolic changes were observed in the dark in ΔrpaA and, to a lesser extent, in the ΔkaiAB1C1 mutant. These observations included the overaccumulation of 2-phosphoglycolate, which correlated with the overaccumulation of the RbcL subunit in the mutants, and taken together, these data suggest enhanced RubisCO activity in the dark. The imbalanced carbon metabolism in the ΔrpaA mutant extended to the pyruvate family of amino acids, which showed increased accumulation in the dark. Hence, the deletion of the response regulator rpaA had a more pronounced effect on metabolism than the deletion of the kai genes. The larger impact of the rpaA mutation is in agreement with previous transcriptomic analyses and likely relates to a KaiAB1C1-independent function as a transcription factor. Collectively, our data demonstrate an important role of homologs of clock proteins in Synechocystis for balanced carbon and nitrogen metabolism during light-to-dark transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina M. Scheurer
- Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Yogeswari Rajarathinam
- Applied Metabolome Analysis, Department of Molecular Physiology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Timm
- Department of Plant Physiology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Christin Köbler
- Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Kopka
- Applied Metabolome Analysis, Department of Molecular Physiology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Martin Hagemann
- Department of Plant Physiology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Annegret Wilde
- Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Annegret Wilde
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Tuning the circadian period of cyanobacteria up to 6.6 days by the single amino acid substitutions in KaiC. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:20926-20931. [PMID: 32747571 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005496117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The circadian clock of cyanobacteria consists of only three clock proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC, which generate a circadian rhythm of KaiC phosphorylation in vitro. The adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity of KaiC is the source of the 24-h period and temperature compensation. Although numerous circadian mutants of KaiC have been identified, the tuning mechanism of the 24-h period remains unclear. Here, we show that the circadian period of in vitro phosphorylation rhythm of mutants at position 402 of KaiC changed dramatically, from 15 h (0.6 d) to 158 h (6.6 d). The ATPase activities of mutants at position 402 of KaiC, without KaiA and KaiB, correlated with the frequencies (1/period), indicating that KaiC structure was the source of extra period change. Despite the wide-range tunability, temperature compensation of both the circadian period and the KaiC ATPase activity of mutants at position 402 of KaiC were nearly intact. We also found that in vivo and in vitro circadian periods and the KaiC ATPase activity of mutants at position 402 of KaiC showed a correlation with the side-chain volume of the amino acid at position 402 of KaiC. Our results indicate that residue 402 is a key position of determining the circadian period of cyanobacteria, and it is possible to dramatically alter the period of KaiC while maintaining temperature compensation.
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Shi Y, Zhao X, Guo S, Dong S, Wen Y, Han Z, Jin W, Chen Y. ZmCCA1a on Chromosome 10 of Maize Delays Flowering of Arabidopsis thaliana. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:78. [PMID: 32153606 PMCID: PMC7044342 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays) is a major cereal crop that originated at low latitudes, and thus photoperiod sensitivity is an important barrier to the use of tropical/subtropical germplasm in temperate regions. However, studies of the mechanisms underlying circadian regulation in maize are at an early stage. In this study we cloned ZmCCA1a on chromosome 10 of maize by map-based cloning. The gene is homologous to the Myb transcription factor genes AtCCA1/AtLHY in Arabidopsis thaliana; the deduced Myb domain of ZmCCA1a showed high similarity with that of AtCCA1/AtLHY and ZmCCA1b. Transiently or constitutively expressed ZmCCA1a-YFPs were localized to nuclei of Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts, agroinfiltrated tobacco leaves, and leaf and root cells of transgenic seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana. Unlike AtCCA1/AtLHY, ZmCCA1a did not form homodimers nor interact with ZmCCA1b. Transcripts of ZmCCA1a showed circadian rhythm with peak expression around sunrise in maize inbred lines CML288 (photoperiod sensitive) and Huangzao 4 (HZ4; photoperiod insensitive). Under short days, transcription of ZmCCA1a in CML288 and HZ4 was repressed compared with that under long days, whereas the effect of photoperiod on ZmCCA1a expression was moderate in HZ4. In ZmCCA1a-overexpressing A. thaliana (ZmCCA1a-ox) lines, the circadian rhythm was disrupted under constant light and flowering was delayed under long days, but the hypocotyl length was not affected. In addition, expression of endogenous AtCCA1/AtLHY and the downstream genes AtGI, AtCO, and AtFt was repressed in ZmCCA1a-ox seedlings. The present results suggest that the function of ZmCCA1a is similar, at least in part, to that of AtCCA1/AtLHY and ZmCCA1b, implying that ZmCCA1a is likely to be an important component of the circadian clock pathway in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Shi
- College of Agronomy/National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiyong Zhao
- Crop Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Sha Guo
- College of Agronomy/National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shifeng Dong
- College of Agronomy/National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yanpeng Wen
- College of Agronomy/National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zanping Han
- College of Agronomy, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Weihuan Jin
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yanhui Chen
- College of Agronomy/National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
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9
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Cooperative Binding of KaiB to the KaiC Hexamer Ensures Accurate Circadian Clock Oscillation in Cyanobacteria. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20184550. [PMID: 31540310 PMCID: PMC6769508 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The central oscillator generating cyanobacterial circadian rhythms comprises KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC proteins. Their interactions cause KaiC phosphorylation and dephosphorylation cycles over approximately 24 h. KaiB interacts with phosphorylated KaiC in competition with SasA, an output protein harboring a KaiB-homologous domain. Structural data have identified KaiB–KaiC interaction sites; however, KaiB mutations distal from the binding surfaces can impair KaiB–KaiC interaction and the circadian rhythm. Reportedly, KaiB and KaiC exclusively form a complex in a 6:6 stoichiometry, indicating that KaiB–KaiC hexamer binding shows strong positive cooperativity. Here, mutational analysis was used to investigate the functional significance of this cooperative interaction. Results demonstrate that electrostatic complementarity between KaiB protomers promotes their cooperative assembly, which is indispensable for accurate rhythm generation. SasA does not exhibit such electrostatic complementarity and noncooperatively binds to KaiC. Thus, the findings explain KaiB distal mutation effects, providing mechanistic insights into clock protein interplay.
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Ouyang D, Furuike Y, Mukaiyama A, Ito-Miwa K, Kondo T, Akiyama S. Development and Optimization of Expression, Purification, and ATPase Assay of KaiC for Medium-Throughput Screening of Circadian Clock Mutants in Cyanobacteria. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20112789. [PMID: 31181593 PMCID: PMC6600144 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20112789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The slow but temperature-insensitive adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis reaction in KaiC is considered as one of the factors determining the temperature-compensated period length of the cyanobacterial circadian clock system. Structural units responsible for this low but temperature-compensated ATPase have remained unclear. Although whole-KaiC scanning mutagenesis can be a promising experimental strategy, producing KaiC mutants and assaying those ATPase activities consume considerable time and effort. To overcome these bottlenecks for in vitro screening, we optimized protocols for expressing and purifying the KaiC mutants and then designed a high-performance liquid chromatography system equipped with a multi-channel high-precision temperature controller to assay the ATPase activity of multiple KaiC mutants simultaneously at different temperatures. Through the present protocol, the time required for one KaiC mutant is reduced by approximately 80% (six-fold throughput) relative to the conventional protocol with reasonable reproducibility. For validation purposes, we picked up three representatives from 86 alanine-scanning KaiC mutants preliminarily investigated thus far and characterized those clock functions in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyan Ouyang
- Research Center of Integrative Molecular Systems (CIMoS), Institute for Molecular Science, National Institute for Natural Sciences, 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
| | - Yoshihiko Furuike
- Research Center of Integrative Molecular Systems (CIMoS), Institute for Molecular Science, National Institute for Natural Sciences, 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
- Department of Functional Molecular Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
| | - Atsushi Mukaiyama
- Research Center of Integrative Molecular Systems (CIMoS), Institute for Molecular Science, National Institute for Natural Sciences, 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
- Department of Functional Molecular Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
| | - Kumiko Ito-Miwa
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University; Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan.
| | - Takao Kondo
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University; Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan.
| | - Shuji Akiyama
- Research Center of Integrative Molecular Systems (CIMoS), Institute for Molecular Science, National Institute for Natural Sciences, 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
- Department of Functional Molecular Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
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Sasai M. Effects of Stochastic Single-Molecule Reactions on Coherent Ensemble Oscillations in the KaiABC Circadian Clock. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:702-713. [PMID: 30629448 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b10584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
How do many constituent molecules in a biochemical system synchronize, giving rise to coherent system-level oscillations? One system that is particularly suitable for use in studying this problem is a mixture solution of three cyanobacterial proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC: the phosphorylation level of KaiC shows stable oscillations with a period of approximately 24 h when these three Kai proteins are incubated with ATP in vitro. Here, we analyze the mechanism behind synchronization in the KaiABC system theoretically by enhancing a model previously developed by the present author. Our simulation results suggest that positive feedback between stochastic ATP hydrolysis and the allosteric structural transitions in KaiC molecules drives oscillations of individual molecules and promotes synchronization of oscillations of many KaiC molecules. Our simulations also show that the ATPase activity of KaiC is correlated with the oscillation frequency of an ensemble of KaiC molecules. These results suggest that stochastic ATP hydrolysis in each KaiC molecule plays an important role in regulating the coherent system-level oscillations. This property is robust against changes in the binding and unbinding rate constants for KaiA to/from KaiC or KaiB, but the oscillations are sensitive to the rate constants of the KaiC phosphorylation and dephosphorylation reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Sasai
- Department of Applied Physics , Nagoya University , Nagoya 464-8603 , Japan
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12
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Abstract
Life has adapted to Earth's day-night cycle with the evolution of endogenous biological clocks. Whereas these circadian rhythms typically involve extensive transcription-translation feedback in higher organisms, cyanobacteria have a circadian clock, which functions primarily as a protein-based post-translational oscillator. Known as the Kai system, it consists of three proteins KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC. In this chapter, we provide a detailed structural overview of the Kai components and how they interact to produce circadian rhythms of global gene expression in cyanobacterial cells. We discuss how the circadian oscillation is coupled to gene expression, intertwined with transcription-translation feedback mechanisms, and entrained by input from the environment. We discuss the use of mathematical models and summarize insights into the cyanobacterial circadian clock from theoretical studies. The molecular details of the Kai system are well documented for the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus, but many less understood varieties of the Kai system exist across the highly diverse phylum of Cyanobacteria. Several species contain multiple kai-gene copies, while others like marine Prochlorococcus strains have a reduced kaiBC-only system, lacking kaiA. We highlight recent findings on the genomic distribution of kai genes in Bacteria and Archaea and finally discuss hypotheses on the evolution of the Kai system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost Snijder
- Snijder Bioscience, Zevenwouden 143, 3524CN, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ilka Maria Axmann
- Synthetic Microbiology, Biology Department, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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13
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Köbler C, Schultz SJ, Kopp D, Voigt K, Wilde A. The role of the Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 homolog of the circadian clock output regulator RpaA in day-night transitions. Mol Microbiol 2018; 110:847-861. [PMID: 30216574 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria exhibit rhythmic gene expression with a period length of 24 hours to adapt to daily environmental changes. In the model organism Synechococcuselongatus PCC 7942, the central oscillator consists of the three proteins KaiA, KaiB and KaiC and utilizes the histidine kinase SasA and its response regulator RpaA as output-signaling pathway. Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 contains in addition to the canonical kaiAB1C1 gene cluster two further homologs of the kaiB and kaiC genes. Here, we demonstrate that the SasA-RpaA system interacts with the KaiAB1C1 core oscillator only. Interaction with KaiC2 and KaiC3 proteins was not detected, suggesting different signal transduction components for the clock homologs. Inactivation of rpaA in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 leads to reduced viability of the mutant in light-dark cycles, especially under mixotrophic growth conditions. Chemoheterotrophic growth of the ∆rpaA strain in the dark was abolished completely. Transcriptomic data revealed that RpaA is mainly involved in the regulation of genes related to CO2 - acclimation in the light and to carbon metabolism in the dark. Further, our results indicate a link between the circadian clock and phototaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christin Köbler
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Siri-Jasmin Schultz
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Kopp
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Karsten Voigt
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Annegret Wilde
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,BIOSS Centre of Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
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14
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Das S, Terada TP, Sasai M. Single-molecular and ensemble-level oscillations of cyanobacterial circadian clock. Biophys Physicobiol 2018; 15:136-150. [PMID: 29955565 PMCID: PMC6018440 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.15.0_136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
When three cyanobacterial proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC, are incubated with ATP in vitro, the phosphorylation level of KaiC hexamers shows stable oscillation with approximately 24 h period. In order to understand this KaiABC clockwork, we need to analyze both the macroscopic synchronization of a large number of KaiC hexamers and the microscopic reactions and structural changes in individual KaiC molecules. In the present paper, we explain two coarse-grained theoretical models, the many-molecule (MM) model and the single-molecule (SM) model, to bridge the gap between macroscopic and microscopic understandings. In the simulation results with these models, ATP hydrolysis in the CI domain of KaiC hexamers drives oscillation of individual KaiC hexamers and the ATP hydrolysis is necessary for synchronizing oscillations of a large number of KaiC hexamers. Sensitive temperature dependence of the lifetime of the ADP bound state in the CI domain makes the oscillation period temperature insensitive. ATPase activity is correlated to the frequency of phosphorylation oscillation in the single molecule of KaiC hexamer, which should be the origin of the observed ensemble-level correlation between the ATPase activity and the frequency of phosphorylation oscillation. Thus, the simulation results with the MM and SM models suggest that ATP hydrolysis stochastically occurring in each CI domain of individual KaiC hexamers is a key process for oscillatory behaviors of the ensemble of many KaiC hexamers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumita Das
- Department of Computational Science and Engineering and Department of Applied Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603, Japan
| | - Tomoki P Terada
- Department of Computational Science and Engineering and Department of Applied Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603, Japan
| | - Masaki Sasai
- Department of Computational Science and Engineering and Department of Applied Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603, Japan
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15
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Murakami R, Hokonohara H, Che DC, Kawai T, Matsumoto T, Ishiura M. Atomic force microscopy analysis of SasA-KaiC complex formation involved in information transfer from the KaiABC clock machinery to the output pathway in cyanobacteria. Genes Cells 2018. [PMID: 29527779 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The cyanobacterial clock oscillator is composed of three clock proteins: KaiA, KaiB and KaiC. SasA, a KaiC-binding EnvZ-like orthodox histidine kinase involved in the main clock output pathway, exists mainly as a trimer (SasA3mer ) and occasionally as a hexamer (SasA6mer ) in vitro. Previously, the molecular mass of the SasA-KaiCDD complex, where KaiCDD is a mutant KaiC with two Asp substitutions at the two phosphorylation sites, has been estimated by gel-filtration chromatography to be larger than 670 kDa. This value disagrees with the theoretical estimation of 480 kDa for a SasA3mer -KaiC hexamer (KaiC6mer ) complex with a 1:1 molecular ratio. To clarify the structure of the SasA-KaiC complex, we analyzed KaiCDD with 0.1 mmol/L ATP and 5 mmol/L MgCl2 (Mg-ATP), SasA and a mixture containing SasA and KaiCDD6mer with Mg-ATP by atomic force microscopy (AFM). KaiCDD images were classified into two types with height distribution corresponding to KaiCDD monomer (KaiCDD1mer ) and KaiCDD6mer , respectively. SasA images were classified into two types with height corresponding to SasA3mer and SasA6mer , respectively. The AFM images of the SasA-KaiCDD mixture indicated not only KaiCDD1mer , KaiCDD6mer , SasA3mer and SasA6mer , but also wider area "islands," suggesting the presence of a polymerized form of the SasA-KaiCDD complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reiko Murakami
- Center for Gene Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Division of Biological Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hitomi Hokonohara
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan.,Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Dock-Chil Che
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoji Kawai
- Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takuya Matsumoto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ishiura
- Center for Gene Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Division of Biological Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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16
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Das S, Terada TP, Sasai M. Role of ATP Hydrolysis in Cyanobacterial Circadian Oscillator. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17469. [PMID: 29234156 PMCID: PMC5727317 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17717-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A cyanobacterial protein KaiC shows a stable oscillation in its phosphorylation level with approximately one day period when three proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC, are incubated in the presence of ATP in vitro. During this oscillation, KaiC hydrolyzes more ATP molecules than required for phosphorylation. Here, in this report, a theoretical model of the KaiABC oscillator is developed to elucidate the role of this ATP consumption by assuming multifold feedback relations among reactions and structural transition in each KaiC molecule and the structure-dependent binding reactions among Kai proteins. Results of numerical simulation showed that ATP hydrolysis is a driving mechanism of the phosphorylation oscillation in the present model, and that the frequency of ATP hydrolysis in individual KaiC molecules is correlated to the frequency of oscillation in the ensemble of many Kai molecules, which indicates that the coherent oscillation is generated through the coupled microscopic intramolecular and ensemble-level many-molecular regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumita Das
- Department of Computational Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan
| | - Tomoki P Terada
- Department of Computational Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan.,Department of Applied Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan
| | - Masaki Sasai
- Department of Computational Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan. .,Department of Applied Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan.
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17
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Schmelling NM, Lehmann R, Chaudhury P, Beck C, Albers SV, Axmann IM, Wiegard A. Minimal tool set for a prokaryotic circadian clock. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:169. [PMID: 28732467 PMCID: PMC5520375 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-0999-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circadian clocks are found in organisms of almost all domains including photosynthetic Cyanobacteria, whereby large diversity exists within the protein components involved. In the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 circadian rhythms are driven by a unique KaiABC protein clock, which is embedded in a network of input and output factors. Homologous proteins to the KaiABC clock have been observed in Bacteria and Archaea, where evidence for circadian behavior in these domains is accumulating. However, interaction and function of non-cyanobacterial Kai-proteins as well as homologous input and output components remain mainly unclear. RESULTS Using a universal BLAST analyses, we identified putative KaiC-based timing systems in organisms outside as well as variations within Cyanobacteria. A systematic analyses of publicly available microarray data elucidated interesting variations in circadian gene expression between different cyanobacterial strains, which might be correlated to the diversity of genome encoded clock components. Based on statistical analyses of co-occurrences of the clock components homologous to Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, we propose putative networks of reduced and fully functional clock systems. Further, we studied KaiC sequence conservation to determine functionally important regions of diverged KaiC homologs. Biochemical characterization of exemplary cyanobacterial KaiC proteins as well as homologs from two thermophilic Archaea demonstrated that kinase activity is always present. However, a KaiA-mediated phosphorylation is only detectable in KaiC1 orthologs. CONCLUSION Our analysis of 11,264 genomes clearly demonstrates that components of the Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 circadian clock are present in Bacteria and Archaea. However, all components are less abundant in other organisms than Cyanobacteria and KaiA, Pex, LdpA, and CdpA are only present in the latter. Thus, only reduced KaiBC-based or even simpler, solely KaiC-based timing systems might exist outside of the cyanobacterial phylum, which might be capable of driving diurnal oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas M. Schmelling
- Institute for Synthetic Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstrasse 1, Duesseldorf, 40225 Germany
| | - Robert Lehmann
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 43, Berlin, 10115 Germany
| | - Paushali Chaudhury
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Institute of Biology II, Schaenzlestrasse 1, Freiburg, 79104 Germany
| | - Christian Beck
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 43, Berlin, 10115 Germany
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Institute of Biology II, Schaenzlestrasse 1, Freiburg, 79104 Germany
| | - Ilka M. Axmann
- Institute for Synthetic Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstrasse 1, Duesseldorf, 40225 Germany
| | - Anika Wiegard
- Institute for Synthetic Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstrasse 1, Duesseldorf, 40225 Germany
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18
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Bayramov SK. Mathematical Model of Self-Oscillations of Activity of Kai Proteins. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2017; 81:284-8. [PMID: 27262198 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297916030111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A non-autocatalytic mathematical model of self-oscillations in vitro in solutions of cyanobacterial Kai proteins (KaiA, KaiB, KaiC) and ATP is suggested. This model describes the process of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of KaiC protein, which is accelerated by KaiA and inhibited by KaiB. The method of metabolic control analysis is used to show that frequency (period) as well as amplitude of self-oscillations of components of Kai proteins are temperature-compensated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sh K Bayramov
- Azerbaijan Medical University, Baku, AZ1022, Azerbaijan.
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19
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Schmelling NM, Lehmann R, Chaudhury P, Beck C, Albers SV, Axmann IM, Wiegard A. Minimal Tool Set for a Prokaryotic Circadian Clock.. [DOI: 10.1101/075291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/19/2023]
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundCircadian clocks are found in organisms of almost all domains including photosynthetic Cyanobacteria, whereby large diversity exists within the protein components involved. In the model cyanobacteriumSynechococcus elongatusPCC 7942 circadian rhythms are driven by a unique KaiABC protein clock, which is embedded in a network of input and output factors. Homologous proteins to the KaiABC clock have been observed in Bacteria and Archaea, where evidence for circadian behavior in these domains is accumulating. However, interaction and function of non-cyanobacterial Kai-proteins as well as homologous input and output components remain mainly unclear.ResultsUsing a universal BLAST analyses, we identified putative KaiC-based timing systems in organisms outside as well as variations within Cyanobacteria. A systematic analyses of publicly available microarray data elucidated interesting variations in circadian gene expression between different cyanobacterial strains, which might be correlated to the diversity of genome encoded clock components. Based on statistical analyses of co-occurrences of the clock components homologous toSynechococcus elongatusPCC 7942, we propose putative networks of reduced and fully functional clock systems. Further, we studied KaiC sequence conservation to determine functionally important regions of diverged KaiC homologs. Biochemical characterization of exemplary cyanobacterial KaiC proteins as well as homologs from two thermophilic Archaea demonstrated that kinase activity is always present. However, a KaiA-mediated phosphorylation is only detectable in KaiC1 orthologs.ConclusionOur analysis of 11,264 genomes clearly demonstrates that components of theSynechococcus elongatusPCC 7942 circadian clock are present in Bacteria and Archaea. However, all components are less abundant in other organisms than Cyanobacteria and KaiA, Pex, LdpA, and CdpA are only present in the latter. Thus, only reduced KaiBC-based or even simpler, solely KaiC-based timing systems might exist outside of the cyanobacterial phylum, which might be capable of driving diurnal oscillations.
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20
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Conversion between two conformational states of KaiC is induced by ATP hydrolysis as a trigger for cyanobacterial circadian oscillation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32443. [PMID: 27580682 PMCID: PMC5007536 DOI: 10.1038/srep32443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyanobacterial circadian oscillator can be reconstituted in vitro by mixing three clock proteins, KaiA, KaiB and KaiC, with ATP. KaiC is the only protein with circadian rhythmic activities. In the present study, we tracked the complex formation of the three Kai proteins over time using blue native (BN) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), in which proteins are charged with the anionic dye Coomassie brilliant blue (CBB). KaiC was separated as three bands: the KaiABC complex, KaiC hexamer and KaiC monomer. However, no KaiC monomer was observed using gel filtration chromatography and CBB-free native PAGE. These data indicate two conformational states of KaiC hexamer and show that the ground-state KaiC (gs-KaiC) is stable and competent-state KaiC (cs-KaiC) is labile and degraded into monomers by the binding of CBB. Repeated conversions from gs-KaiC to cs-KaiC were observed over 24 h using an in vitro reconstitution system. Phosphorylation of KaiC promoted the conversion from gs-KaiC to cs-KaiC. KaiA sustained the gs-KaiC state, and KaiB bound only cs-KaiC. An E77Q/E78Q-KaiC variant that lacked N-terminal ATPase activity remained in the gs-KaiC state. Taken together, ATP hydrolysis induces the formation of cs-KaiC and promotes the binding of KaiB, which is a trigger for circadian oscillations.
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21
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Murakami R, Mutoh R, Ishii K, Ishiura M. Circadian oscillations of KaiA-KaiC and KaiB-KaiC complex formations in an in vitro
reconstituted KaiABC clock oscillator. Genes Cells 2016; 21:890-900. [DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Reiko Murakami
- Center for Gene Research; Nagoya University; Furo-cho Chikusa-ku Nagoya 464-8602 Japan
| | - Risa Mutoh
- Center for Gene Research; Nagoya University; Furo-cho Chikusa-ku Nagoya 464-8602 Japan
| | - Ketaro Ishii
- Center for Gene Research; Nagoya University; Furo-cho Chikusa-ku Nagoya 464-8602 Japan
| | - Masahiro Ishiura
- Center for Gene Research; Nagoya University; Furo-cho Chikusa-ku Nagoya 464-8602 Japan
- Division of Biological Sciences; Nagoya University; Furo-cho Chikusa Nagoya 464-8602 Japan
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22
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Iwasaki H, Kondo T. Circadian Timing Mechanism in the Prokaryotic Clock System of Cyanobacteria. J Biol Rhythms 2016; 19:436-44. [PMID: 15534323 DOI: 10.1177/0748730404269060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are the simplest organisms known to exhibit circadian rhythms and have provided experimental model systems for the dissection of basic properties of circadian organization at the molecular, physiological, and ecological levels. This review focuses on the molecular and genetic mechanisms of circadian rhythm generation in cyanobacteria. Recent analyses have revealed the existence of multiple feedback processes in the prokaryotic circadian system and have led to a novel molecular oscillator model. Here, the authors summarize current understanding of, and open questions about, the cyanobacterial oscillator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideo Iwasaki
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Japan.
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23
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Abstract
In considering the impact of the earth’s changing geophysical conditions during the history of life, it is surprising to learn that the earth’s rotational period may have been as short as 4 h, as recently as 1900 million years ago (or 1.9 billion years ago). The implications of such figures for the origin and evolution of clocks are considerable, and the authors speculate on how this short rotational period might have influenced the development of the “protoclock” in early microorganisms, such as the Cyanobacteria, during the geological periodsin which they arose and flourished. They then discuss the subsequent duplication of clock genes that took place around and after the Cambrian period, 543 million years ago, and its consequences. They compare the relative divergences of the canonical clock genes, which reveal the Per family to be the most rapidly evolving. In addition, the authors use a statistical test to predict which residues within the PER and CRY families may have undergone functional specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran Tauber
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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24
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Solovyov IA, Dobrovol’skaya EV, Moskalev AA. Genetic control of circadian rhythms and aging. RUSS J GENET+ 2016. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795416040104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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25
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Liang X, Bushman FD, FitzGerald GA. Rhythmicity of the intestinal microbiota is regulated by gender and the host circadian clock. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:10479-84. [PMID: 26240359 PMCID: PMC4547234 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1501305112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 338] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, multiple physiological, metabolic, and behavioral processes are subject to circadian rhythms, adapting to changing light in the environment. Here we analyzed circadian rhythms in the fecal microbiota of mice using deep sequencing, and found that the absolute amount of fecal bacteria and the abundance of Bacteroidetes exhibited circadian rhythmicity, which was more pronounced in female mice. Disruption of the host circadian clock by deletion of Bmal1, a gene encoding a core molecular clock component, abolished rhythmicity in the fecal microbiota composition in both genders. Bmal1 deletion also induced alterations in bacterial abundances in feces, with differential effects based on sex. Thus, although host behavior, such as time of feeding, is of recognized importance, here we show that sex interacts with the host circadian clock, and they collectively shape the circadian rhythmicity and composition of the fecal microbiota in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Liang
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104
| | - Frederic D Bushman
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104
| | - Garret A FitzGerald
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104;
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26
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Coupling of Cellular Processes and Their Coordinated Oscillations under Continuous Light in Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142, a Diazotrophic Unicellular Cyanobacterium. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125148. [PMID: 25973856 PMCID: PMC4431719 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 03/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria such as Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 (henceforth Cyanothece), temporally separate the oxygen sensitive nitrogen fixation from oxygen evolving photosynthesis not only under diurnal cycles (LD) but also in continuous light (LL). However, recent reports demonstrate that the oscillations in LL occur with a shorter cycle time of ~11 h. We find that indeed, majority of the genes oscillate in LL with this cycle time. Genes that are upregulated at a particular time of day under diurnal cycle also get upregulated at an equivalent metabolic phase under LL suggesting tight coupling of various cellular events with each other and with the cell's metabolic status. A number of metabolic processes get upregulated in a coordinated fashion during the respiratory phase under LL including glycogen degradation, glycolysis, oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and tricarboxylic acid cycle. These precede nitrogen fixation apparently to ensure sufficient energy and anoxic environment needed for the nitrogenase enzyme. Photosynthetic phase sees upregulation of photosystem II, carbonate transport, carbon concentrating mechanism, RuBisCO, glycogen synthesis and light harvesting antenna pigment biosynthesis. In Synechococcus elongates PCC 7942, a non-nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria, expression of a relatively smaller fraction of genes oscillates under LL condition with the major periodicity being 24 h. In contrast, the entire cellular machinery of Cyanothece orchestrates coordinated oscillation in anticipation of the ensuing metabolic phase in both LD and LL. These results may have important implications in understanding the timing of various cellular events and in engineering cyanobacteria for biofuel production.
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27
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Exchange of ADP with ATP in the CII ATPase domain promotes autophosphorylation of cyanobacterial clock protein KaiC. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:4455-60. [PMID: 24616498 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1319353111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyanobacterial circadian oscillator can be reconstituted in vitro. In the presence of KaiA and KaiB, the phosphorylation state of KaiC oscillates with a periodicity of ∼24 h. KaiC is a hexameric P-loop ATPase with autophosphorylation and autodephosphorylation activities. Recently, we found that dephosphorylation of KaiC occurs via reversal of the phosphorylation reaction: a phosphate group attached to Ser431/Thr432 is transferred to KaiC-bound ADP to generate ATP, which is subsequently hydrolyzed. This unusual reaction mechanism suggests that the KaiC phosphorylation rhythm is sustained by periodic shifts in the equilibrium of the reversible autophosphorylation reaction, the molecular basis of which has never been elucidated. Because KaiC-bound ATP and ADP serve as substrates for the forward and reverse reactions, respectively, we investigated the regulation of the nucleotide-bound state of KaiC. In the absence of KaiA, the condition in which the reverse reaction proceeds, KaiC favored the ADP-bound state. KaiA increased the ratio of ATP to total KaiC-bound nucleotides by facilitating the release of bound ADP and the incorporation of exogenous ATP, allowing the forward reaction to proceed. When both KaiA and KaiB were present, the ratio of ATP to total bound nucleotides exhibited a circadian rhythm, whose phase was advanced by several hours relative to that of the phosphorylation rhythm. Based on these findings, we propose that the direction of the reversible autophosphorylation reaction is regulated by KaiA and KaiB at the level of substrate availability and that this regulation sustains the oscillation of the phosphorylation state of KaiC.
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28
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Diversity of KaiC-based timing systems in marine Cyanobacteria. Mar Genomics 2014; 14:3-16. [PMID: 24388874 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2013] [Revised: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The coordination of biological activities into daily cycles provides an important advantage for the fitness of diverse organisms. Most eukaryotes possess an internal clock ticking with a periodicity of about one day to anticipate sunrise and sunset. The 24-hour period of the free-running rhythm is highly robust against many changes in the natural environment. Among prokaryotes, only Cyanobacteria are known to harbor such a circadian clock. Its core oscillator consists of just three proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC that produce 24-hour oscillations of KaiC phosphorylation, even in vitro. This unique three-protein oscillator is well documented for the freshwater cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. Several physiological studies demonstrate a circadian clock also for other Cyanobacteria including marine species. Genes for the core clock components are present in nearly all marine cyanobacterial species, though there are large differences in the specific composition of these genes. In the first section of this review we summarize data on the model circadian clock from S. elongatus PCC 7942 and compare it to the reduced clock system of the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus marinus MED4. In the second part we discuss the diversity of timing mechanisms in other marine Cyanobacteria with regard to the presence or absence of different components of the clock.
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29
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Gaudana SB, Krishnakumar S, Alagesan S, Digmurti MG, Viswanathan GA, Chetty M, Wangikar PP. Rhythmic and sustained oscillations in metabolism and gene expression of Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 under constant light. Front Microbiol 2013; 4:374. [PMID: 24367360 PMCID: PMC3854555 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2013.00374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria, a group of photosynthetic prokaryotes, oscillate between day and night time metabolisms with concomitant oscillations in gene expression in response to light/dark cycles (LD). The oscillations in gene expression have been shown to sustain in constant light (LL) with a free running period of 24 h in a model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. However, equivalent oscillations in metabolism are not reported under LL in this non-nitrogen fixing cyanobacterium. Here we focus on Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142, a unicellular, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium known to temporally separate the processes of oxygenic photosynthesis and oxygen-sensitive nitrogen fixation. In a recent report, metabolism of Cyanothece 51142 has been shown to oscillate between photosynthetic and respiratory phases under LL with free running periods that are temperature dependent but significantly shorter than the circadian period. Further, the oscillations shift to circadian pattern at moderate cell densities that are concomitant with slower growth rates. Here we take this understanding forward and demonstrate that the ultradian rhythm under LL sustains at much higher cell densities when grown under turbulent regimes that simulate flashing light effect. Our results suggest that the ultradian rhythm in metabolism may be needed to support higher carbon and nitrogen requirements of rapidly growing cells under LL. With a comprehensive Real time PCR based gene expression analysis we account for key regulatory interactions and demonstrate the interplay between clock genes and the genes of key metabolic pathways. Further, we observe that several genes that peak at dusk in Synechococcus peak at dawn in Cyanothece and vice versa. The circadian rhythm of this organism appears to be more robust with peaking of genes in anticipation of the ensuing photosynthetic and respiratory metabolic phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep B Gaudana
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai, India
| | - S Krishnakumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai, India
| | - Swathi Alagesan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai, India
| | - Madhuri G Digmurti
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai, India
| | - Ganesh A Viswanathan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai, India
| | - Madhu Chetty
- Gippsland School of Information Technology, Monash University VIC, Australia
| | - Pramod P Wangikar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai, India
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30
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Hypersensitive photic responses and intact genome-wide transcriptional control without the KaiC phosphorylation cycle in the Synechococcus circadian system. J Bacteriol 2013; 196:548-55. [PMID: 24244001 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00892-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are unique organisms with remarkably stable circadian oscillations. These are controlled by a network architecture that comprises two regulatory factors: posttranslational oscillation (PTO) and a transcription/translation feedback loop (TTFL). The clock proteins KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC are essential for the circadian rhythm of the unicellular species Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. Temperature-compensated autonomous cycling of KaiC phosphorylation has been proposed as the primary oscillator mechanism that maintains the circadian clock, even in the dark, and it controls genome-wide gene expression rhythms under continuous-light conditions (LL). However, the kaiC(EE) mutation (where "EE" represents the amino acid changes Ser431Glu and Thr432Glu), where phosphorylation cycling does not occur in vivo, has a damped but clear kaiBC expression rhythm with a long period. This suggests that there must be coupling between the robust PTO and the "slave" unstable TTFL. Here, we found that the kaiC(EE) mutant strain in LL was hypersensitive to the dark acclimation required for phase shifting. Twenty-three percent of the genes in the kaiC(EE) mutant strain exhibited genome-wide transcriptional rhythms with a period of 48 h in LL. The circadian phase distribution was also conserved significantly in most of the wild-type and kaiC(EE) mutant strain cycling genes, which suggests that the output mechanism was not damaged severely even in the absence of KaiC phosphorylation cycles. These results strongly suggest that the KaiC phosphorylation cycle is not essential for generating the genome-wide rhythm under light conditions, whereas it is important for appropriate circadian timing in the light and dark.
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31
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Tseng R, Chang YG, Bravo I, Latham R, Chaudhary A, Kuo NW, Liwang A. Cooperative KaiA-KaiB-KaiC interactions affect KaiB/SasA competition in the circadian clock of cyanobacteria. J Mol Biol 2013; 426:389-402. [PMID: 24112939 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2013.09.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Revised: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The circadian oscillator of cyanobacteria is composed of only three proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC. Together, they generate an autonomous ~24-h biochemical rhythm of phosphorylation of KaiC. KaiA stimulates KaiC phosphorylation by binding to the so-called A-loops of KaiC, whereas KaiB sequesters KaiA in a KaiABC complex far away from the A-loops, thereby inducing KaiC dephosphorylation. The switch from KaiC phosphorylation to dephosphorylation is initiated by the formation of the KaiB-KaiC complex, which occurs upon phosphorylation of the S431 residues of KaiC. We show here that formation of the KaiB-KaiC complex is promoted by KaiA, suggesting cooperativity in the initiation of the dephosphorylation complex. In the KaiA-KaiB interaction, one monomeric subunit of KaiB likely binds to one face of a KaiA dimer, leaving the other face unoccupied. We also show that the A-loops of KaiC exist in a dynamic equilibrium between KaiA-accessible exposed and KaiA-inaccessible buried positions. Phosphorylation at the S431 residues of KaiC shift the A-loops toward the buried position, thereby weakening the KaiA-KaiC interaction, which is expected to be an additional mechanism promoting formation of the KaiABC complex. We also show that KaiB and the clock-output protein SasA compete for overlapping binding sites, which include the B-loops on the CI ring of KaiC. KaiA strongly shifts the competition in KaiB's favor. Thus, in addition to stimulating KaiC phosphorylation, it is likely that KaiA plays roles in switching KaiC from phosphorylation to dephosphorylation, as well as regulating clock output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Tseng
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Yong-Gang Chang
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Ian Bravo
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Robert Latham
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | | | - Nai-Wei Kuo
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Andy Liwang
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Center for Chronobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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32
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Loza-Correa M, Sahr T, Rolando M, Daniels C, Petit P, Skarina T, Gomez Valero L, Dervins-Ravault D, Honoré N, Savchenko A, Buchrieser C. The Legionella pneumophila kai operon is implicated in stress response and confers fitness in competitive environments. Environ Microbiol 2013; 16:359-81. [PMID: 23957615 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Revised: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila uses aquatic protozoa as replication niche and protection from harsh environments. Although L. pneumophila is not known to have a circadian clock, it encodes homologues of the KaiBC proteins of Cyanobacteria that regulate circadian gene expression. We show that L. pneumophila kaiB, kaiC and the downstream gene lpp1114, are transcribed as a unit under the control of the stress sigma factor RpoS. KaiC and KaiB of L. pneumophila do not interact as evidenced by yeast and bacterial two-hybrid analyses. Fusion of the C-terminal residues of cyanobacterial KaiB to Legionella KaiB restores their interaction. In contrast, KaiC of L. pneumophila conserved autophosphorylation activity, but KaiB does not trigger the dephosphorylation of KaiC like in Cyanobacteria. The crystal structure of L. pneumophila KaiB suggests that it is an oxidoreductase-like protein with a typical thioredoxin fold. Indeed, mutant analyses revealed that the kai operon-encoded proteins increase fitness of L. pneumophila in competitive environments, and confer higher resistance to oxidative and sodium stress. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that L. pneumophila KaiBC resemble Synechosystis KaiC2B2 and not circadian KaiB1C1. Thus, the L. pneumophila Kai proteins do not encode a circadian clock, but enhance stress resistance and adaption to changes in the environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Loza-Correa
- Institut Pasteur, Biologie des Bactéries Intracellulaires, Paris, France; CNRS UMR 3525, Paris, France
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33
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Elucidation of the role of clp protease components in circadian rhythm by genetic deletion and overexpression in cyanobacteria. J Bacteriol 2013; 195:4517-26. [PMID: 23913328 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00300-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC are essential elements of the circadian clock, and Kai-based oscillation is thought to be the basic circadian timing mechanism. The Kai-based oscillator coupled with transcription/translation feedback and other intercellular factors maintains the stability of the 24-hour period in vivo. In this study, we showed that disruption of the Clp protease family genes clpP1, clpP2, and clpX and the overexpression of clpP3 cause long-period phenotypes. There were no significant changes in the levels of the clock proteins in these mutants. The overexpression of clpX led to a decrease in kaiBC promoter activity, the disruption of the circadian rhythm, and eventually cell death. However, after the transient overexpression of clpX, the kaiBC gene expression rhythm recovered after a few days. The rhythm phase after recovery was almost the same as the phase before clpX overexpression. These results suggest that the core Kai-based oscillation was not affected by clpX overexpression. Moreover, we showed that the overexpression of clpX sequentially upregulated ribosomal protein subunit mRNA levels, followed by upregulation of other genes, including the clock genes. Additionally, we found that the disruption of clpX decreased the expression of the ribosomal protein subunits. Finally, we showed that the circadian period was prolonged following the addition of a translation inhibitor at a low concentration. These results suggest that translational efficiency affects the circadian period and that clpX participates in the control of translation efficiency by regulating the transcription of ribosomal protein genes.
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Wiegard A, Dörrich AK, Deinzer HT, Beck C, Wilde A, Holtzendorff J, Axmann IM. Biochemical analysis of three putative KaiC clock proteins from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 suggests their functional divergence. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2013; 159:948-958. [PMID: 23449916 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.065425-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria have been shown to have a circadian clock system that consists mainly of three protein components: KaiA, KaiB and KaiC. This system is well understood in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, for which robust circadian oscillations have been shown. Like many other cyanobacteria, the chromosome of the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 contains additional kaiC and kaiB gene copies besides the standard kaiABC gene cluster. The respective gene products differ significantly in their amino acid sequences, especially in their C-terminal regions, suggesting different functional characteristics. Here, phosphorylation assays of the three Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 KaiC proteins revealed that KaiC1 phosphorylation depends on KaiA, as is well documented for the Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 KaiC protein, whereas KaiC2 and KaiC3 autophosphorylate independently of KaiA. This was confirmed by in vivo protein-protein interaction studies, which demonstrate that only KaiC1 interacts with KaiA. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the three different Kai proteins form only homomeric complexes in vivo. As only KaiC1 phosphorylation depends on KaiA, a prerequisite for robust oscillations, we suggest that the kaiAB1C1 gene cluster in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 controls circadian timing in a manner similar to the clock described in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika Wiegard
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja K Dörrich
- Institute for Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Hans-Tobias Deinzer
- Institute for Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Christian Beck
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Annegret Wilde
- Institute for Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Julia Holtzendorff
- Institute for Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Ilka M Axmann
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
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Egli M, Pattanayek R, Sheehan JH, Xu Y, Mori T, Smith JA, Johnson CH. Loop-loop interactions regulate KaiA-stimulated KaiC phosphorylation in the cyanobacterial KaiABC circadian clock. Biochemistry 2013; 52:1208-20. [PMID: 23351065 PMCID: PMC3587310 DOI: 10.1021/bi301691a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Synechococcus elongatus KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC proteins in the presence of ATP generate a post-translational oscillator that runs in a temperature-compensated manner with a period of 24 h. KaiA dimer stimulates phosphorylation of KaiC hexamer at two sites per subunit, T432 and S431, and KaiB dimers antagonize KaiA action and induce KaiC subunit exchange. Neither the mechanism of KaiA-stimulated KaiC phosphorylation nor that of KaiB-mediated KaiC dephosphorylation is understood in detail at present. We demonstrate here that the A422V KaiC mutant sheds light on the former mechanism. It was previously reported that A422V is less sensitive to dark pulse-induced phase resetting and has a reduced amplitude of the KaiC phosphorylation rhythm in vivo. A422 maps to a loop (422-loop) that continues toward the phosphorylation sites. By pulling on the C-terminal peptide of KaiC (A-loop), KaiA removes restraints from the adjacent 422-loop whose increased flexibility indirectly promotes kinase activity. We found in the crystal structure that A422V KaiC lacks phosphorylation at S431 and exhibits a subtle, local conformational change relative to wild-type KaiC. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate higher mobility of the 422-loop in the absence of the A-loop and mobility differences in other areas associated with phosphorylation activity between wild-type and mutant KaiCs. The A-loop-422-loop relay that informs KaiC phosphorylation sites of KaiA dimer binding propagates to loops from neighboring KaiC subunits, thus providing support for a concerted allosteric mechanism of phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Egli
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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36
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Velasco-García R, Vargas-Martínez R. The study of protein–protein interactions in bacteria. Can J Microbiol 2012; 58:1241-57. [DOI: 10.1139/w2012-104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Many of the functions fulfilled by proteins in the cell require specific protein–protein interactions (PPI). During the last decade, the use of high-throughput experimental technologies, primarily based on the yeast 2-hybrid system, generated extensive data currently located in public databases. This information has been used to build interaction networks for different species. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the yeast 2-hybrid system, these databases contain many false positives and negatives, thus they require purging. A method for confirming these PPI is to test them using a technique that operates in vivo and detects binary PPI. This article comprises an overview of the study of PPI and describes the main techniques that have been used to identify bacterial PPI, prioritizing those that can be used for their verification, and it also mentions a number of PPI that have been identified or confirmed using these methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Velasco-García
- Laboratorio de Osmorregulación, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, 54090
| | - Rocío Vargas-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Osmorregulación, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, 54090
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37
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Rhythmic ring-ring stacking drives the circadian oscillator clockwise. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:16847-51. [PMID: 22967510 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1211508109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The oscillator of the circadian clock of cyanobacteria is composed of three proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC, which together generate a self-sustained ∼24-h rhythm of phosphorylation of KaiC. The mechanism propelling this oscillator has remained elusive, however. We show that stacking interactions between the CI and CII rings of KaiC drive the transition from the phosphorylation-specific KaiC-KaiA interaction to the dephosphorylation-specific KaiC-KaiB interaction. We have identified the KaiB-binding site, which is on the CI domain. This site is hidden when CI domains are associated as a hexameric ring. However, stacking of the CI and CII rings exposes the KaiB-binding site. Because the clock output protein SasA also binds to CI and competes with KaiB for binding, ring stacking likely regulates clock output. We demonstrate that ADP can expose the KaiB-binding site in the absence of ring stacking, providing an explanation for how it can reset the clock.
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Ma L, Ranganathan R. Quantifying the rhythm of KaiB-C interaction for in vitro cyanobacterial circadian clock. PLoS One 2012; 7:e42581. [PMID: 22900029 PMCID: PMC3416856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
An oscillator consisting of KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC proteins comprises the core of cyanobacterial circadian clock. While one key reaction in this process--KaiC phosphorylation--has been extensively investigated and modeled, other key processes, such as the interactions among Kai proteins, are not understood well. Specifically, different experimental techniques have yielded inconsistent views about Kai A, B, and C interactions. Here, we first propose a mathematical model of cyanobacterial circadian clock that explains the recently observed dynamics of the four phospho-states of KaiC as well as the interactions among the three Kai proteins. Simulations of the model show that the interaction between KaiB and KaiC oscillates with the same period as the phosphorylation of KaiC, but displays a phase delay of ∼8 hr relative to the total phosphorylated KaiC. Secondly, this prediction on KaiB-C interaction are evaluated using a novel FRET (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer)-based assay by tagging fluorescent proteins Cerulean and Venus to KaiC and KaiB, respectively, and reconstituting fluorescent protein-labeled in vitro clock. The data show that the KaiB∶KaiC interaction indeed oscillates with ∼24 hr periodicity and ∼8 hr phase delay relative to KaiC phosphorylation, consistent with model prediction. Moreover, it is noteworthy that our model indicates that the interlinked positive and negative feedback loops are the underlying mechanism for oscillation, with the serine phosphorylated-state (the "S-state") of KaiC being a hub for the feedback loops. Because the kinetics of the KaiB-C interaction faithfully follows that of the S-state, the FRET measurement may provide an important real-time probe in quantitative study of the cyanobacterial circadian clock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Ma
- Bioengineering Department, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, United States of America.
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Akiyama S. Structural and dynamic aspects of protein clocks: how can they be so slow and stable? Cell Mol Life Sci 2012; 69:2147-60. [PMID: 22273739 PMCID: PMC11114763 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-012-0919-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2011] [Revised: 12/21/2011] [Accepted: 01/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
KaiC is a core protein of the cyanobacterial Kai oscillator, which persists without transcription-translation feedback. In the presence of KaiA and KaiB, KaiC reveals rhythmic activation/inactivation of its ATPase and autokinase/autophosphotase activities over approximately 24 h. Since the in vitro reconstruction of the Kai oscillator, the structures and functions of the Kai proteins have been studied extensively. Each protein's crystal structure and low-resolution views of Kai complexes have been reported. In addition, newer data are emerging on dynamic aspects such as assembly/disassembly of the Kai components and a ticking motion of KaiC, which is probably coupled to its slow, temperature-compensated ATPase activity. The accumulated evidence offers an ideal opportunity to revisit a fundamental question regarding biological circadian clocks: what determines the temperature-compensated 24 h period? In this review, I summarize the current understanding of the Kai oscillator's molecular mechanism and discuss emerging ideas on protein clocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuji Akiyama
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusaku, Nagoya, Japan.
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40
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Nishiwaki T, Kondo T. Circadian autodephosphorylation of cyanobacterial clock protein KaiC occurs via formation of ATP as intermediate. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:18030-5. [PMID: 22493509 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.350660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyanobacterial circadian oscillator can be reconstituted in vitro; mixing three clock proteins (KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC) with ATP results in an oscillation of KaiC phosphorylation with a periodicity of ~24 h. The hexameric ATPase KaiC hydrolyzes ATP bound at subunit interfaces. KaiC also exhibits autokinase and autophosphatase activities, the latter of which is particularly noteworthy because KaiC is phylogenetically distinct from typical protein phosphatases. To examine this activity, we performed autodephosphorylation assays using (32)P-labeled KaiC. The residual radioactive ATP bound to subunit interfaces was removed using a newly established method, which included the dissociation of KaiC hexamers into monomers and the reconstitution of KaiC hexamers with nonradioactive ATP. This approach ensured that only the signals derived from (32)P-labeled KaiC were examined. We detected the transient formation of [(32)P]ATP preceding the accumulation of (32)P(i). Together with kinetic analyses, our data demonstrate that KaiC undergoes dephosphorylation via a mechanism that differs from those of conventional protein phosphatases. A phosphate group at a phosphorylation site is first transferred to KaiC-bound ADP to form ATP as an intermediate, which can be regarded as a reversal of the autophosphorylation reaction. Subsequently, the ATP molecule is hydrolyzed to form P(i). We propose that the ATPase active site mediates not only ATP hydrolysis but also the bidirectional transfer of the phosphate between phosphorylation sites and the KaiC-bound nucleotide. On the basis of these findings, we can now dissect the dynamics of the KaiC phosphorylation cycle relative to ATPase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taeko Nishiwaki
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University and Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
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Egli M, Mori T, Pattanayek R, Xu Y, Qin X, Johnson CH. Dephosphorylation of the core clock protein KaiC in the cyanobacterial KaiABC circadian oscillator proceeds via an ATP synthase mechanism. Biochemistry 2012; 51:1547-58. [PMID: 22304631 PMCID: PMC3293397 DOI: 10.1021/bi201525n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The circadian clock of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus can be reconstituted in vitro from three proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC in the presence of ATP, to tick in a temperature-compensated manner. KaiC, the central cog of this oscillator, forms a homohexamer with 12 ATP molecules bound between its N- and C-terminal domains and exhibits unusual properties. Both the N-terminal (CI) and C-terminal (CII) domains harbor ATPase activity, and the subunit interfaces between CII domains are the sites of autokinase and autophosphatase activities. Hydrolysis of ATP correlates with phosphorylation at threonine and serine sites across subunits in an orchestrated manner, such that first T432 and then S431 are phosphorylated, followed by dephosphorylation of these residues in the same order. Although structural work has provided insight into the mechanisms of ATPase and kinase, the location and mechanism of the phosphatase have remained enigmatic. From the available experimental data based on a range of approaches, including KaiC crystal structures and small-angle X-ray scattering models, metal ion dependence, site-directed mutagenesis (i.e., E318, the general base), and measurements of the associated clock periods, phosphorylation patterns, and dephosphorylation courses as well as a lack of sequence motifs in KaiC that are typically associated with known phosphatases, we hypothesized that KaiCII makes use of the same active site for phosphorylation and dephosphorlyation. We observed that wild-type KaiC (wt-KaiC) exhibits an ATP synthase activity that is significantly reduced in the T432A/S431A mutant. We interpret the first observation as evidence that KaiCII is a phosphotransferase instead of a phosphatase and the second that the enzyme is capable of generating ATP, both from ADP and P(i) (in a reversal of the ATPase reaction) and from ADP and P-T432/P-S431 (dephosphorylation). This new concept regarding the mechanism of dephosphorylation is also supported by the strikingly similar makeups of the active sites at the interfaces between α/β heterodimers of F1-ATPase and between monomeric subunits in the KaiCII hexamer. Several KaiCII residues play a critical role in the relative activities of kinase and ATP synthase, among them R385, which stabilizes the compact form and helps kinase action reach a plateau, and T426, a short-lived phosphorylation site that promotes and affects the order of dephosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Egli
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States.
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42
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Abstract
Current model for circadian rhythms is wrong both theoretically and practically. A new model, called yin yang model, is proposed to explain the mechanism of circadian rhythms. The yin yang model separate circadian activities in a circadian system into yin (night activities) and yang (day activities) and a circadian clock into a day clock and a night clock. The day clock is the product of night activities, but it promotes day activities; the night clock is the product of day activities, but it promotes night activities. The clock maintains redox or energy homeostasis of the internal environment and allows temporal separations between biological processes with opposite impacts on the internal environment of a circadian system.
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Affiliation(s)
- HONGTAO MIN
- Department of Biology, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3258, USA
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43
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Flexibility of the C-terminal, or CII, ring of KaiC governs the rhythm of the circadian clock of cyanobacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:14431-6. [PMID: 21788479 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1104221108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the cyanobacterial circadian oscillator, KaiA and KaiB alternately stimulate autophosphorylation and autodephosphorylation of KaiC with a periodicity of approximately 24 h. KaiA activates autophosphorylation by selectively capturing the A loops of KaiC in their exposed positions. The A loops and sites of phosphorylation, residues S431 and T432, are located in the CII ring of KaiC. We find that the flexibility of the CII ring governs the rhythm of KaiC autophosphorylation and autodephosphorylation and is an example of dynamics-driven protein allostery. KaiA-induced autophosphorylation requires flexibility of the CII ring. In contrast, rigidity is required for KaiC-KaiB binding, which induces a conformational change in KaiB that enables it to sequester KaiA by binding to KaiA's linker. Autophosphorylation of the S431 residues around the CII ring stabilizes the CII ring, making it rigid. In contrast, autophosphorylation of the T432 residues offsets phospho-S431-induced rigidity to some extent. In the presence of KaiA and KaiB, the dynamic states of the CII ring of KaiC executes the following circadian rhythm: CII STflexible → CIISpTflexible → CIIpSpTrigid → CIIpSTvery-rigid → CIISTflexible. Apparently, these dynamic states govern the pattern of phosphorylation, ST → SpT → pSpT → pST → ST. CII-CI ring-on-ring stacking is observed when the CII ring is rigid, suggesting a mechanism through which the ATPase activity of the CI ring is rhythmically controlled. SasA, a circadian clock-output protein, binds to the CI ring. Thus, rhythmic ring stacking may also control clock-output pathways.
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44
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Mackey SR, Golden SS, Ditty JL. The itty-bitty time machine genetics of the cyanobacterial circadian clock. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2011; 74:13-53. [PMID: 21924974 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-387690-4.00002-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 has been used as the prokaryotic model system for the study of circadian rhythms for the past two decades. Its genetic malleability has been instrumental in the discovery of key input, oscillator, and output components and has also provided monumental insights into the mechanism by which proteins function to maintain and dictate 24-h time. In addition, basic research into the prokaryotic system has led to interesting advances in eukaryotic circadian mechanisms. Undoubtedly, continued genetic and mutational analyses of this single-celled cyanobacterium will aid in teasing out the intricacies of the Kai-based circadian clock to advance our understanding of this system as well as other more "complex" systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon R Mackey
- Biology Department, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA
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45
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Nagai T, Terada TP, Sasai M. Synchronization of circadian oscillation of phosphorylation level of KaiC in vitro. Biophys J 2010; 98:2469-77. [PMID: 20513390 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2010.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2009] [Revised: 01/26/2010] [Accepted: 02/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent experimental reports, robust circadian oscillation of the phosphorylation level of KaiC has been reconstituted by incubating three cyanobacterial proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC, with ATP in vitro. This reconstitution indicates that protein-protein interactions and the associated ATP hydrolysis suffice to generate the oscillation, and suggests that the rhythm arising from this protein-based system is the circadian clock pacemaker in cyanobacteria. The mechanism of this reconstituted oscillation, however, remains elusive. In this study, we extend our previous model of oscillation by explicitly taking two phosphorylation sites of KaiC into account and we apply the extended model to the problem of synchrony of two oscillatory samples mixed at different phases. The agreement between the simulated and observed data suggests that the combined mechanism of the allosteric transition of KaiC hexamers and the monomer shuffling between them plays a key role in synchronization among KaiC hexamers and hence underlies the population-level oscillation of the ensemble of Kai proteins. The predicted synchronization patterns in mixtures of unequal amounts of two samples provide further opportunities to experimentally check the validity of the proposed mechanism. This mechanism of synchronization should be important in vivo for the persistent oscillation when Kai proteins are synthesized at random timing in cyanobacterial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuro Nagai
- Department of Computational Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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Intermolecular associations determine the dynamics of the circadian KaiABC oscillator. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:14805-10. [PMID: 20679240 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1002119107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Three proteins from cyanobacteria (KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC) can reconstitute circadian oscillations in vitro. At least three molecular properties oscillate during this reaction, namely rhythmic phosphorylation of KaiC, ATP hydrolytic activity of KaiC, and assembly/disassembly of intermolecular complexes among KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC. We found that the intermolecular associations determine key dynamic properties of this in vitro oscillator. For example, mutations within KaiB that alter the rates of binding of KaiB to KaiC also predictably modulate the period of the oscillator. Moreover, we show that KaiA can bind stably to complexes of KaiB and hyperphosphorylated KaiC. Modeling simulations indicate that the function of this binding of KaiA to the KaiB*KaiC complex is to inactivate KaiA's activity, thereby promoting the dephosphorylation phase of the reaction. Therefore, we report here dynamics of interaction of KaiA and KaiB with KaiC that determine the period and amplitude of this in vitro oscillator.
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Mutoh R, Mino H, Murakami R, Uzumaki T, Takabayashi A, Ishii K, Ishiura M. Direct interaction between KaiA and KaiB revealed by a site-directed spin labeling electron spin resonance analysis. Genes Cells 2010; 15:269-80. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2443.2009.01377.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Markson JS, O'Shea EK. The molecular clockwork of a protein-based circadian oscillator. FEBS Lett 2010; 583:3938-47. [PMID: 19913541 PMCID: PMC2810098 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2009.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2009] [Revised: 11/06/2009] [Accepted: 11/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The circadian clock of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 is governed by a core oscillator consisting of the proteins KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC. Remarkably, circadian oscillations in the phosphorylation state of KaiC can be reconstituted in a test tube by mixing the three Kai proteins and adenosine triphosphate. The in vitro oscillator provides a well-defined system in which experiments can be combined with mathematical analysis to understand the mechanism of a highly robust biological oscillator. In this Review, we summarize the biochemistry of the Kai proteins and examine models that have been proposed to explain how oscillations emerge from the properties of the oscillator's constituents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S Markson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Center for Systems Biology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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Xu Y, Mori T, Qin X, Yan H, Egli M, Johnson CH. Intramolecular regulation of phosphorylation status of the circadian clock protein KaiC. PLoS One 2009; 4:e7509. [PMID: 19946629 PMCID: PMC2778140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0007509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2009] [Accepted: 09/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background KaiC, a central clock protein in cyanobacteria, undergoes circadian oscillations between hypophosphorylated and hyperphosphorylated forms in vivo and in vitro. Structural analyses of KaiC crystals have identified threonine and serine residues in KaiC at three residues (T426, S431, and T432) as potential sites at which KaiC is phosphorylated; mutation of any of these three sites to alanine abolishes rhythmicity, revealing an essential clock role for each residue separately and for KaiC phosphorylation in general. Mass spectrometry studies confirmed that the S431 and T432 residues are key phosphorylation sites, however, the role of the threonine residue at position 426 was not clear from the mass spectrometry measurements. Methodology and Principal Findings Mutational approaches and biochemical analyses of KaiC support a key role for T426 in control of the KaiC phosphorylation status in vivo and in vitro and demonstrates that alternative amino acids at residue 426 dramatically affect KaiC's properties in vivo and in vitro, especially genetic dominance/recessive relationships, KaiC dephosphorylation, and the formation of complexes of KaiC with KaiA and KaiB. These mutations alter key circadian properties, including period, amplitude, robustness, and temperature compensation. Crystallographic analyses indicate that the T426 site is phosphorylatible under some conditions, and in vitro phosphorylation assays of KaiC demonstrate labile phosphorylation of KaiC when the primary S431 and T432 sites are blocked. Conclusions and Significance T426 is a crucial site that regulates KaiC phosphorylation status in vivo and in vitro and these studies underscore the importance of KaiC phosphorylation status in the essential cyanobacterial circadian functions. The regulatory roles of these phosphorylation sites–including T426–within KaiC enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying circadian rhythm generation in cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Xu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Tetsuya Mori
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Ximing Qin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Heping Yan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Martin Egli
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Carl Hirschie Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Organisms coordinate biological activities into daily cycles using an internal circadian clock. The circadian oscillator proteins KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC are widely believed to underlie 24-h oscillations of gene expression in cyanobacteria. However, a group of very abundant cyanobacteria, namely, marine Prochlorococcus species, lost the third oscillator component, KaiA, during evolution. We demonstrate here that the remaining Kai proteins fulfill their known biochemical functions, although KaiC is hyperphosphorylated by default in this system. These data provide biochemical support for the observed evolutionary reduction of the clock locus in Prochlorococcus and are consistent with a model in which a mechanism that is less robust than the well-characterized KaiABC protein clock of Synechococcus is sufficient for biological timing in the very stable environment that Prochlorococcus inhabits.
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