Abstract
Precisely timing the regulation of gene expression by anticipating recurring environmental changes is a fundamental part of global gene regulation. Circadian clocks are one form of this regulation, which is found in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, providing a fitness advantage for these organisms. Whereas many different eukaryotic groups harbour circadian clocks, cyanobacteria are the only known oxygenic phototrophic prokaryotes to regulate large parts of their genes in a circadian fashion. A decade of intensive research on the mechanisms and functionality using computational and mathematical approaches in addition to the detailed biochemical and biophysical understanding make this the best understood circadian clock. Here, we summarize the findings and insights into various parts of the cyanobacterial circadian clock made by mathematical modelling. These findings have implications for eukaryotic circadian research as well as synthetic biology harnessing the power and efficiency of global gene regulation.
Highlights
Life on Earth has evolved under the influence of changing environmental conditions
The cyanobacterial circadian clock has the ability to perform under various conditions regarding the length of day and the level of external and internal noise; the molecular mechanisms of how the circadian clock is able to cope with these variations remain unknown
The ability to anticipate recurring environmental changes provides a fitness advantage, which is harnessed by organisms of every group of life
Summary
Life on Earth has evolved under the influence of changing environmental conditions. While some environmental conditions may fluctuate without any apparent regularity, a large class of environmental changes exhibits regular cycles on daily to annual time scales. The fact that circadian clocks can be found in a variety of organisms from mammals to plants and fungi suggests a selective pressure by environmental light/dark cycles that favoured the development of such a complex timing system. Afterwards, circadian clocks were identified in mammals, including hamsters, mice and humans [7,8,9], as well as fungi with Neurospora crassa [10] and plants with Arabidopsis thaliana [11] Over the last decades central processes and characteristics of circadian clocks have been studied experimentally and computationally, including entrainment strategies, the adaptation to noise and environmental changes, as well as robustness concepts, using the cyanobacterial system. Further aspects and information about computing by biological clocks, which are not covered in this review, can be found in a recent review by Dalchau et al [14]
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