Factors Involved in Transcriptional Output from the Kai-Protein-Based Circadian Oscillator

Abstract

In the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, the central oscillator of the circadian system consists of three genes (kaiA, kaiB, kaiC) and their protein products. In the presence of ATP, the interactions among these proteins drive a temperature-compensated circadian rhythm of KaiC phosphorylation in vitro. The temporal information from this protein-based chemical oscillator regulates expression from essentially all gene promoters in vivo. Some insights have been reported that describe key factors involved in the transduction of temporal information from the central oscillator via circadian output pathways. Moreover, recent studies have demonstrated that the rhythm in gene transcription is sustained, even in the absence of rhythmic KaiC phosphorylation, suggesting that several interconnected output pathways are integrated into the robust circadian oscillatory system in cyanobacteria.