| Budget Amount *help |
¥18,330,000 (Direct Cost: ¥14,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,230,000)
Fiscal Year 2014: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 2013: ¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000)
Fiscal Year 2011: ¥6,370,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,470,000)
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
We have investigated the mechanism for photic entrainment of the circadian clock using crickets that have the circadian photoreceptor in the compound eye. Molecular cloning and in situ hybridization revealed that three opsins, i.e., opsin-UV, opsin-Blue and opsin-LW, are expressed at specific regions of the compound eye. A daily mRNA expression rhythm was detected in opsin-Blue and opsin-LW. Behavioral assay revealed that opsin-LW plays an important role in the photic entrainment because its RNAi substantially disrupted the synchronization of the locomotor rhythm to light cycles as well as light-evoked phase shifts of the rhythm. Cryptochromes are also expressed in the compound eye but have no clear role in the photic entrainment. Results of molecular analysis showed that the light resetting of the clock is regulated at the transcriptional level and Clock and cycle may play a role in a phase delay and an advance shift, respectively.
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