• Search Research Projects
  • Search Researchers
  • How to Use
  1. Back to project page

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Circadian pacemaker of cyanobacteria by clock protein KaiC

Research Project

  • PDF
Project/Area Number 24000016
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Review Section Biological Sciences
Research InstitutionNagoya University

Principal Investigator

KONDO Takao  名古屋大学, 大学院理学研究科, 名誉教授 (10124223)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) AKIYAMA Shuji  分子科学研究所, 協奏分子システム研究センター, 教授 (50391842)
Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha) KITAYAMA Yoko  名古屋大学, 大学院理学研究科, 講師 (20444367)
Project Period (FY) 2012 – 2017
Keywordsシアノバクテリア / KaiC蛋白質 / 概日時計 / ATPase活性制御 / 機械式概日時計モデル / 時間生物学 / 構造生物化学 / 結晶構造解析
Outline of Final Research Achievements

Circadian clock fit metabolisms of living cells with the day-night cycle of the Earth. The basic mechanism of the circadian clock has been assumed to the autoregulation of clock gene expression in the cell. However, three Kai proteins of cyanobacteria generate precise and stable 24 h rhythm by mixing three proteins with ATP in the test tube. In this project, we focused on biochemical and structural analyses of KaiC and its clock mutants to elucidate the timing mechanism installed in the clock protein KaiC. We found that KaiC ticks time by coupling harmonic pacemaker with driver oscillator by the escapement mechanism, which can be found in the mechanical pendulum clock or classical watches. We are proposing the new clock model for circadian clock and surveying similar mechanisms in eukaryotic clock system.

Free Research Field

時間生物学、植物生理学

URL: 

Published: 2019-04-01  

Information User Guide FAQ News Terms of Use Attribution of KAKENHI

Powered by NII kakenhi