Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells
Published on: September 28, 2017
Light entrainment of the mammalian circadian clock by a PRKCA-dependent posttranslational mechanism
Vladimira Jakubcakova1, Henrik Oster, Filippo Tamanini
1Department of Genes and Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Goettingen, Germany.
Abstract:
Light is the most potent stimulus for synchronizing endogenous circadian rhythms with external time. Photic clock resetting in mammals involves cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB)-mediated transcriptional activation of Period clock genes in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). Here we provide evidence for an additional photic input pathway to the mammalian circadian clock based on Protein Kinase C alpha (PRKCA). We found that Prkca-deficient mice show an impairment of light-mediated clock resetting. In the SCN of wild-type mice, light exposure evokes a transient interaction between PRKCA and PERIOD 2 (PER2) proteins that affects PER2 stability and nucleocytoplasmic distribution. These posttranslational events, together with CREB-mediated transcriptional regulation, are key factors in the molecular mechanism of photic clock resetting.
Related Concept Videos
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
Positive Regulator Molecules
M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
