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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
In SYNC: the ins and outs of circadian oscillations in calcium
Takato Imaizumi1, Julian I Schroeder, Steve A Kay
1Department of Biochemistry, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. takato@scripps.edu
Abstract:
Many stimuli induce short-term increases in the cytosolic concentration of free calcium ions ([Ca(2+)](i)) that encode signaling information about diverse physiological and developmental events. Slow cytosolic Ca(2+) oscillations that span an entire day have also been discovered in both plants and animals; it is thought that these daily Ca(2+) oscillations may encode circadian clock signaling information. A recent study focusing on the characterization of the extracellular Ca(2+)-sensing receptor (CAS) has provided insight into the molecular mechanisms by which the daily Ca(2+) oscillation in plants is generated. We summarize the major findings regarding daily oscillations of cytosolic Ca(2+) concentrations in plants and animals, and discuss hypothetical biological roles for the circadian clock-regulated physiology in plants.
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