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Published on: September 17, 2016
The evolution of the cyanobacterial posttranslational clock from a primitive "phoscillator"
1Department of Chronobiology, University of Groningen, Haren, The Netherlands. m.j.p.simons@rug.nl
Abstract:
Cyanobacteria were among the 1st organisms to evolve on earth. The molecular circadian clock proteins of cyanobacteria and their phylogenetics have recently been elucidated. This allows for a conjecture on the evolution of 1 of the 1st circadian clocks. A scenario has now been created by combining known in vitro and in vivo properties of the 3 clock proteins of cyanobacteria (KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC). This scenario describes the evolution of the cyanobacterial clock in gradual steps: evolving from a masking mechanism, toward an hourglass, into a clock.
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