Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 24, 2025
07:42
Rapid Analysis of Circadian Phenotypes in Arabidopsis Protoplasts Transfected with a Luminescent Clock Reporter
Published on: September 17, 2016
13.2K
The brown clock: circadian rhythms in stramenopiles
1Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
Physiologia Plantarum
|April 11, 2020
Summary
Researchers are uncovering the
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Chronobiology
- Eukaryotic evolution
Background:
- Circadian clocks are essential for anticipating daily environmental changes.
- While known in many lineages, circadian clocks in non-green photosynthetic eukaryotes remain understudied.
- Stramenopiles, including diatoms and brown algae, are crucial marine organisms with a red algal endosymbiotic origin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of circadian rhythms in stramenopiles.
- To explore the mechanisms underlying the recently discovered 'brown clock'.
- To highlight the ecological significance of these oscillations in marine environments.
Main Methods:
- Phenotypic characterization of circadian rhythms.
- Genome annotation to identify clock components.
- Review of existing literature on stramenopile circadian biology.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests a novel type of circadian oscillator exists in stramenopiles.
- The first circadian clock component in a stramenopile has been identified.
- Phenotypic characterization reveals the presence of circadian rhythms in these organisms.
Conclusions:
- The 'brown clock' in stramenopiles represents a unique circadian system.
- Understanding this clock is vital for comprehending marine ecosystem adaptation.
- Further research will illuminate the role of oscillations in marine life.
Related Concept Videos
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
4.5K
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent...
4.5K
01:19Other Algae
306
The group Stramenopiles include some phototrophic microorganisms. Members of this group possess flagella covered in numerous short, hairlike extensions, a feature that inspired the group's name, derived from the Latin words for "straw" and "hair." Some of the main categories of Stramenopiles include diatoms, golden algae, and brown algae.Diatoms are unicellular, photosynthetic eukaryotes, with over 200 known genera. They play a key role in the planktonic communities of both marine and...
306
02:45Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses
41.4K
The circadian—or biological—clock is an intrinsic, timekeeping, molecular mechanism that allows plants to coordinate physiological activities over 24-hour cycles called circadian rhythms. Photoperiodism is a collective term for the biological responses of plants to variations in the relative lengths of dark and light periods. The period of light-exposure is called the photoperiod.
41.4K
01:27Diversity of Protists IV
656
Amoebozoa represent a diverse group of terrestrial and aquatic protists that utilize lobe-shaped pseudopodia for locomotion and feeding. This characteristic differentiates them from the Rhizaria, which possess threadlike pseudopodia. The primary classifications within Amoebozoa include gymnamoebas, entamoebas, and the plasmodial and cellular slime molds. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Amoebozoa diverged from a lineage that ultimately gave rise to fungi and animals.Gymnamoebas and...
656
01:27Diversity of Protists III
649
Rhizaria are a diverse group of unicellular protists characterized by their threadlike cytoplasmic extensions known as pseudopodia. These structures aid in both locomotion and feeding, giving Rhizaria an amoeboid appearance. Their amoeboid morphology once led to taxonomic confusion, but molecular phylogenetics has clarified their evolutionary placement and emphasized their shared use of pseudopodia despite divergent lineages.This clade comprises diverse lineages such as Chlorarachniophyta,...
649
01:15Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response
288
Circadian rhythms are cyclic changes that are crucial in plasma drug concentrations. Various standard circadian parameters, including core body temperature, heart rate, and other cardiovascular factors, directly impact disease states and the therapeutic response to drug therapy.
The time of drug administration is an important factor to consider, as it can influence the toxic dose of a drug. For example, a study conducted by Prins et al. in 1997 examined the effects of the timing of...
The time of drug administration is an important factor to consider, as it can influence the toxic dose of a drug. For example, a study conducted by Prins et al. in 1997 examined the effects of the timing of...
288