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Updated: May 20, 2026
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Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
Core clock protein subcellular dynamics coordinate local and global circadian control in syncytia
Ziyan Wang1, Bradley M Bartholomai1, Bin Wang1
1Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA.
The Journal of Cell Biology
|May 19, 2026
Summary
Circadian rhythms in Neurospora are synchronized across all nuclei, despite varied clock gene expression. This occurs through dynamic protein organization within nuclei and exchange between them.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Chronobiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Circadian rhythms, governed by negative feedback loops, are crucial in eukaryotes.
- The cell biology of circadian clocks, particularly in syncytial organisms like Neurospora crassa, remains poorly understood.
- Existing research relies heavily on genetic and biochemical data, with limited in vivo spatiotemporal insights.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vivo cell biology of circadian clocks in the multinucleated fungus Neurospora crassa.
- To understand how circadian rhythmicity is maintained and synchronized across multiple nuclei within a single cell.
- To explore the dynamics of clock protein localization and interaction within the nucleus and between nuclei.
Main Methods:
- Utilized novel microfluidic systems for real-time tracking of clock components.
- Employed a light-blind mutant Neurospora crassa strain that maintains circadian function.
- Simultaneously monitored multiple clock proteins in vivo across circadian cycles using advanced imaging techniques.
Main Results:
- Observed robust and synchronous cycles of FRQ (frequency) protein nuclear localization across all nuclei, irrespective of heterogeneous frq gene expression.
- Documented free diffusion of multiple clock components between nuclei, facilitating communication and synchronization.
- Identified dynamic, small nuclear bodies formed by clock components within nuclei, exhibiting time-dependent compositional changes and transient colocalization.
Conclusions:
- Dynamic subnuclear organization and internuclear exchange of clock proteins are key mechanisms for synchronizing circadian activities in syncytial systems.
- The findings reveal a sophisticated spatiotemporal regulation ensuring cellular coordination across a macroscopic, multinucleated organism.
- This study provides critical in vivo insights into the cell biology underlying circadian rhythmicity in Neurospora, advancing our understanding of fungal clocks.
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