IGEM:Harvard/2006/Brainstorming Papers - Hetmann

Cyanobacteria Oscillators


 * 1) 1 pmid=15893664
 * 2) 2 pmid=15831759
 * 3) 3 pmid=15229218
 * 4) 4 pmid=16729054

[Full text article of Naef]

[Full text article of Wang J.]

''Nakajima et. al''


 * cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus (PCC 7942)
 * three genes components (kaiA, kaiB, and kaiC)
 * Kai proteins regulate the kaiBC operon
 * Oscillation of KaiC phosphorylation cycle is the pacemaker, molecular timer
 * KaiA enhances KaiC autophosphorylation
 * KaiB attenuates the effect of KaiA
 * Oscillation of KaiC phosphorylation maybe generated by KaiA and KaiB cooperation
 * Nakajima et. al incubated recombinant KaiC protein with KaiA and KaiB at a ratio similar to in vivo to test it in vitro
 * KaiC phosphorylation oscillated robustly without damping
 * KaiC not degraded during the reaction
 * Oscillation of KaiC phosphorylation is autonomous due to cooperation of three Kai proteins
 * The thermal sensitivity in vitro same as in vivo gene expression rhythm
 * They found that KaiC phosphorylation is the molecular timer for the circadian rhythm of Synechococcus
 * KaiC hexamer may have many phosphorylation states with different biochemical characteristics
 * In addition, the reaction rate of KaiC phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are slow reducing the energy needed

[Nakajima et. al article]