Summary
This study characterizes the circadian clock and light-input system in sea urchin larvae, identifying two distinct light-perceiving cell types (serotonergic cells expressing dcry and non-serotonergic cells expressing opsin3.2) in the apical region. While primarily basic science, findings contribute to understanding the evolutionary origins of circadian photoreception, informing foundational knowledge relevant to how light entrains biological clocks across species.
Key Findings
- Genome survey identified nearly all canonical clock genes in sea urchin except period, suggesting the last common ancestor of all bilaterians possessed a complex circadian clock toolkit.
- sp_vcry and sp_tim mRNA showed rhythmic oscillation in both light/dark (LD) and free-running (DD) conditions, while sp_clock and sp_bmal showed no rhythmic expression.
- Knockdown of sp_dcry induced arrhythmicity in its own expression and reduced oscillation amplitude in sp_vcry and sp_tim.
- Knockdown of sp_opsin3.2 reduced expression levels of sp_hlf, and sp_vcry knockdown induced arrhythmicity in sp_tim expression.
Categories
The Science of Light: Investigates photoreceptor biology and opsin expression in the context of circadian light input and entrainment mechanisms in a bilaterian model organism.
Author(s)
L Petrone
Publication Year
2016
Number of Citations
5
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