Circadian Clocks and Switches in Cynanobacteria

From Q-bio

Synechococcus elongatus, a single-cell cyanobacterium, has a remarkably precise and robust circadian clock which has been reconstituted in vitro with just three proteins. Its simplicity makes it an ideal system for understanding dynamical functions that can arise from the kinetics of multiple phosphorylations. Recent experiments and theoretical analysis will be presented along with speculations on the evolutionary origins of this clock.