Molecular chronobiology in dinoflagellates

是什么使细胞或有机体能够在白天或晚上的特定时间做得更好？一般说来，大多数生物体的日常行为是由一个被称为生物钟的内部定时器来调节的。这个时钟用来预测每天的环境变化，并相应地调整细胞的生理和生化。我们的兴趣在于对细胞调节其行为的策略范围进行分类。我们使用单细胞生物体作为模型，它很容易在培养中生长，并且有许多不同的节律。我们选择了四种不同的节律进行详细研究，并试图将细胞生化的变化与我们观察到的节律联系起来。在我们描述的最简单的策略中，细胞通过合成更多的酶来使特定的反应进行得更快。在另一种更复杂的策略中，细胞通过改变细胞内酶的分布来加快反应速度。虽然反应的细节可能仅限于我们的模型系统，但所揭示的一般策略可能普遍适用于包括人类在内的其他系统。

What makes a cell or an organism able to do some things better at a particular time of day or night? Generally speaking, the daily behavior of most organisms is regulated by an internal timer termed a circadian clock. This clock serves to predict daily environmental changes and to adjust cellular physiology and biochemistry in consequence. Our interest lies to cataloging the range of strategies by which cells modulate their behavior. We use a single celled organism as a model, which is easy to grow in culture and has many different rhythms. We have chosen four different rhythms for detailed study, and are trying to relate changes in cellular biochemistry with the rhythms that we observe. In the simplest strategy we have characterized, the cell makes a particular reaction go faster by synthesizing more enzyme. In another, more complicated strategy, the cell makes a reaction go faster by changing the distribution of an enzyme in the cell. While the specifics of the reactions may be restricted to our model system, the general strategies uncovered may be generally applicable to other systems including humans.