Structure and Molecular Mechanisms of Clock Proteins
Research report (imported) 2004 - Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology
Summary
Most organisms exhibit day-time dependent activity cycles, referred to as circadian rhythms, which are generated and synchronized with the environmental light-dark cycle by internal biological clocks. By structurally and biochemically characterizing the clock protein PERIOD of the fruit fly Drosophila, scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Dortmund were able to obtain important insights into animal clock mechanisms. Biological, biochemical and biophysical experiments proposed by this X-ray crystal structure will assist in delineating the molecular mechanisms underlying the human circadian clockwork.