果蝇周期蛋白的瞬时磷酸化

Edery I, Zwiebel L J, Dembinska M E, Rosbash M

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Mar 15;91(6):2260-4. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.6.2260.

The period gene (per) is required for Drosophila melanogaster to manifest circadian (congruent to 24 hr) rhythms. We report here that per protein (PER) undergoes daily oscillations in apparent molecular mass as well as abundance. The mobility changes are largely or exclusively due to multiple phosphorylation events. The temporal profile of the classic short-period form of PER (PERS) is altered in a manner consistent with the mutant strain's behavioral phenotype. As changes in abundance and phosphorylation persist under constant environmental conditions, they reflect or contribute to a free-running rhythm. We suggest that the phosphorylation status of PER is an important determinant in the Drosophila clock's time-keeping mechanism.

周期基因（per）是黑腹果蝇表现出昼夜节律（约24小时）所必需的。我们在此报告，周期蛋白（PER）在表观分子量以及丰度上都经历每日振荡。迁移率的变化主要或完全归因于多个磷酸化事件。经典的短周期形式的PER（PERS）的时间分布以与突变株行为表型一致的方式发生改变。由于在恒定环境条件下丰度和磷酸化的变化持续存在，它们反映或促成了自主运转节律。我们认为，PER的磷酸化状态是果蝇生物钟计时机制中的一个重要决定因素。