Coordination of robust single cell rhythms in the Arabidopsis circadian clock via spatial waves of gene expression
- University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
- University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Ritsumeikan University, Japan
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary
- Cited 23
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Abstract
The Arabidopsis circadian clock orchestrates gene regulation across the day/night cycle. Although a multiple feedback loop circuit has been shown to generate the 24h rhythm, it remains unclear how robust the clock is in individual cells, or how clock timing is coordinated across the plant. Here we examine clock activity at the single cell level across Arabidopsis seedlings over several days under constant environmental conditions. Our data reveal robust single cell oscillations, albeit desynchronised. In particular, we observe two waves of clock activity; one going down, and one up the root. We also find evidence of cell-to-cell coupling of the clock, especially in the root tip. A simple model shows that cell-to-cell coupling and our measured period differences between cells can generate the observed waves. Our results reveal the spatial structure of the plant clock and suggest that unlike the centralised mammalian clock, the Arabidopsis clock has multiple coordination points.
Article and author information
Author details
Laszlo Kozma-Bognar
Funding
Gatsby Charitable Foundation
- James CW Locke
H2020 European Research Council
- James CW Locke
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Peter D Gould
- Mirela Domijan
- Anthony JW Hall
- James CW Locke
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Reviewing Editor
- Richard Amasino, University of Wisconsin, United States
Publication history
- Received: September 6, 2017
- Accepted: April 25, 2018
- Accepted Manuscript published: April 26, 2018 (version 1)
- Version of Record published: June 5, 2018 (version 2)
Copyright
© 2018, Gould et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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