Science Article Summary #10

University of California – San Diego. “Biologists Discover How Biological Clock Controls Cell Division in Baceria.” Science Daily. February 19, 2010. [Internet]. [accessed Feb 20, 2010] Available from:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100218125154.htm

Biologists Discover How Biological Clock Controls Cell Division in Bacteria

As reported in the February 19, 2010 issue of the journal Cell, biologists have discovered the biochemistry of the timing of cell division in all living organisms, controlled by their biological clocks. Susan Golden, a biology professor at UC San Diego, headed the study, which focused on how the circadian clock is different in bacteria than in other life forms.

Golden’s team of researchers looked at how the biological clock regulates when a cell divides. Bacteria cells have a four-hour period in which no division occurs. Structural changes in the key protein that controls this period were identified. With the help of time-lapse microscopy, the team discovered that three bacterial clock proteins, KaiA KaiB, and KaiC control the action of another protein, FtsZ, which prevents it from moving to the middle of the cell, where it forms a ring in preparation of cell division. After four hours, the three clock proteins allow this action of FtsZ to occur.

Both the cell cycle and circadian cycle operate in timed patterns, but appear to work together to perform cell division. Researchers learned how the two cycles interact, and that they work differently in bacteria than they do in eukaryotic organisms (plants, animals and fungi). Learning how these mechanisms work can help us to understand how the biological clock effects our sleep cycle and thereby help us to avoid related problems, such as weight control, sleep patterns and response to disease.