Green-sensitive opsin is the photoreceptor for photic entrainment of an insect circadian clock.

Introduction: Entrainment to light cycle is a prerequisite for circadian rhythms to set daily physiological events to occur at an appropriate time of day. In hemimetabolous insects, the photoreceptor molecule for photic entrainment is still unknown. Since the compound eyes are the only circadian photoreceptor in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, we have investigated the role of three opsin genes expressed there, opsin-Ultraviolet (opUV), opsin-Blue (opB), and opsin-Long Wave (opLW) encoding a green-sensitive opsin in photic entrainment.

The nuclear receptor genes HR3 and E75 are required for the circadian rhythm in a primitive insect.

Insect circadian rhythms are generated by a circadian clock consisting of transcriptional/translational feedback loops, in which CYCLE and CLOCK are the key elements in activating the transcription of various clock genes such as timeless (tim) and period (per). Although the transcriptional regulation of Clock (Clk) has been profoundly studied, little is known about the regulation of cycle (cyc). Here, we identify the orphan nuclear receptor genes HR3 and E75, which are orthologs of mammalian clock genes, Rorα and Rev-erbα, respectively, as factors involved in the rhythmic expression of the cyc gene in a primitive insect, the firebrat Thermobia domestica.

Long-term effect of systemic RNA interference on circadian clock genes in hemimetabolous insects.

RNA interference (RNAi) strategy, which enables gene-specific knock-down of transcripts, has been spread across a wide area of insect studies for investigating gene function without regard to model and non-model insects. This technique is of particular benefit to promote molecular studies on non-model insects. However, the optimal conditions for RNAi are still not well understood because of its variable efficiency depending on the species, target genes, and experimental conditions.

gb'clock is expressed in the optic lobe and is required for the circadian clock in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.

Reverse genetic studies have revealed that common clock genes, such as period (per), timeless (tim), cycle (cyc), and Clock (Clk), are involved in the circadian clock mechanism among a wide variety of insects. However, to what degree the molecular oscillatory mechanism is conserved is still to be elucidated. In this study, cDNA of the clock gene Clk was cloned in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, and its function was analyzed using RNA interference (RNAi).

timeless is an essential component of the circadian clock in a primitive insect, the firebrat Thermobia domestica.

Recent studies show that the timeless (tim) gene is not an essential component of the circadian clock in some insects. In the present study, we have investigated whether the tim gene was originally involved in the insect clock or acquired as a clock component later during the course of evolution using an apterygote insect, Thermobia domestica. A cDNA of the clock gene tim (Td'tim) was cloned, and its structural analysis showed that Td'TIM includes 4 defined functional domains, that is, 2 regions for dimerization with PERIOD (PER-1, PER-2), nuclear localization signal (NLS), and cytoplasmic localization domain (CLD), like Drosophila TIM.

Peripheral circadian rhythms and their regulatory mechanism in insects and some other arthropods: a review.

Many physiological functions of insects show a rhythmic change to adapt to daily environmental cycles. These rhythms are controlled by a multi-clock system. A principal clock located in the brain usually organizes the overall behavioral rhythms, so that it is called the "central clock".

Molecular cloning and functional analysis of the clock genes, Clock and cycle, in the firebrat Thermobia domestica.

Comparative molecular analysis reveals a wide variation of clock mechanisms among insects. In this study, the clock gene homologues of Clock (Td'Clk) and cycle (Td'cyc) were cloned from an apterygote insect, Thermobia domestica. Structural analysis showed that Td'CLK includes bHLH, PAS-A, PAS-B domains but lacks a polyglutamine repeat in the C terminal region that is implicated for transcriptional activity in Drosophila CLK.