Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver-1 Selectively Times Circadian Behavior in Darkness via Function in PDF Neurons and Dephosphorylation of TIMELESS

Elżbieta Kula-Eversole, Da Hyun Lee, Ima Samba, Evrim Yildirim, Daniel C. Levine, Hee Kyung Hong, Bridget C. Lear, Joseph Bass, Michael Rosbash, Ravi Allada*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

The timing of behavior under natural light-dark conditions is a function of circadian clocks and photic input pathways, but a mechanistic understanding of how these pathways collaborate in animals is lacking. Here we demonstrate in Drosophila that the Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver-1 (PRL-1) sets period length and behavioral phase gated by photic signals. PRL-1 knockdown in PDF clock neurons dramatically lengthens circadian period. PRL-1 mutants exhibit allele-specific interactions with the light- and clock-regulated gene timeless (tim). Moreover, we show that PRL-1 promotes TIM accumulation and dephosphorylation. Interestingly, the PRL-1 mutant period lengthening is suppressed in constant light, and PRL-1 mutants display a delayed phase under short, but not long, photoperiod conditions. Thus, our studies reveal that PRL-1-dependent dephosphorylation of TIM is a core mechanism of the clock that sets period length and phase in darkness, enabling the behavioral adjustment to change day-night cycles.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)138-149.e5
JournalCurrent Biology
Volume31
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 11 2021

Keywords

  • Drosophila
  • circadian
  • phosphorylation
  • photoperiod
  • seasonality

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neuroscience(all)
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
  • Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)

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