Interactions Between the Circadian Clock and Heme Oxygenase in the Retina of Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT: The Drosophila retina has an autonomous peripheral circadian clock in which the expression of the gene encoding heme oxygenase (HO) is under circadian control with the ho mRNA peaking at the beginning of the day and in the middle of the night. The function of HO in the retina is unknown, but we observed that it regulates the circadian clock and protects photoreceptors against DNA damage. The decline in HO level increases and decreases the expression of the canonical clock genes period (per) and Clock (Clk), respectively. The opposite result was observed after increasing HO expression. Among three products of HO activity-carbon monoxide (CO), ferrous ions, and biliverdin-the latter has no effect on per and Clk expressions, but CO exerts the same effect as the increase of ho expression. This

SUBMITTER: Damulewicz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5533861 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature