biostudies-literatureBiondi GNIH HHSNational Science Foundatione1011441https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11527286biostudies-literatureUnknown20(10)Daily behavioral and physiological rhythms are controlled by the brain's circadian timekeeping system, a synchronized network of neurons that maintains endogenous molecular oscillations. These oscillations are based on transcriptional feedback loops of clock genes, which in Drosophila include the transcriptional activators Clock (Clk) and cycle (cyc). While the mechanisms underlying this molecular clock are very well characterized, the roles that the core clock genes play in neuronal physiology and development are much less understood. The Drosophila timekeeping center is composed of ~150 clock neurons, among which the four small ventral lateral neurons (sLNvs) are the most dominant pacemakers under constant conditions. Here, we show that downregulating the clock gene cyc specifically in tPLoS geneticsThe Drosophila circadian clock gene cycle controls the development of clock neurons.PMC11527286NSF CAREER 2239994P40 OD018537Biondi GMcCormick GFernandez MPfalseThe Drosophila circadian clock gene cycle controls the development of clock neurons.Daily behavioral and physiological rhythms are controlled by the brain's circadian timekeeping system, a synchronized network of neurons that maintains endogenous molecular oscillations. These oscillations are based on transcriptional feedback loops of clock genes, which in Drosophila include the transcriptional activators Clock (Clk) and cycle (cyc). While the mechanisms underlying this molecular clock are very well characterized, the roles that the core clock genes play in neuronal physiology and development are much less understood. The Drosophila timekeeping center is composed of ~150 clock neurons, among which the four small ventral lateral neurons (sLNvs) are the most dominant pacemakers under constant conditions. Here, we show that downregulating the clock gene cyc specifically in t2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Oct2026-06-01T06:52:29.365Z2025-04-04T01:59:29.06ZS-EPMC115272863943253710.1371/journal.pgen.1011441