The Adaptive Value of Circadian Clocks

Cyanobacterial strains with a functioning biological clock outperform clock-disrupted strains in rhythmic environments.

• Strains with a functioning biological clock have a competitive advantage over clock-disrupted strains when exposed to rhythmic environmental conditions.
• The competitive advantage of clocked strains vanishes in constant environments, challenging the idea of intrinsic adaptive value.
• Cyanobacterial strains exhibit optimal competition in rhythmic environments when their internal biological clock frequency aligns with the environmental cycle.
• Findings highlight the importance of circadian temporal programming for adaptation, but this benefit is context-dependent, specifically tied to cyclic environments.

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