Origin and evolution of circadian clock genes in prokaryotes

Feb 27, 2003Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

How internal daily rhythm genes started and changed in simple bacteria

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Abstract

The analysis of approximately 70 complete prokaryotic genomes reveals the evolutionary history of circadian rhythm genes.

  • Cyanobacteria were previously thought to be the only prokaryotes with circadian rhythms.
  • The kai genes (kaiA, kaiB, kaiC) are found in Archaea and Proteobacteria, indicating a broader distribution than previously recognized.
  • Among these genes, kaiC is the most ancient, while kaiA is the most recent, having likely evolved solely in cyanobacteria.
  • The evolution of prokaryotic circadian pacemakers appears to have occurred alongside the geological history of Earth.
  • Natural selection, along with lateral gene transfers and duplications or losses, may have significantly influenced the evolution of these genes.

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