A functional genomics strategy reveals clockwork orange as a transcriptional regulator in the Drosophila circadian clock

Novel clock gene candidates, including clockwork orange (cwo), were identified through genome-wide functional screening in Drosophila.

• cwo is rhythmically expressed and regulated by CLK-CYC through specific DNA sequences.
• cwo establishes its own negative feedback loop, suppressing the expression of other clock genes.
• This feedback loop is associated with maintaining high-amplitude circadian oscillations in vivo.
• The interplay between CLK-CYC activity and the regulatory threshold set by CWO may control transcription levels of clock genes.

AI simplified