Pigment-Dispersing Factor Affects Nocturnal Activity Rhythms, Photic Entrainment, and the Free-Running Period of the Circadian Clock in the Cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

Jan 22, 2011Journal of biological rhythms

Pigment-dispersing factor influences night activity patterns, light-based clock adjustment, and internal circadian timing in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

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Abstract

Injections of pdf double-stranded RNA reduced pigment-dispersing factor levels in crickets.

  • Crickets treated with pdf double-stranded RNA maintained circadian rhythms under both light-dark cycles and constant darkness.
  • The treated crickets exhibited decreased nocturnal activity and displayed significant activity peaks at the onset and offset of light.
  • Dspdf-injected crickets showed higher entrainability, requiring fewer cycles to adapt to a 6-hour shift in light-dark cycles compared to control crickets.
  • In constant darkness, the free-running periods of dspdf-injected crickets were shorter than those of control crickets.
  • These findings indicate that while pigment-dispersing factor is not essential for generating circadian rhythms, it plays a role in nocturnal activity, light synchronization, and adjusting the length of the circadian cycle.

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Full Text

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