In 1938, University of Chicago researchers Nathaniel Kleitman, PhD, and Bruce Richardson, a graduate student, demonstrated that humans possess an internal circadian rhythm during a six-week study in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Living in constant darkness, they found that their daily activity patterns remained consistent, revealing that sleep and wake cycles are regulated by an internal process rather than solely by external light cues.
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Today, scientists recognize that circadian rhythms are crucial for human health, influencing sleep patterns and overall well-being. Shift workers, for instance, face higher risks for cardiovascular disease and certain cancers due to their irregular schedules. Circadian rhythms are prevalent across numerous species, aiding survival by aligning biological functions with day-night cycles.
At the University of Chicago, graduate student Lily Burton conducts research in the lab of Michael Rust, PhD, focusing on the circadian rhythms of cyanobacteria, photosynthetic bacteria found in aquatic environments. These organisms utilize photosynthesis to harness sunlight, making it vital to track day-long access to light.
Burton’s research investigates how circadian rhythms influence protein solubility, a factor critical for cellular processes such as metabolism and cell division. The simplicity of cyanobacterial circadian clocks makes them ideal subjects, allowing for experiments that are more challenging in complex organisms like humans.
One pivotal area of her study involves a protein named KidA, which interacts with proteins involved in circadian regulation (KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC). Previous findings indicated that KidA's solubility fluctuates with the day-night cycle. To further explore this, Burton uses time-lapse fluorescence microscopy to observe the solubility changes of KidA in cyanobacteria under different light conditions.
Future experiments will assess whether KidA maintains its solubility pattern when exposed to continuous light or if altering the cyanobacteria's circadian clock affects its behavior. Understanding these dynamics could reveal why certain proteins become less soluble at night, shedding light on the broader influence of circadian rhythms in cellular functions.
Burton aims to contribute to the expanding knowledge of circadian rhythms, building on the foundational work of Kleitman and Richardson, by uncovering how these rhythms assist in the survival strategies of various organisms.