[Press Release] Scientists discover the ‘ticking’ mechanism driving nature’s simplest circadian clock - New research reveals that circadian clock protein KaiC regulates phosphorylation to keep time in cyanobacteria
Title: Visualization of phosphorylation in KaiC
Credit:Yoshihiko Furuike
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Release Summary
Aichi, Japan—Researchers from the Institute for Molecular Science (IMS)/SOKENDAI and Kyushu University have uncovered the molecular mechanism that drives the "ticking" of the circadian clock in cyanobacteria. Their study reveals how a clock protein called KaiC controls chemical reactions with remarkable precision, acting like the hand of a clock that waits, then moves at just the right moment. The findings were published in PNAS Nexus on April 28, 2025.