Jet lag may ruin your trip. Therefore, a new study highlights that understanding the role of a secret protein that regulates our body clock may open up new avenues for treating jet lag. Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and the University of California, Santa Cruz, have discovered the secret to regulating our internal clock. They identified that this regulator sits right at the tail end of Casein Kinase 1 delta (CK1δ), a protein which acts as a pace setter for our internal biological clock or the natural 24-hour cycles that control sleep-wake patterns and other daily functions, known as circadian rhythm.
‘Casein Kinase 1 delta (CK1δ) is a protein that plays a crucial role in regulating circadian rhythms. #circadianrhythm #jetlag #medindia’
Published in the journal PNAS, their findings could pave the way for new approaches to treating disorders related to our body clock (1✔ ✔Trusted SourceIsoform-specific C-terminal phosphorylation drives autoinhibition of Casein kinase 1
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Role for Casein Kinase 1 Delta (CK1δ) in Regulating Circadian Rhythm
CK1δ regulates circadian rhythms by tagging other proteins involved in our biological clock to fine-tune the timing of these rhythms. In addition to modifying other proteins, CK1δ itself can be tagged, thereby altering its own ability to regulate the proteins involved in running the body’s internal clock.Previous research identified two distinct versions of CK1δ, known as isoforms δ1 and δ2, which vary by just 16 building blocks or amino acids right at the end of the protein in a part called the C-terminal tail. Yet these small differences significantly impact CK1δ’s function. While it was known that when these proteins are tagged, their ability to regulate the body clock decreases, no one knew exactly how this happened.
Using advanced spectroscopy and spectrometry techniques to zoom in on the tails, the researchers found that how the proteins are tagged is determined by their distinct tail sequences.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator Professor Carrie Partch from the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz and corresponding author of the study explained:
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Having first studied this protein more than 30 years ago while investigating its role in cell division, Professor David Virshup, the director of the Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme at Duke-NUS and co-corresponding author of the study, elaborated:
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This discovery highlights how a small part of CK1δ can greatly influence its overall activity. This self-regulation is vital for keeping CK1δ activity balanced, which, in turn, helps regulate our circadian rhythms.
The study also addressed the wider implications of these findings. CK1δ plays a role in several important processes beyond circadian rhythms, including cell division, cancer development, and certain neurodegenerative diseases. By better understanding how CK1δ’s activity is regulated, scientists could open new avenues for treating not just circadian rhythm disorders but also a range of conditions.
Mastering Our Circadian Rhythm: More Than Just Beating Jet Lag
Professor Patrick Tan, Senior Vice-Dean for Research at Duke-NUS, commented:“Regulating our internal clock goes beyond curing jet lag—it’s about improving sleep-quality, metabolism and overall health. This important discovery could potentially open new doors for treatments that could transform how we manage these essential aspects of our daily lives.”
The researchers plan to further investigate how real-world factors, such as diet and environmental changes, affect the tagging sites on CK1δ. This could provide insights into how these factors affect circadian rhythms and might lead to practical solutions for managing disruptions.
Duke-NUS is a global leader in medical education and biomedical research, driving breakthroughs that transcend scientific exploration for the benefit of our communities. By merging scientific research with translational methods, the School deepens our understanding of prevalent diseases and develop innovative new treatment approaches.
References:
- Isoform-specific C-terminal phosphorylation drives autoinhibition of casein kinase 1 - (https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2415567121)
Source-Eurekalert