'Linnea Saunders/Sandbox 1 CLOCK:BMAL1 Transcriptional Activator Complex'
Function
The circadian locomotor output cycles protein kaput and brain-muscle-arnt-like (CLOCK:BMAL1) transcriptional activator complex is an important protein involved in the regulation of our circadian rhythm. This protein interacts with DNA at regulatory elements to upregulate the production of proteins period (PER) and cryptochrome (CRY) during the day. These proteins (PER and CRY) dimerize at night and interact with CLOCK:BMAL1 to repress their own transcription. They are then degraded, allowing their transcription to occur again. This process takes approximately 24 hours and is the main mechanism of the ciracadian rhythm. CLOCK:BMAL1 lies at the heart of this process and its structure and domains are what allows it to interact with DNA and regulate the circadian rhythm. Both CLOCK and BMAL contain domains that allow them to dimerize, as well interact with DNA to regulate transcription.
Disease
Relevance
Structural highlights
The main domains of interest with the CLOCK:BMAL1 complex are the PAS domains which are necessary for the two proteins to dimerize, and the , which allows the complex to interact with DNA. Each subunit contains two PAS domains
