Self-arrangement of cellular circadian rhythms through phase-resetting in plant roots

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2012 Oct;86(4 Pt 1):041917. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.86.041917. Epub 2012 Oct 26.

Abstract

We discovered a striped pattern of gene expression with circadian rhythms in growing plant roots using bioluminescent imaging of gene expression. Our experimental analysis revealed that the stripe wave in the bioluminescent image originated at the root tip and was caused by a continuous phase resetting of circadian oscillations. Some complex stripe waves containing arrhythmic regions were also observed. We succeeded in describing the formation mechanisms of these patterns using a growing phase oscillator network with a phase-resetting boundary condition.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / physiology
  • Biophysics / methods*
  • Circadian Rhythm / genetics
  • Circadian Rhythm / physiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
  • Light*
  • Luminescence
  • Models, Biological
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Oscillometry / methods
  • Plant Roots / genetics
  • Plant Roots / physiology*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Time Factors
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • Reactive Oxygen Species