Final Report Summary - LUNAR.CLOCK (Molecular neurobiology of a moonlight entrained circalunar clock)
The project Lunar.Clock investigated the effect of dim nocturnal light (mimicking the moon) and light during the day (mimicking the sun) on a marine bristle worm and a marine midge. Both organisms were previously shown to possess not only the well-studied daily (circadian) clock, but also an endogenous calendar, a circalunar oscillator. Besides several technology developments for light sources, behavioral, comparative molecular, functional and genetic analyses, the project provides insight into the general regulation of proteins vs. protein-coding transcripts (mRNA) by the circalunar oscillator, identified light receptors required for moonlight vs. sunlight interpretation and a molecular mechanism to adapt daily timing to specific natural conditions.