Evidences for Circadian Rhythmicity in the per° Mutant of Drosophila melanogaster
1987 ◽
Vol 42
(11-12)
◽
pp. 1335-1338
◽
Keyword(s):
Per Gene
◽
per° Mutants of Drosophila melanogaster which are exposed to light-dark cycles (LD) with different Zeitgeber period (T) have a limited range of entrainment. Entrained flies show a characteristic phase relationship of activity to the LD which depends on the period of the driving cycle as expected by oscillator theory. Both facts are taken as evidence that per° possesses endogenous oscillators and that the per gene product is not concerned with central clock structures but rather might be responsible for the mutual coupling between the individual oscillators in a multioscillatory system controlling locomotor activity.