Author summary This work sheds new light on the function of photolyases in vertebrates. Photolyases are highly conserved flavoproteins which have been studied extensively concerning their role in DNA damage repair. However, a potential role for photolyases in the circadian clock remains poorly understood. Here, by using fish models, we reveal that the loss of 6–4 photolyase (6–4phr) results in attenuation of circadian rhythms of clock gene expression. Furthermore, 6–4phr physically interacts with and thereby suppresses Clock1-Bmal1 mediated transactivation via the E-box enhancer. In addition, 6–4phr also increases transcriptional activation mediated by the D-box enhancer via physical interaction with Tefb. These findings point to a dual functionality for 6–4phr and provide new insight into the general functionality of photolyases in vertebrates.
Introduction
Light represents a fundamentally important environmental factor for most living systems. Regular changes in the intensity and spectrum of sunlight underlie the day-night and seasonal cycles which dominate the environment. As a key strate… [63164 chars]
Source: PLOS (Public Library of Science) | Published: 2025-12-12T00:00:00Z
Credit: PLOS (Public Library of Science)
