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Photoperiodic Time Measurement (photoperiodic + time_measurement)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Life Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

THE CONTRIBUTION OF AN HOURGLASS TIMER TO THE EVOLUTION OF PHOTOPERIODIC RESPONSE IN THE PITCHER-PLANT MOSQUITO, WYEOMYIA SMITHII

EVOLUTION, Issue 10 2003
W. E. Bradshaw
Abstract Photoperiodism, the ability to assess the length of day or night, enables a diverse array of plants, birds, mammals, and arthropods to organize their development and reproduction in concert with the changing seasons in temperate climatic zones. For more than 60 years, the mechanism controlling photoperiodic response has been debated. Photoperiodism may be a simple interval timer, that is, an hourglasslike mechanism that literally measures the length of day or night or, alternatively, may be an overt expression of an underlying circadian oscillator. Herein, we test experimentally whether the rhythmic response in Wyeomyia smithii indicates a causal, necessary relationship between circadian rhythmicity and the evolutionary modification of photoperiodic response over the climatic gradient of North America, or may be explained by a simple interval timer. We show that a day-interval timer is sufficient to predict the photoperiodic response of W. smithii over this broad geographic range and conclude that rhythmic responses observed in classical circadian-based experiments alone cannot be used to infer a causal role for circadian rhythmicity in the evolution of photoperiodic time measurement. More importantly, we argue that the pursuit of circadian rhyth-micity as the central mechanism that measures the duration of night or day has distracted researchers from consideration of the interval-timing processes that may actually be the target of natural selection linking internal photoperiodic time measurement to the external seasonal environment. [source]

Diapause-inducing signals prolong nymphal development in the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae

PHYSIOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 3 2009
TAKESHI SUZUKI
Abstract Female two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae are grown under different photoperiods and the photoperiodic regulation of diapause is examined. The photoperiodic response curve for diapause induction was of the long day,short day type, with critical day lengths (CDLs) of 2 and 12.5 h; diapause was induced between these CDLs. The preimaginal period is significantly longer in diapausing females than in non-diapausing females; moreover, a significant positive correlation is detected between diapause incidence and deutonymphal period. Diapause incidence is high when long-night photoperiods are applied against a background of continuous darkness in the stages including the deutonymph; this stage appears to be the most sensitive to photoperiod. These observations suggest that diapause-inducing conditions inhibit nymphal development, particularly in the deutonymphal stage when photoperiodic time measurement for determination of reproduction or diapause is carried out. [source]

Phytochromes A1 and B1 have distinct functions in the photoperiodic control of flowering in the obligate long-day plant Nicotiana sylvestris

PLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 9 2006
ZHI-LIANG ZHENG
ABSTRACT The obligate long-day plant Nicotiana sylvestris with a nominal critical day length of 12 h was used to dissect the roles of two major phytochromes (phyA1 and phyB1) in the photoperiodic control of flowering using transgenic plants under-expressing PHYA1 (SUA2), over-expressing PHYB1 (SOB36), or cosuppressing the PHYB1 gene (SCB35). When tungsten filament lamps were used to extend an 8 h main photoperiod, SCB35 and SOB36 flowered earlier and later, respectively, than wild-type plants, while flowering was greatly delayed in SUA2. These results are consistent with those obtained with other long-day plants in that phyB has a negative role in the control of flowering, while phyA is required for sensing day-length extensions. However, evidence was obtained for a positive role for PHYB1 in the control of flowering. Firstly, transgenic plants under-expressing both PHYA1 and PHYB1 exhibited extreme insensitivity to day-length extensions. Secondly, flowering in SCB35 was completely repressed under 8 h extensions with far-red-deficient light from fluorescent lamps. This indicates that the dual requirement for both far-red and red for maximum floral induction is mediated by an interaction between phyA1 and phyB1. In addition, a diurnal periodicity to the sensitivity of both negative and positive light signals was observed. This is consistent with existing models in which photoperiodic time measurement is not based on the actual measurement of the duration of either the light or dark period, but rather the coincidence of endogenous rhythms of sensitivity , both positive and negative , and the presence of light cues. [source]