Early riser or night owl? A flip of a loop can make the difference!. In Art of Science

Caption: A conformational switch of the activation loop in Casein Kinase I controls the circadian clock and the duration of the biological day. Participant category: Postdoc Department: Pharmacology Casein Kinase I phosphorylates key regions of a protein called PERIOD, which forms the core of the biological clock in mammals. The figure superimposes two alternative conformations of Casein Kinase I (cyan and magenta). The clock in the figure highlights the region of the kinase whose conformation controls the duration of the biological day. Mutations that favor the "loop up" conformation (in cyan) lead to shortening of the circadian rhythm and emergence of 'early riser' behavior.