Transcriptome analysis of Arabidopsis treated with a CDK5 inhibitor BML-259

The molecular mechanism underlying circadian clock of Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) is thought to be the transcription-translation feedback loop from numerous transcription factors. In addition, post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications for these components are also crucial for maintain proper function of the clock. To understand molecular mechanism of the clock, we have started the chemical biology strategy. By high-throughput chemical screening, we found that a small molecule BML-259 lengthens period of the circadian clock in Arabidopsis in a dose-dependent manner. BML-259 is known as a potent inhibitor of CYCLIN DEPENDENT KINASE 5 (CDK5) in mammal. To understand action mechanism of BML-259 for clock control, we performed transcriptome analysis (RNAseq) of Arabidopsis seedlings treated with BML-259.