Genome editing reveals no potential role of the circadian clock gene <i>period</i> in the circatidal rhythm of the mangrove cricket

The mangrove cricket, <i>Apteronemobius asahinai</i>, inhabits the mangrove floor, and adults collected from the field clearly exhibit both circatidal and circadian rhythms in their locomotor activity. Previous studies revealed that RNAi of the circadian clock genes, <i>period</i> (<i>per</i>) and <i>Clock</i> (<i>Clk</i>), that form the circadian clock disrupted the circadian rhythm, but not the circatidal rhythm, leading to the conclusion that the circatidal rhythm in this species is not controlled by circadian clock components. However, it remains possible that a small amount of mRNA of <i>per</i> or <i>Clk</i> is sufficient to maintain the expression of the circatidal rhythm. Here, we produced <i>per</i>-knockout mutant mangrove crickets using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and measured their locomotor activity rhythms. Singular spectrum analysis and a correlation analysis method revealed that the circatidal rhythm was observed in a <i>per</i>-mutant cricket. This finding suggests that <i>per</i> is not required for the expression of the circatidal rhythm in mangrove crickets.

红树林蟋蟀（*Apteronemobius asahinai*）栖息于红树林滩涂，野外采集的成虫其运动活动明显同时表现出潮汐节律（circatidal rhythm）与昼夜节律（circadian rhythm）。既往研究显示，靶向构成昼夜节律钟的生物钟基因周期基因（*period*，简称*per*）与时钟基因（*Clock*，简称*Clk*）的RNA干扰（RNAi）可破坏昼夜节律，但对潮汐节律无影响，由此得出该物种的潮汐节律不受昼夜钟组分调控的结论。然而，仍存在*per*或*Clk*的少量mRNA足以维持潮汐节律表达的可能性。本研究利用CRISPR/Cas9系统构建了*per*基因敲除的红树林蟋蟀突变体，并对其运动活动节律进行了检测。通过奇异谱分析（singular spectrum analysis）与相关分析方法，研究人员在*per*基因突变体蟋蟀中仍观测到了潮汐节律。该结果表明，红树林蟋蟀的潮汐节律表达并不依赖*per*基因。

搜集汇总

背景与挑战

背景概述

该数据集基于一项研究，通过CRISPR/Cas9基因组编辑技术创建了红树林蟋蟀的周期基因（period）敲除突变体，并利用运动活动测量和频谱分析方法，探究该基因在潮汐节律中的作用。实验结果表明，突变体中仍能观察到潮汐节律，这证实了周期基因对于红树林蟋蟀潮汐节律的表达并非必需，从而支持了潮汐节律可能独立于昼夜钟基因调控的结论。数据集包括相关实验数据和分析结果，旨在为生物节律研究提供实证支持。