The researchers of the Yale University have reached the genetic gear that control the circadian clock in plants. That is a great breakthrough that will allow offering a great progress of engineering plants that will make growing plants all year round not just in the usual seasons and also allow plants to grow in locations where it has not been grown before.
Scientists have known for some time that plants’ circadian clocks operate through the cooperative relationship between “morning” genes and “evening” genes. Proteins encoded by the morning genes suppress evening genes at daybreak, but by nightfall the levels of these proteins drop and evening genes are activated again. These evening genes are actually necessary to turn the morning genes on and complete the 24-hour cycle, but scientists weren’t certain of the exact processes involved. By identifying the gene DET1 as crucial in helping to suppress expression of the evening genes in the circadian cycle, the Yale researchers have solved one of the last remaining mysteries in this process.