The Game of Timing: Circadian Rhythms Intersect with Changing Environments

• Published in: Annual review of plant biology Vol. 74; no. 1; pp. 511 - 538
• Main Authors: Laosuntisuk, Kanjana, Elorriaga, Estefania, Doherty, Colleen J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Annual Reviews 22-05-2023; Annual Reviews, Inc
• Subjects: Biological clocks; Biological effects; Changing environments; circadian; Circadian Clocks; Circadian rhythm; Circadian Rhythm - physiology; Circadian rhythms; Climate change; Controlled conditions; Earth movements; environmental adaptation; Environmental changes; Plant Breeding; Plant species; rhythms; Signal Transduction; signaling networks; rhythms; signaling networks; circadian; environmental adaptation; climate change
• ISSN: 1543-5008; 1545-2123
• DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-070522-065329

Recurring patterns are an integral part of life on Earth. Through evolution or breeding, plants have acquired systems that coordinate with the cyclic patterns driven by Earth's movement through space. The biosystem responses to these physical rhythms result in biological cycles of daily and seasonal activity that feed back into the physical cycles. Signaling networks to coordinate growth and molecular activities with these persistent cycles have been integrated into plant biochemistry. The plant circadian clock is the coordinator of this complex, multiscale, temporal schedule. However, we have detailed knowledge of the circadian clock components and functions in only a few species under controlled conditions. We are just beginning to understand how the clock functions in real-world conditions. This review examines what we know about the circadian clock in diverse plant species, the challenges with extrapolating data from controlled environments, and the need to anticipate how plants will respond to climate change.