Functions of clock proteins in autophagy and vesicular transport

Circadian clocks provide activity rhythms to cells and tissues and thereby synchronize organisms with periodic changes in relevant environmental parameters. In this way, the circadian clock controls many metabolic processes in mammals (1). Also autophagy, a cellular proteostatic mechanism, is controlled by the circadian clock in a cell-autonomous manner, whereby the clock protein PER2 seems to play a leading role (2). However, it is unclear how the molecular mechanisms work that connect PER2-containing protein complexes with the autophagy machinery. We are analyzing the roles of several cytoplasmic PER2 interacting proteins in the circadian regulation of autophagy and related vesicular transport processes.