A model for circadian oscillations in the Drosophila period protein (PER)

Please take some time to read the research: A model for circadian oscillations in the Drosophila period protein (PER). This simulation paper demonstrates a theoretical basis for the circadian clock and explains the long- and short-period phenotypes described in the Konopka-Benzer paper. This is one of the earliest successful mathematical models explaining the circadian oscillations of Period.

Please pay attention to the first abstract summary. The last sentence reveals the most significant finding of this work.

The period of oscillation is determined by the kinetics’ time constant, which depends on the degradation rate. A higher degradation rate results in less PER protein, weakening its inhibition of its own transcription. Consequently, the period of oscillation lengthens. This effect can be attributed to improper phosphorylation of the PER protein, as represented by the perL mutation in the Konopka-Benzer paper (and conversely, a lower degradation rate in perS). Try to understand this using simple linear kinetic equations.