Perfecting the Life Clock: The Journey from PTO to TTFL

The ubiquity of biological rhythms in life implies that it results from selection in the evolutionary process. The origin of the biological clock has two possible hypotheses: the selective pressure hypothesis of the oxidative stress cycle and the light evasion hypothesis. Moreover, the biological clock gives life higher adaptability. Two biological clock mechanisms have been discovered: the negative feedback loop of transcription-translation (TTFL) and the post-translational oscillation mechanism (PTO). The TTFL mechanism is the most classic and relatively conservative circadian clock oscillation mechanism, commonly found in eukaryotes. We have introduced the TTFL mechanism of the classical model organisms. However, the biological clock of prokaryotes is based on the PTO mechanism. The Peroxiredoxin (PRX or PRDX) protein-based PTO mechanism circadian clock widely existing in eukaryotic and prokaryotic life is considered a more conservative oscillation mechanism. The coexistence of the PTO and TTFL mechanisms in eukaryotes prompted us to explain the relationship between the two. Finally, we speculated that there might be a driving force for the evolution of the biological clock. The biological clock may have an evolutionary trend from the PTO mechanism to the TTFL mechanism, resulting from the evolution of organisms adapting to the environment.

Automated summary

The ubiquity of biological rhythms in life suggests that they are the result of natural selection in evolution. The origin of the biological clock has two possible hypotheses: the selective pressure hypothesis of the oxidative stress cycle and the light evasion hypothesis. Furthermore, the biological clock enhances the adaptability of organisms. Two mechanisms of biological clocks have been discovered: the negative feedback loop of transcription-translation (TTFL) and the post-translational oscillation mechanism (PTO). The TTFL mechanism is commonly found in eukaryotes and is considered the most classic and conservative circadian clock oscillation mechanism. The PTO mechanism, based on the Peroxiredoxin (PRX or PRDX) protein, is the oscillation mechanism of the biological clock in prokaryotes and is widely present in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic life. The coexistence of the PTO and TTFL mechanisms in eukaryotes raises the question of their relationship. Finally, it is speculated that there may be a driving force for the evolution of biological clocks, with a possible evolutionary trend from the PTO mechanism to the TTFL mechanism as organisms adapt to their environment.