Assessing the impact of photosynthetic sugars on the arabidopsis circadian clock

Abstract

Circadian clocks drive 24 h biological rhythms to optimize physiology and development in response to the rotation of the planet. In plants, photosynthesis is modulated by the circadian clock and contributes to daily rhythms in cellular metabolism. In addition to light and temperature, sugar produced from photosynthesis acts as a zeitgeber to contribute to setting of the plant circadian clock. Here, we describe methods to manipulate photosynthetic output and sugar availability in Arabidopsis seedlings. These protocols have been applied to investigate the effects on the Arabidopsis circadian network, but are easily adaptable to other processes in plants.