A role for CK2 in the Drosophila circadian oscillator

The posttranslational modification of clock proteins is critical for the function of circadian oscillators. By genetic analysis of a Drosophila melanogaster circadian clock mutant known as Andante , which has abnormally long circadian periods, we show that casein kinase 2 (CK2) has a role in determining period length. Andante is a mutation of the gene encoding the β subunit of CK2 and is predicted to perturb CK2β subunit dimerization. It is associated with reduced β subunit levels, indicative of a defect in α:β association and production of the tetrameric α2:β2 holoenzyme. Consistent with a direct action on the clock mechanism, we show that CK2β is localized within clock neurons and that the clock proteins Period (Per) and Timeless (Tim) accumulate to abnormally high levels in the Andante mutant. Furthermore, the nuclear translocation of Per and Tim is delayed in Andante , and this defect accounts for the long-period phenotype of the mutant. These results suggest a function for CK2-dependent phosphorylation in the molecular oscillator.