The RNA Helicase BELLE Is Involved in Circadian Rhythmicity and in Transposons Regulation in Drosophila melanogaster
Circadian clocks control and synchronize biological rhythms of several behavioral and physiological phenomena in most, if not all, organisms. Rhythm generation relies on molecular auto-regulatory oscillations of interlocked transcriptional-translational feedback loops. Rhythmic clock-gene expression is at the base of rhythmic protein accumulation, though post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms
have evolved toadjust and consolidate the proper pace of the clock.
We suggest that BELLE acts as important element in the piRNA-mediated regulation of the TEs and raise the hypothesis that this specific regulation could represent another level of post-transcriptional control adopted by the clock to ensure the proper rhythmicity.
BELLE Is a Putative Circadian Clock Component
Aiming at finding new molecular component of the clock machinery in Drosophila, we have identified the DEAD-box RNA helicase BELLE as interactor of CRY.
BELLE Has a Role in the Regulation of the TEs in the Nervous System and in Gonads
A possible role of BELLE in the piRNA pathway is only starting to be elucidated: our experiments suggest that it might act in maintaining precise levels of TE RNAs, probably regulating the activity of other piRNA components.
The involvement of belle in both circadian rhythmicity and piRNA mediated transposon regulation suggests association between these two biological processes. This hypothesis is supported by indirect, though reasonable, observations.
we have described an emerging role of belle in both circadian rhythmicity and transposon regulation, that leads to the attractive hypothesis that piRNA-mediated regulation could be another level of post-transcriptional control adopted by the clock to ensure the proper rhythmicity.
Common Design 