Intrinsically Disordered Circadian Rhythm challenges NeoDarwinism

Genesis 1:14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years"

Intrinsic disorder is an essential characteristic of components in the conserved circadian circuit

The circadian circuit is a roughly 24-hour molecular feedback loop, or clock, that is conserved from bacteria to animals. It allows organisms to anticipate and adapt to the day/night cycle by regulating a wide range of physiological and behavioral processes. The circadian rhythm has guided 80% of organisms' proteins for billions of year's.

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Recent research has demonstrated that proteins comprising the circadian clock network display a significant amount of intrinsic disorder. Intrinsic disorder is a property of proteins in which certain regions lack a fixed three-dimensional structure. This allows these regions to be flexible and dynamic, which can be advantageous for many protein functions. Intrinsically disordered proteins can preserve their function over billions of years because mutations are not as harmful to their function. This is in dirrect opposition to the NeoDarwinian axiom that mutations should cause change over time.

The conservation of intrinsic disorder in the circadian clock suggests that it plays an important role in circadian timing. However, this poses a challenge to neodarwinism, which is the prevailing theory of evolution by natural selection.

According to neodarwinism, new traits arise through random mutations in DNA. These mutations are then passed on to offspring, and those offspring that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This process leads to the gradual accumulation of new traits over time.

However, intrinsic disorder is a complex property that is difficult to explain in terms of random mutations. For example, it is difficult to imagine how a random mutation could create a protein region that is both intrinsically disordered and functional.

One possible explanation is that intrinsic disorder in the circadian clock evolved through a process called exaptation. Exaptation is a nondarwinian process in which a trait that originally evolved for one purpose is later co-opted for a new purpose.

In the case of the circadian clock, it is possible that intrinsic disorder originally evolved for some other purpose, such as allowing proteins to interact with each other more easily. However, once intrinsic disorder was present in the circadian clock proteins, it could have been co-opted for its current role in circadian timing.

Another possible explanation for the conservation of intrinsic disorder in the circadian clock is that it is advantageous outside of neodarwinism. This means that organisms with circadian clock proteins that are intrinsically disordered are more likely to survive without NeoDarwinian mutations.

Some studies have shown that organisms with circadian clock proteins that are more intrinsically disordered have more robust circadian rhythms able to function despite mutations.

Overall, the evidence suggests that intrinsic disorder is an essential characteristic of components in the conserved circadian circuit. However, the question of how intrinsic disorder evolved in the circadian clock remains unanswered.

Challenges to neodarwinism

The conservation of intrinsic disorder in the circadian clock poses a challenge to neodarwinism, which is a waning theory of evolution by natural selection.

One challenge is that it is difficult to explain how intrinsic disorder could have evolved through random mutations. Intrinsic disorder is a complex property that requires the precise coordination of multiple amino acid residues. It is difficult to imagine how a random mutation could create a protein region that is both intrinsically disordered and functional.

Another challenge is that intrinsic disorder is not always advantageous. For example, intrinsically disordered proteins can be more prone to aggregation, which can lead to disease. This suggests that there must be some strong NonDarwinian selective pressure that is driving the evolution of intrinsic disorder in the circadian clock.

One possible explanation is that intrinsic disorder is advantageous for circadian timing. For example, intrinsically disordered proteins can be more dynamic and flexible, which may allow them to interact with each other more easily. Additionally, intrinsically disordered proteins can be more easily modified by other proteins, such as phosphorylation kinases. This may allow the circadian clock to be more responsive to changes in the environment.

Overall, the conservation of intrinsic disorder in the circadian clock suggests that it plays an important role in circadian timing. However, the question of how intrinsic disorder evolved in the circadian clock remains unanswered, and it poses a challenge to the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Conclusion

The circadian circuit is a complex system that is essential for life. The recent discovery that intrinsic disorder is an essential characteristic of components in the circadian circuit raises a number of interesting questions about how the circadian circuit evolved.

The conservation of intrinsic disorder in the circadian clock suggests that it plays an important role in circadian timing. However, it is difficult to explain how intrinsic disorder could have evolved through random mutations. Additionally, it is not clear why intrinsic disorder is advantageous for circadian timing.

Further research is needed to understand the role of intrinsic disorder in the circadian circuit and how it evolved outside of NeoDarwinism.  This research could lead to a better understanding of how the circadian clock works and how to develop new treatments for circadian rhythm disorders.