Two <i>Ck1δ</i> transcripts regulated by m6A methylation code for two antagonistic kinases in the control of the circadian clock

Abstract

mRNA methylation leads to increased translation of two alternatively spliced CK1δ isoforms, CK1δ1 and CK1δ2, uncharacterized until now. The expression ratio between these isoforms is tissue-specific, CK1δ1 and CK1δ2 have different kinase activities, and they cooperate in the phosphorylation of the circadian clock protein PER2. While CK1δ1 accelerates the circadian clock by promoting the decay of PER2 proteins, CK1δ2 slows it down by stabilizing PER2 via increased phosphorylation at a key residue on PER2 protein. These observations challenge the previously established model of PER2 phosphorylation and, given the multiple functions and targets of CK1δ, the existence of two isoforms calls for a re-evaluation of past research when CK1δ1 and CK1δ2 were simply CK1δ.