Decreasing Period-Length of the Endogenous Circadian Rhythm of Oxygen Evolution in Acetabularia and Its Possible Relation to Aging

Endogenous circadian rhythms observed under constant conditions normally show period length variations. However, a general trend is difficult to identify when cells or organisms are entrained with the usual 24-h-period light/dark cycles. Therefore, these variations in time have been considered as fluctuations. In order to gain more insight into this phenomenon, individual Acetabularia cells were exposed to light/dark cycles of 16 h (LD 8:8) and 33.6 h (LD 16.8:16.8), respectively, i.e., periods which lie distinctly outside the range of the normal circadian entrainment. Employing a high-resolution procedure for data analysis, decreasing period lengths could consistently be detected when cells were kept under constant conditions for several weeks. Possible causes of this decrease are discussed.