TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCY OF CIRCADIAN PERIOD IN A SINGLE CELL (ACETABULARIA)

The circadian rhythm in the oxygen production of 30 individual Acetabularia cells has been studied at different temperatures. The temperature induced period variation was continuously evaluated over the whole data record of each individual cell with an advanced spectral analysis technique. The observed circadian periods of O2 production displayed a well established region of temperature compensation between 25-degrees-C and 30-degrees-C with a Q10 value of 0.9, whereas between 15-degrees-C and 22-degrees-C a positive temperature coefficient was measured (Q10 at 22-degrees-C 0.9, Q10 at 20-degrees-C 0.8, Q10 at 17-degrees-C 0.7).