Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Nonphotic phase shifting in hamster clock mutants.

N Mrosovsky1, P A Salmon, M Menaker

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Journal of Biological Rhythms
|January 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Genetic suppression of agrin reduces mania-like behavior in Na+ , K+ -ATPase α3 mutant mice.

Genes, brain, and behavior·2012
Same author

Leatherback turtles: the menace of plastic.

Marine pollution bulletin·2009
Same author

Divergent phenotypes of vision and accessory visual function in mice with visual cycle dysfunction (Rpe65 rd12) or retinal degeneration (rd/rd).

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science·2008
Same author

Circadian photoreception in vertebrates.

Cold Spring Harbor symposia on quantitative biology·2008
Same author

Circadian clocks: 50 years on.

Cold Spring Harbor symposia on quantitative biology·2008
Same author

Classical and melanopsin photoreception in irradiance detection: negative masking of locomotor activity by light.

The European journal of neuroscience·2008
Same journal

Modeling 24-Hour Blood Pressure Rhythms Using Mixed-Effects Cosinor Models.

Journal of biological rhythms·2026
Same journal

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Murine Liver Reveals an Aligned Circadian Clock and Cell-Population-Specific Circadian-Regulated Pathways.

Journal of biological rhythms·2026
Same journal

Martin Zatz.

Journal of biological rhythms·2026
Same journal

Thinking About Writing a Cover Letter.

Journal of biological rhythms·2026
Same journal

IL-6 Trans-Signaling Is Critical for Integrating Circadian Rhythms and Neuroimmune Responses to LPS Challenge in Mice.

Journal of biological rhythms·2026
Same journal

The Ontogeny of Rhythms in Circadian Clock Gene Expression in Mouse Brain and Neuroimmune Tissues.

Journal of biological rhythms·2026
See all related articles

The tau mutation in hamsters alters their circadian rhythm responses to nonphotic stimuli, causing larger phase shifts compared to wild-type animals. This suggests the mutation affects how the circadian system interacts with environmental cues.

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Genetics
  • Circadian Rhythms

Background:

  • The tau mutation in golden hamsters is known to affect circadian clock function.
  • Circadian rhythms are endogenous biological processes that oscillate with approximately 24-hour periodicity.
  • Nonphotic stimuli can also influence circadian rhythms, independent of light.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of the tau mutation on the circadian system's response to nonphotic phase-shifting stimuli.
  • To compare the behavioral responses of mutant and wild-type hamsters to a novel running wheel stimulus.

Main Methods:

  • Golden hamsters carrying the tau mutation and wild-type controls were housed in constant darkness.
  • Activity was induced using confinement to a novel running wheel for a 3-hour period.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Phase response curves were analyzed to quantify shifts in circadian timing.

    • Main Results:

    • Mutant hamsters exhibited significantly larger phase shifts in response to the nonphotic stimulus compared to wild-type hamsters.
    • The shape of the phase response curves differed between mutant and wild-type animals.
    • Mutants showed phase advances at a time (circadian time 24) when wild types typically show delays.

    Conclusions:

    • The tau mutation alters the sensitivity of the circadian system to nonphotic environmental cues.
    • These findings expand the known effects of the tau mutation beyond its direct impact on the internal clock period.
    • The study highlights the complex interplay between genetic factors and environmental stimuli in regulating circadian timing.