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Monitoring Cell-autonomous Circadian Clock Rhythms of Gene Expression Using Luciferase Bioluminescence Reporters
Published on: September 27, 2012
Inducible clocks: living in an unpredictable world
1Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology
|April 19, 2008
Summary
Mammals possess daily biological rhythms, known as circadian rhythms, which can be synchronized by food availability. New research suggests a specific "food-entrainable oscillator" may be induced by starvation and refeeding cycles.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Mammalian Physiology
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Background:
- Mammals exhibit daily behavioral and physiological cycles (circadian rhythms).
- These rhythms are typically synchronized to the light/dark cycle but can be influenced by factors like food availability.
- The mammalian circadian timing system (CTS) includes a food-entrainable oscillator (FEO).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the location of the food-entrainable oscillator (FEO).
- To understand the relationship between the FEO and the master circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN).
Main Methods:
- Review of existing research on circadian rhythms and food entrainment in rodents.
- Analysis of experimental data concerning the FEO's function and location.
Main Results:
- Evidence supports the existence of a food-entrainable oscillator (FEO) in mammals.
- The FEO's precise location and its interaction with the SCN were previously unclear.
- New data suggest the FEO might be an inducible oscillator activated by starvation and refeeding.
Conclusions:
- The FEO is a key component of the mammalian circadian timing system, distinct from the SCN.
- Understanding the FEO's mechanism, potentially induced by feeding patterns, is crucial for comprehending circadian rhythm regulation.
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