Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation

The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent...

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation

Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses

Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses

The circadian—or biological—clock is an intrinsic, timekeeping, molecular mechanism that allows plants to coordinate physiological activities over 24-hour cycles called circadian rhythms. Photoperiodism is a collective term for the biological responses of plants to variations in the relative lengths of dark and light periods. The period of light-exposure is called the photoperiod.

Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response

Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response

Circadian rhythms are cyclic changes that are crucial in plasma drug concentrations. Various standard circadian parameters, including core body temperature, heart rate, and other cardiovascular factors, directly impact disease states and the therapeutic response to drug therapy.
The time of drug administration is an important factor to consider, as it can influence the toxic dose of a drug. For example, a study conducted by Prins et al. in 1997 examined the effects of the timing of...

Cells of the Innate Immune Response

Cells of the Innate Immune Response

The innate immune response is an immediate and non-specific response against pathogens, acting swiftly to prevent the spread of infections. The primary cells involved in this response are phagocytes and natural killer (NK) cells.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...

Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response

Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response

The T and B lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system develop from common lymphoid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. These progenitors give rise to precursors that eventually develop into both T and B lymphocytes. As these precursors mature, they gain the ability to detect and respond to foreign antigens in the body, a process known as immunocompetence. Additionally, these precursors acquire self-tolerance, a process that ensures they do not react to self-antigens. This intricate system...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

The orphan nuclear receptor NR4A3 is dispensable for resident memory CD8+ T-cell generation.

ImmunoHorizons·2026

Same author

Characterization of the expression and function of schizophrenia risk gene Dtnbp1 in the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

Neuroscience·2025

Same author

Retinal glia regulate development of the circadian photoentrainment circuit.

Cell reports·2025

Same author

Blockade of colon cancer metastasis via single and double silencing of <i>PCSK7</i>/<i>PCSK9</i>: enhanced T cells cytotoxicity in mouse and human.

Journal for immunotherapy of cancer·2025

Same author

Early-Life Ventral Hippocampal Lesion and Circadian Disruption Result in Altered Behavior in Adult Mice in a Sex-Dependent Manner.

The European journal of neuroscience·2025

Same author

Large-scale effects of prenatal inflammation and early life circadian disruption in mice: Implications for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Brain, behavior, and immunity·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 14, 2026

The Use of Mouse Splenocytes to Assess Pathogen-associated Molecular Pattern Influence on Clock Gene Expression

The Use of Mouse Splenocytes to Assess Pathogen-associated Molecular Pattern Influence on Clock Gene Expression

Published on: July 24, 2018

Circadian Clocks in the Immune System.

Nathalie Labrecque¹, Nicolas Cermakian²

¹Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, and Departments of Medicine, and Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, University of Montreal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.

Journal of Biological Rhythms

|April 23, 2015

Summary

The immune system has internal biological clocks that regulate immune cell functions daily. Disrupting these circadian rhythms, like through shift work, impairs immune responses and affects health.

Keywords:

adaptive immune response arthritis asthma circadian clock clock gene cytokine innate immune response lymphocyte macrophage natural killer cell

More Related Videos

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures

Published on: November 11, 2016

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells

Published on: September 28, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 14, 2026

The Use of Mouse Splenocytes to Assess Pathogen-associated Molecular Pattern Influence on Clock Gene Expression

The Use of Mouse Splenocytes to Assess Pathogen-associated Molecular Pattern Influence on Clock Gene Expression

Published on: July 24, 2018

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures

Published on: November 11, 2016

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells

Published on: September 28, 2017

Area of Science:

Immunology
Chronobiology

Background:

The immune system defends against pathogens and cancer.
Circadian rhythms are 24-hour biological cycles present in most physiological processes.
Circadian clocks are found in immune cells, influencing immune functions.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the role of circadian clocks within the immune system.
To explore the circadian regulation of immune cell function.
To discuss the health implications of circadian rhythm disruptions on immunity.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on circadian clocks and the immune system.
Analysis of studies on clock gene expression in immune cells.
Examination of research on the impact of circadian disruption on immune responses.

Main Results:

Most immune cells express circadian clock genes.
A significant number of immune-related genes show 24-hour rhythmic expression.
Immune cell functions like cytokine release, phagocytosis, and migration exhibit daily rhythms.
Disruptions in circadian rhythms lead to altered immune responses.

Conclusions:

Circadian clocks are integral to immune system regulation.
Daily rhythms in immune cell function are widespread.
Disturbances in circadian rhythms have significant negative impacts on immune health.
Further research is needed to fully understand and leverage these connections for human health.