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Updated: Aug 4, 2026

Monitoring Cell-autonomous Circadian Clock Rhythms of Gene Expression Using Luciferase Bioluminescence Reporters
Published on: September 27, 2012
Let there be light: signal transduction in a mammalian circadian system
1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
Mammalian circadian rhythms are controlled by a biological clock located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). This clock is entrained by light through a retinohypothalamic pathway that interacts with the SCN through glutamate neurotransmission. Light pulses during the subjective night induce phase shifts of behavioral rhythms, and also trigger intracellular changes such as the expression of immediate-early genes and activation of transcription factors. In this review, we present a model of the signal transduction pathway leading to photic synchronization of the circadian clock, including the activity of specific second messenger systems, gene expression, and interaction between potential agents capable of producing phase shifts.
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