Circadian rhythm entrainment in flies and mammals

Rachel Ben-Shlomo, Charalambos P. Kyriacou

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Circadian rhythms are a fundamental adaptation of living cells to the daily and seasonal fluctuation in light and temperature. Circadian oscillations persist in constant conditions; however, they are also phase-adjusted (entrained) by day-night cycles. It is this entrainability that provides for the proper phasing of the program, to the sequence of external changes that it has evolved to exploit. Synchronization of circadian oscillators with the outside world is achieved because light, temperature, or other external temporal cues, have acute effects on the levels of one or more of the clock's components. The consequences are ripples through the interconnected molecular loops, leading to a stable phase realignment of the endogenous rhythm generator and the external conditions. This review summarized the evolving knowledge of the different types, modes, and molecular processes of entrainment in flies and mammals.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)141-156
    Number of pages16
    JournalCell Biochemistry and Biophysics
    Volume37
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Oct 2002

    Keywords

    • Chronobiology
    • Circadian rhythm
    • Clock genes
    • Entrainment

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Biophysics
    • Biochemistry
    • Cell Biology

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