Pando M P, Sassone-Corsi P
Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université Louis Pasteur, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch, Strasbourg, France.
Sci STKE. 2001 Nov 6;2001(107):re16. doi: 10.1126/stke.2001.107.re16.
The mammalian circadian system is critical for the proper regulation of behavioral and physiological rhythms. The central oscillator, or master clock, is located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Additional circadian clocks are dispersed throughout most organs and tissues of an animal. The most prominent stimuli capable of synchronizing circadian oscillations to the environment is light. This occurs through daily photic signaling to the SCN, which ultimately results in the appropriate phasing of the various biological rhythms. Two critical aspects of circadian biology that will be discussed here are photic signaling and the communication between central and peripheral clocks. After 10 years of investigation, the primary mammalian circadian photoreceptor remains elusive. Recent findings suggest that multiple photoreceptive molecules may contribute to the perception of environmental light cycles. In addition, the relatively recent identification of cell-autonomous peripheral clocks has opened up an entirely new area of investigation. Deciphering the communication networks responsible for harmonious central and peripheral clock function is a critical step toward the development of effective therapies for circadian-related disorders.
哺乳动物的昼夜节律系统对于行为和生理节律的正常调节至关重要。中央振荡器，即主时钟，位于下丘脑视交叉上核（SCN）。额外的昼夜节律时钟分散在动物的大多数器官和组织中。能够使昼夜节律振荡与环境同步的最突出刺激是光。这是通过每日向SCN的光信号传递来实现的，最终导致各种生物节律的适当相位调整。这里将讨论的昼夜节律生物学的两个关键方面是光信号传递以及中央和外周时钟之间的通信。经过10年的研究，主要的哺乳动物昼夜节律光感受器仍然难以捉摸。最近的研究结果表明，多种光感受分子可能有助于对环境光周期的感知。此外，相对较新发现的细胞自主外周时钟开辟了一个全新的研究领域。破解负责中央和外周时钟和谐功能的通信网络是开发针对昼夜节律相关疾病的有效疗法的关键一步。
