Molecular Analysis of Mammalian Circadian Rhythms

The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in mammals contain a master circadian clock composed of multiple single-cell oscillators that regulate overt rhythms.

• The SCN clock is made up of eight clock genes involved in transcriptional and translational feedback loops.
• Daily light-dark cycles influence the resetting of core clock mechanisms through specific clock genes.
• Clock-controlled genes, generated by the SCN, produce proteins that have downstream effects on bodily rhythms.
• Peripheral oscillators receive control signals from the SCN, helping to regulate local rhythm expression.
• Understanding the SCN clockwork at a cellular and molecular level may allow for pharmacological interventions in circadian timing.

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