Articles tagged with Biological Rhythms
A team of scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has identified a gene called LIN-42 that controls the timing of events during development, governing a broad range of events throughout growth and behavior. The study provides insight into how species evolve without creating new genes.
A Swedish study found that the full moon affects sleep patterns, with subjects averaging 20 minutes less sleep and more trouble falling asleep during this phase. However, other research has yielded mixed results, with some studies showing no correlation between lunar phases and human sleep.
Researchers from Scripps Research Institute have identified two compounds, CoPP and ZnPP, which bind to REV-ERBs and inhibit their activation by heme. These findings suggest that altering the metal ion chemistry of these compounds could be a way to target REV-ERB for treating metabolic disorders.
Researchers from the University of Granada found that evening-types are worse drivers early in the morning, while morning-types performed relatively well. The study suggests adapting work schedules to suit chronotypes for high-risk professions like pilots, surgeons, or lorry drivers.
The American Aging Association Meeting presented new findings on the role of mTor in aging, as well as insights into the impact of circadian rhythms on lifespan. Researchers also explored the potential of the FAT10 gene and its role in aging research.
The researchers identified the molecular structure of a protein complex that plays an important role in regulating the circadian rhythm. The complex contains a zinc ion, which stabilizes it and may play a key role in regulating metabolic processes.
Circadian rhythm disruption during chemotherapy worsens its side effects, including fatigue and body weight loss. Researchers suggest personalising chronotherapy delivery to improve clinical tolerability and potentially boost treatment effectiveness.
A Texas A&M-led study has found that body clock dysregulation plays a key role in the development of metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes. The researchers discovered that overnutrition causes circadian clock dysregulation, leading to pro-inflammatory activity in adipose tissue and worsening insulin resistance.
Researchers found that morning and evening oscillators in fruit flies rely on neural cooperation to follow the sun. Without this cooperation, circadian clocks are useless or even harmful. The study's findings suggest a more complex role for light detection in regulating circadian behavior.
A new circadian gene named Chrono has been discovered to function as a transcriptional repressor of the negative feedback loop in the mammalian clock. Mice lacking this gene exhibit longer circadian cycles, highlighting its importance in regulating daily rhythms.
Research suggests that interrupting diurnal rhythms impairs healing immediately after a heart attack, while normal cycles promote better outcomes. Maintaining circadian rhythms during the first few days after an attack can improve scar formation and healing.
Scientists at The University of Manchester discovered a rhythmic defence pathway in the lung controlled by our body clocks, essential for combating toxins and pollutants. The research found that timed administration of antioxidant compounds according to the lung clock time can increase their effectiveness and reduce side effects.
Scientists have identified a mutant gene in fruit flies that disrupts their ability to sleep, leading them to discover a protein that regulates sleep patterns and cycles. The discovery could lead to new treatments for insomnia and sleep disorders in humans.
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified a biological circadian clock in the cochlea that controls how well hearing damage heals. The discovery may lead to new treatment methods for hearing loss affecting up to 15% of the population.
A Weizmann Institute of Science study reveals that daily fluctuations in triglycerides in the liver are driven by internal 'body clocks' and timing of meals. Researchers found that restricting nighttime feeding led to a 50% decrease in liver TAG levels, suggesting that meal times can affect lipid accumulation.
Researchers have discovered a new protein, redeye, that promotes sleep in fruitflies by regulating the amount of time they spend sleeping. The study found that the redeye protein levels oscillate with daily cycles and peak at times of increasing sleep need.
A recent study published in Science has discovered that vibrations can influence the circadian clock of a fruit fly, with exposure to 12-hour cycles of vibration and silence synchronising the fly's internal clock and corresponding daily locomotor activity.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara gained insight into factors affecting mammalian circadian oscillations, which could lend themselves to circadian regulation and pharmacological control. Their work suggests that high-amplitude circadian rhythms are associated with a lower risk of diseases like diabetes and obesity.
Researchers at the University of Leicester have found two versions of a protein called Cryptochrome in wild populations of fruit flies, both with different amino acids that affect the circadian clock. The study suggests that this variation is functionally important and actively maintained by natural selection.
Researchers from University of Notre Dame and Indiana University School of Medicine have revealed a link between the circadian clock and alcohol-induced liver disease. The study found that disturbances in the liver's daily rhythms can lead to fatty liver disease, suggesting a potential target for treatment.
The liver's protein production and release are influenced by both the internal clock and feeding behaviors, according to a recent study published in PNAS. The researchers found that the circadian clock does not solely regulate protein production but also affects the storage and release of proteins into the body.
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati identified serine/threonine protein kinase-29 (STK-29) as a key component linking circadian rhythms and cell division cycles. The study, led by Christian Hong, provided insights that could lead to improved disease treatments and drug delivery.
Researchers discovered that mice without the Y6 gene receptor were smaller and had less lean tissue, but grew fatter as they aged on high-fat diets. The study highlights the importance of the Y6 receptor system in regulating energy use at different times of the day.
Researchers created a robust synthetic genetic clock in E. coli bacteria to regulate protein production accurately across a wide temperature range. The breakthrough resolves a long-standing problem in synthetic biology and has potential applications in biotechnology and reprogramming cellular regulatory mechanisms.
UC Irvine researchers found that a high-fat diet disrupts circadian rhythms, which can lead to metabolic disorders. A balanced diet normalized the rhythms, suggesting the circadian clock's adaptability.
A study published in JCI Journals found that circadian clock proteins regulate neuronal redox homeostasis and prevent neurodegeneration. BMAL1-deficient mice showed accumulated astrocytes, neuronal degeneration, and reduced blood flow, highlighting the importance of core clock proteins in maintaining healthy neurons.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital discovered that the internal body clock contributes to a morning peak in heart attacks and ischemic strokes. The circadian system causes a morning increase in PAI-1 levels, which may help explain adverse cardiovascular events in vulnerable individuals.
Plants have a 24-hour circadian rhythm that allows them to measure time and adjust their biology accordingly. Researchers found that sugar production plays a key role in regulating this internal clock.
Researchers found that coastal animals, like the speckled sea louse Eurydice pulchra, have a 12.4 hour swimming cycle matching incoming tides and a 24 hour circadian rhythm in pigmented cells. This independent tidal clock is separate from the 24-hour body clock.
Research reveals that marine animals have multiple independent clocks, including a 24-hour circadian clock and a tidal clock that regulates daily cycles. The findings suggest that these clocks may be standard operating equipment in animals, with the tidal clock playing a crucial role in coastal organisms.
A new University of Notre Dame study reveals the molecular genetic and physiological basis for metabolic diseases related to circadian function. The research found that a specific gene, Id2, plays a crucial role in glucose metabolism and circadian control of feeding and locomotor activity.
The circadian clock enables cells to use stored fuel efficiently when we fast, with NAD+ and Sirtuin 3 playing a critical role. Disrupting the clock leads to metabolic disorders, but providing NAD+ supplements can restore mitochondrial function.
Researchers aim to engineer microbes like Synechocystis 6803 to produce useful chemicals, overcoming challenges such as low production speeds and inefficient processes. The goal is to develop microfactories that can produce fuels and chemicals using CO2 as a carbon source.
A new molecule selectively blocks specialized light-sensitive receptors in the eyes, which could help treat migraines and potentially other disorders of the central nervous system. The drug also showed no interaction with rhodopsin or other opsins, making it a promising lead for research and potential clinical applications.
A CU-Boulder study found that spending just one week in natural light while camping synchronizes the circadian clocks of participants with the timing of sunrise and sunset. Exposure to electrical lighting has disrupted our internal clocks, but natural light helps restore synchronization.
A meta-analysis of studies found that women working shifts experience a higher rate of menstrual disruption (33% increase) and subfertility (80% increase), while night shift work only increases the risk of miscarriage. The study suggests that altering circadian rhythms can lead to short- and long-term biological disturbances.
Researchers at Gladstone Institutes discovered how one protein regulates fundamental circadian processes and maintains metabolic health, shedding light on the molecular basis for metabolic health and disease. The study found that p75NTR production oscillates in time with the body's natural circadian clock.
A study found that patients taking tasimelteon had a significantly higher rate of re-synchronization of their body clock, leading to improved night-time sleep and reduced daytime drowsiness. The medication addresses the root cause of Non-24 Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder in blind individuals by synchronizing their circadian clock.
Researchers at UC Irvine have discovered that circadian rhythms play a crucial role in the body's immune response to intestinal infections. The study suggests that targeting treatments that supplement the power of the body clock could be an effective approach to treating bacterial pathogens like salmonella.
Scientists found that mice lost 85% of their hair when treated with radiation in the morning, compared to a 17% loss in the evening. This discovery suggests that delivering cancer radiotherapy later in the day may reduce hair loss.
Scientists identify Gene Ataxin-2 as a key component of the circadian clock, which regulates sleep-wake cycles. The study found that Ataxin-2 helps activate translation of PER protein, keeping the clock on a 24-hour rhythm.
Researchers found that genes controlling circadian clock rhythms are profoundly altered in the brains of people with severe depression, suggesting a physical basis for many symptoms. The study provides clues for potential new classes of compounds to rapidly treat depression by resetting abnormal clock genes.
Research shows disrupted brain gene activity in depressed brains, out of sync with the usual daily cycle, offering a new target for diagnosis and treatment. The findings also reveal a previously unknown daily rhythm to gene activity across many areas of the brain.
The Myc oncogene can disrupt the 24-hour internal rhythm in cancer cells, suggesting potential for improved cancer treatments. By promoting the expression of Rev-erbα and NAMPT, Myc upregulates genes that suppress circadian oscillations, leading to altered metabolism and potentially increased replication rates in cancer cells.
A study published in Current Biology found that roosters' crowing is entrained to a circadian rhythm, meaning it follows a natural daily cycle. The researchers used constant light conditions and recorders to observe the birds' behavior, confirming that predawn crowing depends on an internal clock.
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has selected six papers published in 2012 to receive the Cozzarelli Prize. The prize acknowledges papers that reflect scientific excellence and originality, particularly in physical and mathematical sciences.
Research at Vanderbilt University reveals a direct link between the body's circadian rhythm and insulin activity, which controls metabolism. The study found that disruption in the circadian clock can lead to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
A team of researchers found that non-optimal codon usage slows translation of the genetic code into protein, allowing it to achieve its optimal structure. This discovery provides new insights into controlling the rates at which critically important proteins are synthesized and could lead to better understanding of cancers and diseases.
A study by Vanderbilt University researchers found that cells can alter their biological clocks by using different synonymous codons in the genetic code. This adaptation allows cells to survive in changing environments, such as varying temperatures, and potentially has applications in biotechnology like biofuel production.
Researchers from the Marine Biological Laboratory discovered that lancelets have melanopsin-producing cells, which are involved in non-visual light-dependent functions. Studying these cells provides insight into the evolutionary history of circadian receptors and their role in regulating biological clocks.
UCI-led studies reveal cellular mechanism governing day-night pattern, identifying novel compounds that control energy metabolism. The findings point to potential treatments for metabolic disorders, cancer and aging.
Researchers exposed fruit flies to daily temperature changes to understand how temperature affects the circadian clock. They found that different brain cells play a crucial role in synchronising the clock at warmer and cooler temperatures.
Women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) have altered body rhythms of the hormone melatonin, which may explain sleep disruptions. The study found decreased melatonin levels during night-time hours and symptomatic luteal phase, highlighting potential targets for treatment.
Researchers found that chromatin, a protein complex, regulates genes in the liver to sync with circadian cycles. The study suggests connections between dietary schedules and chronic diseases, such as high blood sugar and cholesterol.
Researchers study circadian clocks in cultured cells and find that the transcription factor BMAL1 must die for the DBP gene to function. This discovery offers a possible explanation for how different genes have distinct daily cycles of expression.
Researchers at NYU have uncovered the electrical activity of biological clock neurons that help regulate behavioral rhythms. The study highlights the importance of understanding the coordination between neuronal firing and gene expression to develop new pathways for treating sleep disorders.
Researchers at New York University have discovered how the biological clock drives daily rhythms in pacemaker neurons. The study found that a specific gene, Ir, plays a crucial role in linking the biological clock to neuronal activity.
Fruit flies exhibit a daily temperature preference rhythm that mirrors human body temperature rhythms, controlled by a circadian clock. The discovery opens up new avenues for studying human development and disease using fruit flies as models.
Research suggests that loss of daily rhythms can cause obesity, as our bodies struggle to stay in tune with irregular meal, sleep, and work schedules. Disrupted circadian desynchrony affects brain systems regulating metabolism, increasing the risk of developing obesity and diabetes.
A new study from Linköping University reveals that circadian rhythm disruptions can immediately inhibit blood vessel growth in zebrafish embryos. The research also shows that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production is key to normal circadian rhythm functioning.