Articles tagged with Biological Rhythms
A study published in Neuron found that the activation of PKG-II enzyme is crucial for the internal clock to signal the completion of nighttime processes and enter the day. Disrupting this enzyme's activity leads to a significant phase delay in circadian rhythm, effectively forcing the clock back in time.
Researchers have created a molecular timetable that can accurately determine an animal's body time based on gene expression levels. The study identified 168 genes with high amplitude circadian patterns and organized them into a daily schedule, revealing a highly accurate method for measuring body time.
Researchers found that disrupting the circadian clock gene led to abnormal estrous cycles and high rates of mid-gestation pregnancy failure. The study's findings have implications for human infertility, particularly for women working swing-shifts, who are more susceptible to irregular menstrual cycles and miscarriage.
A study of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and fatigue found a relationship between fatigue and abnormal sleep cycles or disrupted sleep. Nine out of 15 MS patients with fatigue scored high on a sleep scale test, indicating excessive daytime sleepiness.
The CONSTANS protein plays a central role in triggering flowering in plants, accumulating in the nuclei of cells under long days but not in short days. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have discovered that specific photoreceptors detect blue and far-red light to stabilize CONSTANS protein, allowing it to activate flowering genes.
Research suggests eye disease is a risk factor for sleep disorders, particularly in patients with optic nerve disease. The study found that visually impaired subjects with optic nerve disease were nine times more likely to experience pathologic sleepiness than those with normal sight.
A study by Ohio State University researchers found that the genes TOC1 and ZTL control a plant's circadian clock. The study revealed a strong physical interaction between these genes, with ZTL degrading TOC1 to regulate the clock's pace. This discovery sheds light on mechanisms controlling plant flowering time and may benefit agriculture.
Recent research suggests that at least eight central 'clock' genes coordinate cell proliferation and apoptosis in circadian time. Studies have shown that tumor growth is organized within a daily cycle, with tumors growing twice as fast during the active phase. This discovery may lead to new therapeutic targets for cancer treatment.
Researchers found that Arabidopsis plants from different latitudes exhibit significant variations in their circadian clocks, suggesting an adaptation to optimize fitness. The study identified five chromosomal regions contributing to the clock mechanism, including multiple genes that work together to control different parts of the process.
Researchers at the University of Illinois discovered that the timeless gene is essential for regulating the 24-hour circadian rhythm in mammals. Blocking its functional ability disrupts the clock's activity and leads to an uncoupling effect, where other clock genes are no longer able to function properly.
Researchers found that resistance exercise can alter the expression of clock genes in human skeletal muscle, causing a phase shift similar to winding on (resetting) the muscle clock. This suggests that peripheral clocks can regulate themselves independently of the central clock.
Scientists have found that brain clock cells in fruit flies rely on intercellular communication to sustain their circadian rhythms, even in the absence of light. The study also shows that a protein called PDF plays a crucial role in coordinating this process.
A recent study by Jefferson and Brigham and Women's researchers has found that blue light plays a vital role in regulating the body's internal clock. The discovery highlights the importance of blue wavelengths in controlling melatonin production, which is essential for maintaining circadian rhythms.
Researchers found new regions of the genome under circadian control using a technique called gene trapping, contradicting accepted dogma. The study suggests that clock-controlled mRNA synthesis may be more common than previously estimated, potentially leading to improved crop productivity and resistance to stressful conditions.
Scientists have discovered a layer of cells in the inner retina containing melanopsin, which enables certain animals to synchronize their biological rhythms with day/night cycles. Melanopsin-free mice were unable to react normally to light stimuli and synchronize their rhythms.
A study examined the effects of bright display screens on melatonin levels, core temperature, heart rate, and sleepiness during VDT tasks at night. The results showed that salivary melatonin concentration increased in all conditions, with lower levels during exciting-BD tasks compared to exciting-DD tasks.
Researchers at Texas A&M University have made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding the biological clocks that govern daily rhythms in living organisms. By analyzing the genetic makeup of a simple bacterium called Synechococcus elongatus, the team has created the first structural model of part of the clock's timing device.
Researchers confirm that melanopsin plays a crucial role in transmitting light information to the brain's circadian system. The study found that mice without melanopsin had a 40% decrease in responding to changes in light intensity, suggesting a redundant system.
Researchers at TSRI describe experiments showing Opn4 gene is crucial for maintaining circadian rhythms, enabling organisms to adapt to daily changes. The discovery may lead to strategies for correcting sleep disorders and jet lag.
Researchers have identified a vital component in the regulation of the circadian clock, which controls daily behavior such as sleeping and waking. The discovery may lead to the development of drugs that speed up or slow down the circadian clock, potentially treating sleep disorders affecting 70 million Americans.
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center discovered the protein White Collar –1, or WC-1, as the photoreceptor for light responses in fungi. This breakthrough finding sheds light on how life adjusts to the environment and has implications for understanding various physiological processes in fungi.
A team of NYU biologists developed a new method to silence neurons by controlling electrical activity, revealing the central role of electrical activity in governing circadian rhythms. The breakthrough may lead to more effective treatments for diseases caused by aberrant electrical activity.
Researchers found that premenopausal women who underwent mastectomy alone had similar survival outcomes regardless of the menstrual cycle phase. In contrast, those who received adjuvant oophorectomy and tamoxifen during the luteal phase experienced better disease-free and overall survival rates. Additionally, studies suggest socioecono...
Researchers found that diabetes causes a phase shift in the heart's circadian clock, leading to changes in gene expression and potentially disrupting the synchronization between stimulus and response. This alteration may contribute to contractile dysfunction and increased risk of heart failure in patients with diabetes.
A study by the American Academy of Neurology found that bright light pulses lasting just two to three hours can delay human circadian rhythms. Additionally, disruptions in sleep timing also produce small rhythm delays, affecting the timing of the circadian clock.
Harvard Medical School researchers have identified a key pathway controlling circadian rhythms in hamsters, revealing the signals sent by the body's internal clock and its connection to light exposure. The discovery opens new avenues for research into sleep disorders and could lead to improved treatments.
Researchers found that astronauts' endogenous circadian pacemaker (ECP) loses its influence after about 90 days in space, leading to reduced sleep quality and duration. This could jeopardize performance on longer missions like those to Mars.
Research studied deaths of 508 patients with terminal heart failure, finding that men were most likely to die near dawn, while women were at highest risk in the early morning. The study suggests hormonal patterns and daily biological ebb and flow may contribute to these findings.
Amita Sehgal and colleagues report a new link between the neurofibromatosis-1 gene and the body's circadian clock, revealing a new facet of the circadian control system. The findings show that the Nf1 protein regulates the cellular switch MAP kinase.
Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have identified a novel photopigment in the human eye that regulates melatonin production, which plays a vital role in the body's circadian rhythms. Exposure to blue light has been found to be most effective in controlling melatonin levels.
A USC neuroscientist re-analyzed data from the Viking landers, finding a distinct biological rhythm in the soil that suggests the presence of life. The signal has a precise circadian rhythm of 24.66 hours, entrained to temperature fluctuations on Mars.
A recent study found that a biological clock gene in honeybees is more active in older bees, especially foragers who perform jobs outside the hive. The discovery suggests molecular connections between the division of labor and biological clocks in social insects.
A genetic mutation in the tau gene has been identified as the cause of a 20-hour day in hamsters. The discovery reveals that the enzyme CK1ε plays a crucial role in regulating the circadian rhythm, and offers new opportunities for developing drugs to control the biological clock in humans.
A strain of mutant flies with a crippled light-reactive pigment maintains a steady clock under constant light. The fly cryptochrome dCRY is the only photoreceptor molecule regulating the fly's circadian rhythm.
Research reveals airline pilots experience a 10-fold increase in skin cancer rates, with international routes and longer flights posing the greatest risk. Lifestyle factors like sunbathing may also contribute to the higher incidence of skin cancer among long-haul pilots.
UCSD researchers successfully integrated electronic neuron within a group of biological neurons, demonstrating the potential for restoring brain function. The key finding was the simplification of mathematical algorithms, allowing for a radical reduction in variables to control a neuron's overall function.
A new study reveals that genetic mechanisms controlling the biological clock are also involved in cocaine sensitization in fruit flies. The research provides valuable insights into the development of treatments for cocaine addiction and may lead to discoveries about other physiological processes controlled by so-called 'clock' genes.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital discovered a critical protein called cryptochrome that assists per in regulating the mammalian clock's feedback loop. This finding effectively closes the gap in understanding the mechanisms behind human sleep-wake cycles and their disruptions.
A study led by Charles A. Czeisler found that healthy older adults tend to wake up earlier due to restricted sleep hours relative to their circadian period, similar to younger individuals. The study suggests that age does not inherently shorten the human circadian period.
Aging hamsters who received a new biological clock had their lifespan increased by 20%, proving the importance of circadian rhythms to health and longevity. Behavioural modifications, such as structured light-dark cycles, may achieve similar benefits in humans.
A team of scientists has discovered a genetic mechanism controlling the inner workings of the biological clock, which also drives bodily rhythms such as temperature, blood pressure, hormones, and sleep-wake cycles. The findings may lead to more efficacious treatments for diseases like heart attacks and asthma.
Researchers have identified a cluster of three genes, kaiABC, that are integral components of the feedback loop driving circadian rhythms in cyanobacteria. The levels of KaiC gene expression increase during daytime and decrease at night, but an overabundance can shift the timing of the clock.
University of Wisconsin Medical School researchers found that two connected brain structures control the way light affects rodent sleep activity, separate from the biological clock. The structures are part of the visual system and can override normal circadian rhythms with acute lighting changes.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have identified a new component of the circadian clock, BMAL1, which partners with CLOCK to regulate daily rhythms. The study shows how closely conserved genes are between different organisms and hopes to shed light on the negative feedback part of the circadian loop.
Researchers at UNC Health Care have discovered two proteins, CRY1 and CRY2, which help regulate circadian rhythms. These proteins were found in layers of the retina not involved in forming visual images, and their presence may help set the daily clock from sites in skin cells.
Vanderbilt University biologist Carl Johnson's research finds that internal clocks in humans and lower organisms are entrained by both artificial and natural light. The human biological clock speeds up with age, leading to early wake-up times and sleep disruptions, while napping is an innate function.
Researchers found that chronic stress influenced daily activity rhythms and induced depressive-like behavior changes in mice. Exercise was more pronounced in animals without running wheels, suggesting its protective properties against stress effects.
A UPMC study found that people think more slowly at night due to increased information-processing requirements. After losing a night of sleep, participants showed a slowing in the speed of information processing during the day.
Researchers identify key signaling pathway involving glutamate, nitric oxide and CREB that resets biological clocks in animals. A five-minute flash of light can permanently alter gene expression and adjust daily rhythms.