Signaling to the Mammalian Circadian Clocks: In Pursuit of the Primary Mammalian Circadian Photoreceptor

doi:10.1126/stke.2001.107.re16

Account Information

Guest Alerts | Access Rights | My Account | Sign In

Site Navigation

Article Views

Article Tools

Help & Feedback

My Science Signaling

Sci. STKE, 6 November 2001
[DOI: 10.1126/stke.2001.107.re16]

REVIEWS

Signaling to the Mammalian Circadian Clocks: In Pursuit of the Primary Mammalian Circadian Photoreceptor

Matthew P. Pando and Paolo Sassone-Corsi^*

The authors are in the Institut de G�n�tique et de Biologie Mol�culaire et Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Sant� et de la Recherche M�dicale, Universit� Louis Pasteur, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch, Strasbourg, France.

Gloss: The mammalian circadian system contains central and peripheral molecular clocks that control daily changes in physiology and behavior. The central or master clock is located in a region of the brain called the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Circadian clocks maintain cycles of about 24 hours. The phase of the master clock is primarily set by environmental light cycles, whereas peripheral clocks are thought to be set primarily by light-independent (nonphotic) signals originating from the SCN. Photic and nonphotic signals alter the phase of a molecular clock by stimulating gene activation that fine-tunes the interlocking positive and negative regulatory feedback loops that make up a circadian oscillator.

Corresponding author: Telephone: 33 3 88 653410, Fax: 33 3 88 653246, E-mail: paolosc{at}igbmc.u-strasbq.fr

Citation: M. P. Pando, P. Sassone-Corsi, Signaling to the Mammalian Circadian Clocks: In Pursuit of the Primary Mammalian Circadian Photoreceptor. Sci. STKE 2001, re16 (2001).

The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:

In Science Signaling

EDITORS' CHOICE
PERIPHERAL CLOCKS
Winding a Two-Hour Clock: (29 October 2002)
Sci. STKE 2002 (156), tw396. [DOI: 10.1126/stke.2002.156.tw396]
| Abstract »

EDITORIAL GUIDES Focus Issue on Neuroscience: Molecular Components of Circadian Rhythms and Oscillations: John W. Nelson, Lisa D. Chong, and Nancy R. Gough (2 November 2001)
Sci. STKE 2001 (107), eg4. [DOI: 10.1126/stke.2001.107.eg4]
| Full Text » | PDF »

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:

SCFFbxl3 Controls the Oscillation of the Circadian Clock by Directing the Degradation of Cryptochrome Proteins.: L. Busino, F. Bassermann, A. Maiolica, C. Lee, P. M. Nolan, S. I. H. Godinho, G. F. Draetta, and M. Pagano (2007)
Science 316, 900-904
| Abstract » | Full Text » | PDF »