When does it start ticking? Ontogenetic development of the mammalian circadian system.

Elmar Christ, Horst-Werner Korf, Charlotte von Gall

Dr. Senckenbergische Anatomie II, Fachbereich Medizin, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. E.Christ@med.uni-frankfurt.de

Progress in brain research 2012

filter terms:

Circadian rhythms in physiology and behavior ensure that vital functions are temporally synchronized with cyclic environmental changes. In mammals, the circadian system is conducted by a central circadian rhythm generator that resides in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and controls multiple subsidiary circadian oscillators in the periphery. The molecular clockwork in SCN and peripheral oscillators consists of autoregulatory transcriptional/translational feedback loops of clock genes. The adult circadian system is synchronized to the astrophysical day by light whereas the fetal and neonatal circadian system entrains to nonphotic rhythmic maternal signals. This chapter reviews maturation and entrainment of the central circadian rhythm generator in the SCN and of peripheral oscillators during ontogenetic development. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Elmar Christ, Horst-Werner Korf, Charlotte von Gall. When does it start ticking? Ontogenetic development of the mammalian circadian system. Progress in brain research. 2012;199:105-18