BACKGROUND Imbalances in amount and timing of sleep are harmful to physical and mental health. Therefore, the study of the underlying mechanisms is of great biological importance. Proper timing and amount of sleep are regulated by both the circadian clock and homeostatic sleep drive. However, very little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which the circadian clock regulates...

Circadian clock genes use transcriptional-translational feedback loops to control circadian rhythms. Recent studies have demonstrated that expression of some circadian clock genes displays daily oscillation in peripheral tissues including peripheral blood and bone marrow. Circadian rhythms regulate various functions of human body, and the disruption of circadian rhythm has been associated with ...

The human circadian rhythm is controlled by at least eight circadian clock genes and disruption of the circadian rhythm is associated with cancer development. The present study aims to elucidate the association between the expression of circadian clock genes and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and also to reveal whether the hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) is the major regul...

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus contains a circadian pacemaker that regulates many circadian rhythms in mammals. Experimental work in microorganisms and invertebrates suggests that protein synthesis is required for the function of the circadian oscillator, and recent experiments in golden hamsters suggest an acute inhibition of protein synthesis can induce phase shifts in ...

Temperature compensation contributes to the accuracy of biological timing by preventing circadian rhythms from running more quickly at high than at low temperatures. We previously identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) with temperature-specific effects on the circadian rhythm of leaf movement, including a QTL linked to the transcription factor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). We have now analyzed FLC...

Mammalian circadian clocks restrict cell proliferation to defined time windows, but the mechanism and consequences of this interrelationship are not fully understood. Previously we identified the multifunctional nuclear protein NONO as a partner of circadian PERIOD (PER) proteins. Here we show that it also conveys circadian gating to the cell cycle, a connection surprisingly important for wound...

The biochemical activity of mammals is controlled by an internal timekeeping mechanism driving a clock to run in approximate 24-hour (circadian) cycles. In mammals, this circadian clock is located both in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and peripheral oscillators. Recently, microRNAs have emerged as significant players in circadian clock timing. The biological implications of miRNAs are extend...

The circadian clock imparts 24-hour rhythmicity on gene expression and cellular physiology in virtually all cells. Disruption of the genes necessary for the circadian clock to function has diverse effects, including aging-related phenotypes. Some circadian clock genes have been described as tumor suppressors, while other genes have less clear functions in aging and cancer. In this Review, we hi...

Circadian rhythms are the general physiological processes of adaptation to daily environmental changes, such as the temperature cycle. A change in temperature is a resetting cue for mammalian circadian oscillators, which are possibly regulated by the heat shock (HS) pathway. The HS response (HSR) is a universal process that provides protection against stressful conditions, which promote protein...