Quantitative analysis of phase wave of gene expression in the mammalian central circadian clock network.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master circadian clock, is a heterogeneous oscillator network, yet displays a robust synchronization dynamics. Recent single-cell bioluminescent imaging revealed temporal gradients in circadian clock gene expression in the SCN ex vivo. However, due to technical difficulty in biological approaches to elucidate the entire network structure of the SCN, characteristics of the gradient, which we refer to as phase wave, remain unknown.

Methodology/principal findings

We implemented new approaches, i.e., quantitative analysis and model simulation to characterize the phase waves in Per2::Luciferase clock reporter gene expression of the rat SCN slice. Our quantitative study demonstrated not only a high degree of synchronization between

SUBMITTER: Fukuda H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3162606 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature