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Circadian clocks — the fall and rise of physiology

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 6, pages 965–971 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Circadian clocks control the daily life of most light-sensitive organisms — from cyanobacteria to humans. Molecular processes generate cellular rhythmicity, and cellular clocks in animals coordinate rhythms through interaction (known as coupling). This hierarchy of clocks generates a complex, ∼24-hour temporal programme that is synchronized with the rotation of the Earth. The circadian system ensures anticipation and adaptation to daily environmental changes, and functions on different levels — from gene expression to behaviour. Circadian research is a remarkable example of interdisciplinarity, unravelling the complex mechanisms that underlie a ubiquitous biological programme. Insights from this research will help to optimize medical diagnostics and therapy, as well as adjust social and biological timing on the individual level.

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Figure 1: The basic concept of the 'transcriptional–translational autoregulatory negative feedback loop'.
Figure 2: Model of the Synechococcus elongatus circadian clock.
Figure 3: Inputs and outputs of the clock.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Serge Daan and Anna Wirz-Justice for their helpful comments. Our work is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Dr Meyer-Struckmann-Stiftung and by the European Union (BrainTime).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Centre for Chronobiology, Institute of Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, University of Munich, Goethestrasse 31, Munich, D-80336, Germany

    Till Roenneberg

  2. Martha Merrow is at the Biological Center, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 14, AA Haren, 9750, The Netherlands

    Martha Merrow

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  1. Till Roenneberg
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Correspondence to Till Roenneberg.

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DATABASES

Entrez Gene

mPer1

mPer2

per

Swiss-Prot

KaiA

KaiB

KaiC

TIMELESS

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Till Roenneberg's laboratory

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Roenneberg, T., Merrow, M. Circadian clocks — the fall and rise of physiology. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 6, 965–971 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm1766

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