Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Circadian Rhythms
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2017) | Viewed by 113007
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In tune with the unique 24-h rhythm of our planet, a remarkable constellation of well-conserved genes provides temporal context to a variety of essential cellular, physiological and behavioral processes. The discoveries of the past few decades, outlining the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the biological clock, gave rise to the multi-disciplinary field of chronobiology. From a scientific curiosity, the clock became a focus of in-depth experimental and theoretical investigation into the role of timing in normal organismal functions. The impact of altered clock on the development or progression of major human disorders, from cancer to mental illness, is becoming increasingly evident. In spite of this outstanding progress, chronobiology remains a field full of mysteries. Why the clock is “circa-dian”? Does this reflect a nature’s error or there is a different adaptive value in having a period shorter or longer than 24h? How does the same type of clock, entrained to the same light-dark cycle defines nighttime sleep and daytime feeding in diurnal species like ourselves, and an inverse schedule in nocturnal mice? Can a timing error in one system, an organ, or even particular region of the brain through off temporal synergy of the entire organism, causing physical or mental illness? Could individualized timing of drug administration or medical procedure provide superior standard of prophylactic and therapy? The answers to these and many other questions still lie in the details of the core clock mechanisms and clock-controlled molecular networks, their inter-individual differences and sensitivity to periodically changing environment and pharmacological interventions.
This Special Issue, "Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Circadian Rhythms", will cover a selection of topics in the field of chronobiology, highlighting the role of the clock mechanisms in development and ageing, health and disease. Original studies, up-to-date review articles, and commentaries are all welcome.
Prof. Dr. Irina V. Zhdanova
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- circadian rhythms
- suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
- chronobiology
- clock genes
- clock-controlled
- chronotherapy
- jet lag
- shift work
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