Central Clock Dynamics: Daily Timekeeping, Photic Processing, and Photoperiodic Encoding by the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2023

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Source Publication

Biological Implications of Circadian Disruption

Source ISSN

9781009057646

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1017/9781009057646.003

Abstract

Daily and seasonal rhythms are programmed by neural circuits that anticipate predictable changes in the environment (i.e., temperature, food, predation). The time and duration of daily light exposure is a strategic cue used to predict changes in the environment that determine fitness and survival. Light is transduced by a specialized visual system that serves as an irradiance detector. These inputs are processed and encoded by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which serves as the body’s daily clock and annual calendar. The SCN encodes time-of-day and photoperiod to regulate downstream systems via multiple routes (e.g., melatonin, cortisol, feeding, body temperature). A deeper understanding of SCN timekeeping circuits, photoperiodic encoding mechanisms, and light-driven cellular adaptations is imperative for understanding plasticity and pathology in multiple biological systems.

Comments

"Central Clock Dynamics: Daily Timekeeping, Photic Processing, and Photoperiodic Encoding by the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus," in Biological Implications of Circadian Disruption. Eds. Laura K. Fonken and Randy J. Nelson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023: 23-57. DOI.

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