Université de Fribourg

The mammalian circadian timing system: organization and coordination of central and peripheral clocks

Dibner, Charna ; Schibler, Ueli ; Albrecht, Urs

In: Annual Review of Physiology, 2010, vol. 72, p. 517-549

Most physiology and behavior of mammalian organisms follow daily oscillations. These rhythmic processes are governed by environmental cues (e.g., fluctuations in light intensity and temperature), an internal circadian timing system, and the interaction between this timekeeping system and environmental signals. In mammals, the circadian timekeeping system has a complex architecture, composed of a...

Université de Fribourg

The period length of fibroblast circadian gene expression varies widely among human individuals

Brown, Steven A. ; Fleury-Olela, Fabienne ; Nagoshi, Emi ; Hauser, Conrad ; Juge, Cristiana ; Meier, Christophe A. ; Chicheportiche, Rachel ; Dayer, Jean-Michel ; Albrecht, Urs ; Schibler, Ueli

In: PLoS Biology, 2005, vol. 3(10), p. e338

Mammalian circadian behavior is governed by a central clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain hypothalamus, and its intrinsic period length is believed to affect the phase of daily activities. Measurement of this period length, normally accomplished by prolonged subject observation, is difficult and costly in humans. Because a circadian clock similar to that of the suprachiasmatic...