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【bio-news】昼夜节律基因帮助大脑预测进餐时间
Circadian gene helps the brain predict mealtime
By investigating how animals can predict the timing of food availability, researchers have identified the first gene critical for anticipation of mealtime. This gene, called Period 2, is a key component of the circadian time-keeping system. The findings are reported by Urs Albrecht of the University of Fribourg and Etienne Challet of the University Louis Pasteur/CNRS and colleagues in the October 24th issue of the journal Current Biology, published by Cell Press.
A daily scheduled meal is a potent time-giving cue that can reset the physiological timing of most organs, including the liver. In terms of animal behavior, a daily scheduled meal elicits anticipatory bouts of locomotor activity and changes in body temperature. These food-anticipatory behaviors are believed to be under the control of a food-entrainable mechanism--that is, a timing mechanism within the body that is set by food intake--but how this mechanism works at the molecular level is unknown.
In the new work, the researchers have found the first evidence that a single gene mutation can render mice totally unable to predict the time of food availability. Studying mice, they found that this lack of food anticipation at both behavioral and physiological levels is specifically associated with a mutation in the Period 2 gene, a gene that previous work had shown to play an important role in the brain's ability to run its central circadian clock according to daylight.
The researchers found that, interestingly, synchronization of timing between organs by scheduled meals is not affected by the Period 2 mutation, indicating that this gene is not crucial for scheduled food availability to affect the physiological coordination of tissues outside the central nervous system.
The authors of the study point out that the work they report provides a tool for investigating the brain's cerebral clockwork responsible for predicting mealtime--with this tool in hand, it will be possible to anatomically localize areas of the brain that are involved in food anticipation. Looking forward, the researchers expect that this will allow the study of how these areas interact with other brain regions responsible for other types of behavior, such as learning, memory, and the experience of pleasure.
Knowledge of the mechanism of synchronizing an organism's physiology to mealtime is expected to improve therapies for counteracting disorders that have their roots in a disturbed circadian system, such as sleep problems, eating disorders, obesity, and depression. 认领了。 Circadian gene helps the brain predict mealtime
昼夜节律基因帮助大脑预测进餐时间
By investigating how animals can predict the timing of food availability, researchers have identified the first gene critical for anticipation of mealtime. This gene, called Period 2, is a key component of the circadian time-keeping system. The findings are reported by Urs Albrecht of the University of Fribourg and Etienne Challet of the University Louis Pasteur/CNRS and colleagues in the October 24th issue of the journal Current Biology, published by Cell Press.
通过调查动物怎样预测进食时间,研究者们已经明确了预测进餐时间的的最关键基因.这个基因,被命名为Period 2,是控制昼夜节律体系的关键组成.此发现已由Fribourg大学的Urs Albrecht 和Louis Pasteur/CNRS 大学的Etienne Challet 及其同事在Cell Press出版的10月24日的 Current Biology日报上报道.
A daily scheduled meal is a potent time-giving cue that can reset the physiological timing of most organs, including the liver. In terms of animal behavior, a daily scheduled meal elicits anticipatory bouts of locomotor activity and changes in body temperature. These food-anticipatory behaviors are believed to be under the control of a food-entrainable mechanism--that is, a timing mechanism within the body that is set by food intake--but how this mechanism works at the molecular level is unknown.
每天固定的进餐时间是调节大多数器官,包括肝脏的生物节律的开端.从动物行为方式看,到了每天的固定的进餐时间,都会有一系列的自发活动产生,并且发生体温改变.认为这些预测进食的行为是由食物-肠道机制控制,是一种通过食物摄入在体内产生的一种节律机制,其具体产生机制在分子水平还不清楚.
In the new work, the researchers have found the first evidence that a single gene mutation can render mice totally unable to predict the time of food availability. Studying mice, they found that this lack of food anticipation at both behavioral and physiological levels is specifically associated with a mutation in the Period 2 gene, a gene that previous work had shown to play an important role in the brain's ability to run its central circadian clock according to daylight.
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作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2010-11-29 05:11
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