7 Oct 2011
Adrián Granada
Institute for Theoretical Biology
Humboldt University, Berlin
Circadian clocks are endogenous oscillators driving daily rhythms in physiology and behaviour, such as sleep-wake and temperature cycles. In mammals, these rhythms are centrally controlled by a tiny neuronal nucleus located in the hypothalamus, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). SCN cells synchronize with each other and generate a robust self-sustained oscillation of around 24 hours that drives locomotor and hormonal daily rhythms.
In this talk I will discuss several puzzling features of this network of coupled oscillators: robust synchronization of SCN neurons, jetlag associated transients, coupling mechanisms, limits of entrainment, and heterogeneity. I will give an overview of the theoretical and experimental efforts we have made to unveil properties of the mammalian circadian system. Finally, I will describe some open questions together with our speculations. Hopefully, at the end we can discuss how to test our ideas and where to go from here.