Peripheral Clocks

Peripheral clocks are cell-autonomous timekeeping systems found outside the brain’s central circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and they coordinate daily rhythms throughout the body. In individual cells, transcriptional feedback loops involving CLOCK, BMAL1, PER, and CRY proteins generate approximately 24-hour oscillations, while signals such as light-driven neural input, feeding, hormones, and body temperature synchronize these clocks with environmental time. In neuroscience, studying peripheral clocks helps explain how circadian timing influences metabolism, sleep, behavior, and communication between tissues. Their disruption is linked to altered physiology and may inform research on shift work, jet lag, neurodegenerative disease, and time-sensitive therapies.

Peripheral Clocks - Related Videos

Research

JoVE Journal - Biology

Clock Scan Protocol for Image Analysis: ImageJ Plugins

0 Views •

Cited by 16 •

2017

This paper describes two novel ImageJ plugins for 'Clock Scan' image analysis. These plugins expand the functionality of the original visual basic 6 program and, most importantly, make the program available to a large research community by bundling it with the ImageJ free image analysis software package.

Embedding Drosophila Brain in a Matrix for Time-Lapse Imaging of the Circadian Clock Neurons

0 Views •

2025

Source: Sabado, V., et al., Nagoshi, E. Single-cell Resolution Fluorescence Live Imaging of Drosophila Circadian Clocks in Larval Brain Culture. J. Vis. Exp. (2018). This video demonstrates the procedure to embed the Drosophila brain in a fibrin matrix, followed by time-lapse fluorescence imaging of circadian clock neurons to analyze rhythmic activity synchronized with light/dark cycles.

Monitoring Cell-autonomous Circadian Clock Rhythms of Gene Expression Using Luciferase Bioluminescence Reporters

0 Views •

Cited by 78 •

2012

Circadian clocks function within individual cells, i.e., they are cell-autonomous. Here, we describe methods for generating cell-autonomous clock models using non-invasive, luciferase-based real-time bioluminescence technology. Reporter cells provide tractable, functional model systems for studying circadian biology.

Research

JoVE Journal - Biology
Free Sample

Rapid Analysis of Circadian Phenotypes in Arabidopsis Protoplasts Transfected with a Luminescent Clock Reporter

0 Views •

Cited by 18 •

2016

The circadian clock regulates about a third of the Arabidopsis transcriptome, but the percentage of genes that feed back into timekeeping remains unknown. Here we visualize a method to rapidly assess circadian phenotypes in any mutant line of Arabidopsis using luminescent imaging of a circadian reporter transiently expressed in protoplasts.

Education

JoVE Core - Biology

Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses

0 Views •

2025

The circadian—or biological—clock is an intrinsic, timekeeping, molecular mechanism that allows plants to coordinate physiological activities over 24-hour cycles called circadian rhythms. Photoperiodism is a collective term for the biological responses of plants to variations in the relative lengths of dark and light periods. The period of light-exposure is called the photoperiod. One example of photoperiodism in plants is seasonal flowering. Scientists believe that plants are cued to flower...

View All Results

FAQs

Related Topics