Endocrine Abstracts

Circadian, 24 hr, timing is a conserved feature of physioloogy and behaviour across eukaryotes. In mammals the principal clock resides in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus (SCN). Through neural and endocrine linkages the SCN direct the daily temporal programme of brain and peripheral tissues. The core clockwork is based on a cell-autonomous, self-sustaining feedback loop of gene expression. Mutations of mammalian homologues of 'clock' genes identified in lower spe...