Information Transfer in the Mammalian Circadian Clock

大多数物种进化出了生物钟，以适应太阳日的24小时周期。在哺乳动物中，这些时钟通过几乎每个细胞中的调节基因网络产生内源性节律。起搏器视交叉上核（SCN）作为主时钟，接收光输入并通过交感神经、温度和体液因素协调周围器官。在我们的项目中，我们解决以下问题：授时子信号的信息是如何在细胞和行为节律中编码的？嘈杂的SCN细胞网络如何可靠地将光输入传输到输出节律？允许SCN与外周器官通信的转录调控是什么？为了解决这些问题，我们将来自单细胞、器官型切片和行为活动节律的实验数据与耦合振荡器的数学模型结合起来。此外，我们还利用生物信息学方法研究了时钟控制基因的组合和表观遗传调控。

Most species evolved a circadian clock to adapt to the 24 h period of the solar day. In mammals, these clocks generate endogeneous rhythms by regulatory gene networks in almost every cell. A pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) as the master clock, receives light input and orchestrates peripheral organs via sympathetic enervation, temperature and humoral factors. In our project we address the following questions: How is information of Zeitgeber signals encoded in cellular and behavioral rhythms? How do networks of noisy SCN cells reliably transmit light input to output rhythms? What are the transcriptional regulations allowing communication from the SCN to peripheral organs? To address these questions we combine experimental data from single cells, organotypic slices and behavioral activity rhythms with mathematical models of coupled oscillators. Moreover, with bioinformatic methods we study the combinatorial and epigenetic regulations of clockcontrolled genes.