Temperature Entrainment of Drosophila Circadian Rhythms

描述（由申请人提供）： 这项计划的长期目标是了解环境温度波动如何使果蝇昼夜节律钟同步。虽然无脊椎动物和哺乳动物分子生物钟的许多组成部分已经被确定，但对来自环境的信息如何影响内部分子起搏器的了解却少得多。在这个项目中，温度波动对果蝇昼夜行为的影响将被描述。果蝇遗传学的力量将被用来确定神经元结构和昼夜节律基因所需的昼夜节律同步的温度周期。最后，生物化学技术将用于阐明起搏器对温度输入作出反应的分子机制。确定温度和其他环境输入如何集成在一个简单的模型系统中，将提供有关外部输入如何独立和协同作用以影响复杂行为（如睡眠）的时间的信息。这最终将导致更好地理解和治疗与昼夜节律有关的疾病，如睡眠障碍、轮班工作相关的并发症、季节性情感障碍和双相情感障碍。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long term objective of this proposal is to understand how environmental temperature fluctuations synchronize the Drosophila circadian clock. While many of the components of invertebrate and mammalian molecular circadian clocks have been identified, considerably less is known about how information from the environment synchronizes the internal molecular pacemaker. In this project, the effect of temperature fluctuations on Drosophila circadian behavior will be characterized. The power of Drosophila genetics will be used to identify neuronal structures and circadian clock genes required for circadian rhythm synchronization by temperature cycles. Finally, biochemical techniques will be used to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which the pacemaker responds to temperature inputs. Determining how temperature and other environmental inputs are integrated in a simple model system will provide information on how external inputs can act independently and synergistically to affect the timing of complex behaviors such as sleep. This should ultimately lead to a better understanding and treatment of illnesses linked to circadian rhythms, such as sleep disorders, shift-work associated complications, seasonal affective and bipolar disorder.