Molecular insights into human daily behavior

Human beings exhibit wide variation in their timing of daily behavior. We and others have suggested previously that such differences might arise because of alterations in the period length of the endogenous human circadian oscillator. Using dermal fibroblast cells from skin biopsies of 28 subjects o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 105; no. 5; p. 1602
Main Authors: Brown, Steven A, Kunz, Dieter, Dumas, Amelie, Westermark, Pål O, Vanselow, Katja, Tilmann-Wahnschaffe, Amely, Herzel, Hanspeter, Kramer, Achim
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 05.02.2008
Subjects:
Adult
Behavior
Biological Assay
Cells, Cultured
Circadian Rhythm - genetics
CLOCK Proteins
Colforsin - pharmacology
Female
Fibroblasts - drug effects
Fibroblasts - metabolism
Genes, Reporter
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Models, Biological
Skin - cytology
Skin - drug effects
Skin - metabolism
Trans-Activators - genetics
Transcription, Genetic
ISSN:1091-6490, 1091-6490
Online Access:Get more information
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Summary:Human beings exhibit wide variation in their timing of daily behavior. We and others have suggested previously that such differences might arise because of alterations in the period length of the endogenous human circadian oscillator. Using dermal fibroblast cells from skin biopsies of 28 subjects of early and late chronotype (11 "larks" and 17 "owls"), we have studied the circadian period lengths of these two groups, as well as their ability to phase-shift and entrain to environmental and chemical signals. We find not only period length differences between the two classes, but also significant changes in the amplitude and phase-shifting properties of the circadian oscillator among individuals with identical "normal" period lengths. Mathematical modeling shows that these alterations could also account for the extreme behavioral phenotypes of these subjects. We conclude that human chronotype may be influenced not only by the period length of the circadian oscillator, but also by cellular components that affect its amplitude and phase. In many instances, these changes can be studied at the molecular level in primary dermal cells.
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ISSN:1091-6490
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.0707772105