Defective thermogenesis in mPer2 mutant mice & A role of Per2 in circannual thermoregulation

In the past few years, several molecular components of the circadian clock have been identified in various organisms. Little by little, researchers have worked out some relationships between metabolism and the circadian clock. Nowadays, due to irregular lifestyle, people suffer from a variety of disorders linked to metabolism, especially obesity, but also cancer, sleep and mental disorders. Acquiring new knowledge on peripheral clocks has become a major concern. Therefore, studying molecular regulation and circadian oscillations of tissue specific genes is of great interest. The master clock, which is located in a brain area called SCN (suprachiasmatic nuclei) links and synchronizes environmental rhythms with rhythms of peripheral clocks to optimize their metabolism. Besides integrating body signals, the central clock receives information on the surrounding environment such as altered day length or seasonal temperature fluctuations. To adapt to these changes, the circadian clock is connected to mechanisms that allow it to stay in tune with nature.