Mammalian circadian rhythms are orchestrated by the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The SCN are composed of circadian clock neurons but the mechanisms by which these neuronal oscillators encode circadian physiology are incompletely understood. The overall objective of this dissertation was to determine the genetic and molecular organization of the neural network within the SCN, and elucidate how the SCN interacts with the environment to produce measurable behavioral and physiological circadian rhythms. Using genetic knockouts, molecular reporters and behavioral analyses, this dissertation explores the relationship between circadian genes, the SCN neural network in which these genes are expressed, and finally the behavioral output that results from this network in mice and humans. Overall these results suggest that circadian genes and light act together to organize the mammalian SCN neural network, and thus affect behavioral and neurological phenotypes.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-04022009-094721 |
| Date | 22 April 2009 |
| Creators | Ciarleglio, Christopher Michael |
| Contributors | Terry L. Page, Ph.D., Douglas G. McMahon, Ph.D., Carl H. Johnson, Ph.D., Marshall L. Summar, M.D. |
| Publisher | VANDERBILT |
| Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu//available/etd-04022009-094721/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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