Work

Circadian gating: concepts, processes, and opportunities

Year: 2025

Type: review

Abstract: Circadian clocks provide a biological measure of time that coordinates metabolism, physiology and behaviour with 24 h cycles in the environment. Circadian systems have a variety of characteristic properties, such as entrainment to environmental cues, a self-sustaining rhythm of about 24 h and temperature compensation of the circadian rhythm. In this perspective, we discuss the process of circadian gating, which refers to the restriction of a biological event to particular times of day by the circadian clock. We introduce principles and processes associated with circadian gating in a variety of organisms, including some associated mechanisms. We highlight socioeconomic opportunities presented by the investigation of circadian gating, using selected examples from circadian medicine and agricultural crop production to illustrate its importance.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Circadian rhythms in infection and immunity'.

Source: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences

DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0346

Authors: Pirita Paajanen, Jacqueline M. Kimmey, Antony N. Dodd

Institutions: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, University of California, Santa Cruz

Language: English

Topic: Circadian rhythm and melatonin

Subfield: Endocrine and Autonomic Systems

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Leverhulme Trust, National Institutes of Health, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Awards: Light, temperature and circadian clock signal integration during leaf senescence, Building Robustness in Crops: Exploiting the complexity of gene regulation in crops, Phenotypic Plasticity in Response to Environmental Challenges, Predicting plant growth in naturally fluctuating conditions, Microbial regulation of vertebrate circadian clocks