Cited by 106Circadian rhythm and melatoninLight effects on plantsSleep and Wakefulness Research

Photic Entrainment of the Circadian System

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Ashton, Anna, Foster, Russell, Jagannath, Aarti·2022·International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Abstract

Circadian rhythms are essential for the survival of all organisms, enabling them to predict daily changes in the environment and time their behaviour appropriately. The molecular basis of such rhythms is the circadian clock, a self-sustaining molecular oscillator comprising a transcriptional–translational feedback loop. This must be continually readjusted to remain in alignment with the external world through a process termed entrainment, in which the phase of the master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) is adjusted in response to external time cues. In mammals, the primary time cue, or “zeitgeber”, is light, which inputs directly to the SCN where it is integrated with additional non-photic zeitgebers. The molecular mechanisms underlying photic entrainment are complex, comprising a number of regulatory factors. This review will outline the photoreception pathways mediating photic entrainment, and our current understanding of the molecular pathways that drive it in the SCN.

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Authors
Ashton, A., Foster, R., & Jagannath, A.
Affiliations
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute (SCNi), University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
Corresponding author
Jagannath, Aarti
Venue
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2022-01-10
Volume
23
Issue
2
Pages
729
ISSN
1422-0067 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4206226025
Cited by
106
References
93
Citations by year
2026: 24 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 12
FWCI
2.95
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Journal of Molecular Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust (106174/Z/14/Z)
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/N01992X/1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Light effects on plants
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
Keywords
light entrainment, circadian rhythm, suprachiasmatic nucleus, circadian clock, transcription-translation feedback loop, photoreception, light input, molecular oscillators, phase resetting
MeSH terms
Animals, Circadian Rhythm, Humans, Light, Mammals, Retinal Ganglion Cells, Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, Photoperiod, Circadian Clocks

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