| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
Fiscal Year 2011: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000)
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| Research Abstract |
The present study was carried out to understand the network-level mechanisms of circadian rhythm in the mammalian master clock, suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain. We developed a unique time-lapse fluorescence imaging method and monitored circadian rhythms of intracellular calcium concentration in a large-population of neurons (>1000 cells) in the SCN. We found that two regional pacemakers are coupled under physiological condition, but these regions start to decouple by inhibiting neuronal connections. The results indicate that cell-cell interactions and regional coupling in the SCN network play crucial roles for generating coherent circadian rhythms.
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