Rapid activation of specific genes readies the mammalian body for seasonal change
Monday, January 31, 2011 - 11:20
in Biology & Nature
The genes that regulate the process called photoperiodismthe seasonal responses induced in organisms by changing day lengthhave been found by researchers from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe, and Kinki University, Osaka. Led by Koh-hei Masumoto and Hiroki R. Ueda from RIKEN, the researchers also discovered how these genes can be activated within a single day. The work bears relevance to seasonal human disorders, such as winter depression, and symptoms associated with conditions such as bipolar disease.