New molecular alarm clock found in vertebrates
Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - 14:26
in Biology & Nature
Dozens of chemical interactions in the vertebrate brain go into maintaining a natural sleep schedule, and scientists have recently found one more player on the field: a neurochemical called neuromedin U, or Nmu. The protein, which was analyzed in zebrafish but is also found in humans, acts to stimulate wakefulness, particularly in the morning.