Publication Date:
2011-08-24
Description:
Synchronous activity is ubiquitous in natural systems and has fascinated the likes of engineers, mathematicians, and biologists (1). Although coordinated oscillations have been described among atoms, molecules, cells, and organisms on timescales from fractions of a second to years, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying synchrony is often limited. A study in PNAS (2) provides insights into how diffusible signals organize the daily oscillations among cells in the brain. In this system, three neuropeptides released from distinct groups of neurons can coordinate cycles of gene expression across the larger population of cells (Fig. 1A).pnas;108/34/13883/FIG01F1fig01Fig. 1.Multiple signals contribute to drive and...
Print ISSN:
0027-8424
Electronic ISSN:
1091-6490
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
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