title: Circadian clocks: self-assembling oscillators?
abstract: Circadian clocks are auto-regulatory loops in which 'clock' gene products feedback to regulate their own expression. This explains how they keep oscillating, but how do they first get going? It appears that the transcription factor dClock not only drives the oscillation within the fruit fly's clock, but also plays a pivotal role in pre-assembling the clockwork.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurobiology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, CB2 2QH, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hastings
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D056926:CLOCK Proteins; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D025461:Feedback, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C120526:Clk protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D056926:CLOCK Proteins