title: Clock genes, hair growth and aging.
abstract: Hair follicles undergo continuous cycles of growth, involution and rest. This process, referred to as the hair growth cycle, has a periodicity of weeks to months. At the same time, skin and hair follicles harbor a functional circadian clock that regulates gene expression with a periodicity of approximately twenty four hours. In our recent study we found that circadian clock genes play a role in regulation of the hair growth cycle during synchronized hair follicle cycling, uncovering an unexpected connection between these two timing systems within skin. This work, therefore, indicates a role for circadian clock genes in a cyclical process of much longer periodicity than twenty four hours.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Biological Chemistry, University of California-Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA.
authors.forename: Mikhail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geyfman
authors.forename: Bogi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000235:genetics*; D056926:CLOCK Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D015870:Gene Expression; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D056926:CLOCK Proteins