title: The Importance of Stochastic Effects for Explaining Entrainment in the Zebrafish Circadian Clock.
abstract: The circadian clock plays a pivotal role in modulating physiological processes and has been implicated, either directly or indirectly, in a range of pathological states including cancer. Here we investigate how the circadian clock is entrained by external cues such as light. Working with zebrafish cell lines and combining light pulse experiments with simulation efforts focused on the role of synchronization effects, we find that even very modest doses of light exposure are sufficient to trigger some entrainment, whereby a higher light intensity or duration correlates with strength of the circadian signal. Moreover, we observe in the simulations that stochastic effects may be considered an essential feature of the circadian clock in order to explain the circadian signal decay in prolonged darkness, as well as light initiated resynchronization as a strong component of entrainment.
authors.affiliation: CoMPLEX, UCL, Physics Building, Gower Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Raphaela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heussen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Whitmore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D057906:Circadian Clocks / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D019295:Computational Biology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D055641:Mathematical Concepts; D008954:Models, Biological; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000502:physiology*