title: The synchronization of neuronal oscillators determined by the directed network structure of the suprachiasmatic nucleus under different photoperiods.
abstract: The main function of the principal clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of mammals is synchronizing the body rhythms to the 24 h light-dark cycle. Additionally, the SCN is able to adapt to the photoperiod of the cycle which varies among seasons. Under the long photoperiod (LP), the synchronization degree of the SCN neurons is lower than that under the photoperiod (SP). In the present study, a potential explanation is given for this phenomenon. We propose that the asymmetrical coupling between the light-signal-sensitive part (the ventralateral part, abbreviation: VL) and the light-signal-insensitive part (the dorsalmedial part, abbreviation: DM) of the SCN plays a role in the synchronization degree, which is reflected by the ratio of the number of the directed links from the VL neurons to the DM neurons to the total links of both directions between the VL and the DM. The ratio is assumed to characterize the directed network structure under different photoperiods, which is larger under the SP and smaller under the LP. We found that with the larger ratio in the situation of the SP, the synchronization degree is higher. Our finding may shed new light on the asymmetrical coupling between the VL and the DM, and the network structure of the SCN.
authors.affiliation: Business School, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.
authors.forename: Changgui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Web Sciences Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China.|Big data research center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Business School, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.
authors.forename: Huijie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology; D008322:Mammals; D008954:Models, Biological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D017440:Photoperiod; D012621:Seasons; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*