Review Volume 3, Issue 5 pp 479—493
Disrupting the circadian clock: Gene-specific effects on aging, cancer, and other phenotypes
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, MD/PhD Program and Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
Received: April 20, 2011 Accepted: April 30, 2011 Published: May 1, 2011
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.100323How to Cite
Abstract
The circadian clock imparts 24-hour rhythmicity on gene expression and cellular physiology in virtually all cells. Disruption of the genes necessary for the circadian clock to function has diverse effects, including aging-related phenotypes. Some circadian clock genes have been described as tumor suppressors, while other genes have less clear functions in aging and cancer. In this Review, we highlight a recent study [Dubrovsky et al., Aging 2: 936-944, 2010] and discuss the much larger field examining the relationship between circadian clock genes, circadian rhythmicity, aging-related phenotypes, and cancer.