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Neural Circuits Underlying Circadian Oscillations in Mammals: Clocks in a Dish

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Isolated Central Nervous System Circuits

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 73))

Abstract

In mammals, the part of the nervous system responsible for most circadian behavior can be localized to a bilaterally paired structure in the hypothalamus known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Understanding this mammalian circadian system will require a detailed multilevel analysis of neural SCN circuits. Many of the techniques and approaches that are used for the analysis of the circuitry driving circadian oscillations in the SCN are similar to those employed in other brain regions. There is, however, one fundamental difference that needs to be taken into consideration, that is, the physiological, cellular, and molecular properties of SCN neurons vary with the time of day. These cells continue to oscillate in the dish, so the daily circadian cycle always needs to be a consideration regardless of the experimental preparation. In this chapter, we will consider the preparations and techniques that we have used to analyze the SCN circuit including acute brain slice, slice culture, and disassociated neurons.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo Heisei University, Ichihara, Japan

    Takahiro J. Nakamura

  2. Laboratory for Neurophysiology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Stephan Michel

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Gene D. Block & Christopher S. Colwell

Authors
  1. Takahiro J. Nakamura
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  2. Stephan Michel
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  3. Gene D. Block
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  4. Christopher S. Colwell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christopher S. Colwell .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Department of Physiology and Centre for, University of Alberta, N/A 232D, Edmonton, T6G 2S2, Alberta, Canada

    Klaus Ballanyi

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Nakamura, T.J., Michel, S., Block, G.D., Colwell, C.S. (2012). Neural Circuits Underlying Circadian Oscillations in Mammals: Clocks in a Dish. In: Ballanyi, K. (eds) Isolated Central Nervous System Circuits. Neuromethods, vol 73. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-020-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-020-5_5

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-019-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-020-5

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