Steven M. Reppert
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Steven M. Reppert
Steven M. Reppert (born September 4, 1946) is an American neuroscientist known for his contributions to the fields of chronobiology and neuroethology. His research has focused primarily on the physiological, cellular, and molecular basis of circadian rhythms in mammals and more recently on the navigational mechanisms of migratory monarch butterflies. He was the Higgins Family Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Massachusetts Medical School from 2001 to 2017, and from 2001 to 2013 was the founding chair of the Department of Neurobiology. Reppert stepped down as chair in 2014. He is currently distinguished professor emeritus of neurobiology. Biography Early life Steven Reppert grew up in the village of Pender, Nebraska, and graduated from Pender Public High School in 1964. His interest in science began in childhood with the cecropia moth—an insect made famous by Harvard biologist Carroll M. Williams, who used the moth in his pioneering work on the role of juvenile horm ...
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Sioux City
Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, of which it is the county seat, though a small portion is in Plymouth County. Sioux City is located at the navigational head of the Missouri River. The city is home to several cultural points of interest including the Sioux City Public Museum, Sioux City Art Center and Sergeant Floyd Monument, which is a National Historic Landmark. The city is also home to Chris Larsen Park, commonly referred to as "the Riverfront", which includes the Anderson Dance Pavilion, Sergeant Floyd Riverboat Museum and Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Sioux City is the primary city of the five-county Sioux City, Iowa, IA–Nebraska, NE–South Dakota, SD Sioux City metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), with a population of 149,940 in the 20 ...
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Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society () is an honor society in the field of medicine. Alpha Omega Alpha currently has active Chapters in 132 LCME- accredited medical schools in the United States and Lebanon. It annually elects over 4,000 new members. The majority of new members are elected in their final year of medical school, but distinguished teachers, faculty members, residents, and alumni can also be inducted into the society. All elections are held at local Chapters. No elections are held nationally. History ΑΩΑ was founded in 1902 by William Webster Root and five other medical students at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, which later became the University of Illinois College of Medicine. The impetus for its formation was the generally poor quality of American medical schools and students at the time; Root and his colleagues wished to promote excellence in these groups. They decided that membership in ΑΩΑ was to be based on both scholarly achievement and prof ...
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Transcription (genetics)
Transcription is the process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA. The segments of DNA transcribed into RNA molecules that can encode proteins are said to produce messenger RNA (mRNA). Other segments of DNA are copied into RNA molecules called non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). mRNA comprises only 1–3% of total RNA samples. Less than 2% of the human genome can be transcribed into mRNA ( Human genome#Coding vs. noncoding DNA), while at least 80% of mammalian genomic DNA can be actively transcribed (in one or more types of cells), with the majority of this 80% considered to be ncRNA. Both DNA and RNA are nucleic acids, which use base pairs of nucleotides as a complementary language. During transcription, a DNA sequence is read by an RNA polymerase, which produces a complementary, antiparallel RNA strand called a primary transcript. Transcription proceeds in the following general steps: # RNA polymerase, together with one or more general transcription factors, binds to promoter DNA ...
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Cryptochrome
Cryptochromes (from the Greek κρυπτός χρώμα, "hidden colour") are a class of flavoproteins found in plants and animals that are sensitive to blue light. They are involved in the circadian rhythms and the sensing of magnetic fields in a number of species. The name ''cryptochrome'' was proposed as a ''portmanteau'' combining the '' chromatic'' nature of the photoreceptor, and the ''cryptogamic'' organisms on which many blue-light studies were carried out. The two genes ''Cry1'' and ''Cry2'' code the two cryptochrome proteins CRY1 and CRY2. In insects and plants, CRY1 regulates the circadian clock in a light-dependent fashion, whereas in mammals, CRY1 and CRY2 act as light-independent inhibitors of CLOCK-BMAL1 components of the circadian clock. In plants, blue-light photoreception can be used to cue developmental signals. Besides chlorophylls, cryptochromes are the only proteins known to form photoinduced radical-pairs ''in vivo''. These appear to enable some animal ...
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PER1
The PER1 gene encodes the period circadian protein homolog 1 protein in humans. Function The PER1 protein is important to the maintenance of circadian rhythms in cells, and may also play a role in the development of cancer. This gene is a member of the period family of genes. It is expressed with a daily oscillating circadian rhythm, or an oscillation that cycles with a period of approximately 24 hours. PER1 is most notably expressed in the region of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is the primary circadian pacemaker in the mammalian brain. PER1 is also expressed throughout mammalian peripheral tissues. Genes in this family encode components of the circadian rhythms of locomotor activity, metabolism, and behavior. Circadian expression of PER1 in the suprachiasmatic nucleus will free-run in constant darkness, meaning that the 24-hour period of the cycle will persist without the aid of external light cues. Subsequently, a shift in the light/dark cycle evo ...
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PER3
The PER3 gene encodes the period circadian protein homolog 3 protein in humans. PER3 is a paralog to the PER1 and PER2 genes. It is a circadian gene associate with delayed sleep phase syndrome in humans. History The Per3 gene was independently cloned by two research groups (Kobe University School of Medicine and the Harvard Medical School) who both published their discovery in June 1998. The mammalian Per3 was discovered by searching for homologous cDNA sequences to Per2. The amino acid sequence of the mouse PERIOD3 protein (mPER3) is between 37-56% similar to the other two PER proteins. Function This gene is a member of the Period family of genes. It is expressed in a circadian pattern in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the primary circadian pacemaker in the mammalian brain. Genes in this family encode components of the circadian rhythms of locomotor activity, metabolism, and behavior. Circadian expression in the SCN continues in constant darkness, and a shift in the ligh ...
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PER2
PER2 is a protein in mammals encoded by the ''PER2'' gene. ''PER2'' is noted for its major role in circadian rhythms. Discovery The ''per ''gene'' ''was first discovered using forward genetics in ''Drosophila melanogaster, Drosophilla melanogaster'' in 1971. Mammal, Mammalian Per2 was discovered by in 1997 through a search for homologous cDNA sequences to PER1. It is more similar to Drosophila ''Period (gene), per'' than its Sequence homology, paralogs. Later experiments in also identified ''Per2 ''in humans. Function ''PER2'' is a member of the Period family of genes and is expressed in a circadian pattern in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the primary circadian pacemaker in the mammalian brain. Genes in this family encode components of the circadian rhythm, circadian clock, which regulates the daily rhythms of locomotor activity, metabolism, and behavior. Circadian expression of these genes and their encoded proteins in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Human PER2 is involved in h ...
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Neuron
A neuron, neurone, or nerve cell is an electrically excitable cell that communicates with other cells via specialized connections called synapses. The neuron is the main component of nervous tissue in all animals except sponges and placozoa. Non-animals like plants and fungi do not have nerve cells. Neurons are typically classified into three types based on their function. Sensory neurons respond to stimuli such as touch, sound, or light that affect the cells of the sensory organs, and they send signals to the spinal cord or brain. Motor neurons receive signals from the brain and spinal cord to control everything from muscle contractions to glandular output. Interneurons connect neurons to other neurons within the same region of the brain or spinal cord. When multiple neurons are connected together, they form what is called a neural circuit. A typical neuron consists of a cell body (soma), dendrites, and a single axon. The soma is a compact structure, and the axon and dend ...
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Microelectrode Array
Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) (also referred to as multielectrode arrays) are devices that contain multiple (tens to thousands) microelectrodes through which neural signals are obtained or delivered, essentially serving as neural interfaces that connect neurons to electronic circuitry. There are two general classes of MEAs: implantable MEAs, used ''in vivo'', and non-implantable MEAs, used ''in vitro''. Theory Neurons and muscle cells create ion currents through their membranes when excited, causing a change in voltage between the inside and the outside of the cell. When recording, the electrodes on an MEA transduce the change in voltage from the environment carried by ions into currents carried by electrons (electronic currents). When stimulating, electrodes transduce electronic currents into ionic currents through the media. This triggers the voltage-gated ion channels on the membranes of the excitable cells, causing the cell to depolarize and trigger an action potential if it ...
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Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
The suprachiasmatic nucleus or nuclei (SCN) is a tiny region of the brain in the hypothalamus, situated directly above the optic chiasm. It is responsible for controlling circadian rhythms. The neuronal and hormonal activities it generates regulate many different body functions in a 24-hour cycle. The mouse SCN contains approximately 20,000 neurons. The SCN interacts with many other regions of the brain. It contains several cell types and several different peptides (including vasopressin and vasoactive intestinal peptide) and neurotransmitters. Neuroanatomy The SCN is situated in the anterior part of the hypothalamus immediately dorsal, or ''superior'' (hence supra) to the optic chiasm (CHO) bilateral to (on either side of) the third ventricle. The nucleus can be divided into ventrolateral and dorsolateral portions, also known as the core and shell, respectively. These regions differ in their expression of the clock genes, the core expresses them in response to stimuli whereas ...
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Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
The suprachiasmatic nucleus or nuclei (SCN) is a tiny region of the brain in the hypothalamus, situated directly above the optic chiasm. It is responsible for controlling circadian rhythms. The neuronal and hormonal activities it generates regulate many different body functions in a 24-hour cycle. The mouse SCN contains approximately 20,000 neurons. The SCN interacts with many other regions of the brain. It contains several cell types and several different peptides (including vasopressin and vasoactive intestinal peptide) and neurotransmitters. Neuroanatomy The SCN is situated in the anterior part of the hypothalamus immediately dorsal, or ''superior'' (hence supra) to the optic chiasm (CHO) bilateral to (on either side of) the third ventricle. The nucleus can be divided into ventrolateral and dorsolateral portions, also known as the core and shell, respectively. These regions differ in their expression of the clock genes, the core expresses them in response to stimuli whereas ...
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Animal Testing On Rodents
Rodents are commonly used in animal testing, particularly mice and rats, but also guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils and others. Mice are the most commonly used vertebrate species, due to their availability, size, low cost, ease of handling, and fast reproduction rate. __TOC__ Statistics In the UK in 2015, there were 3.33 million procedures on rodents (80% of total procedures that year). The most common species used were mice (3.03 million procedures, or 73% of total) and rats (268,522, or 6.5%). Other rodents species included guinea pigs (21,831 / 0.7%), hamsters (1,500 / 0.04%) and gerbils (278 / 0.01%). In the U.S., the numbers of rats and mice used are not reported, but estimates range from around 11 million to approximately 100 million. In 2000, the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, published the results of an analysis of its Rats/Mice/and Birds Database: Researchers, Breeders, Transporters, and Exhibitors. Rodent types Mice Mice are the most commonly used v ...
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