中国物理B ›› 2020, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (6): 68702-068702.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/ab8897

• INTERDISCIPLINARY PHYSICS AND RELATED AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY • 上一篇    下一篇

Entrainment range affected by the difference in sensitivity to light-information between two groups of SCN neurons

Bao Zhu(朱宝), Jian Zhou(周建), Mengting Jia(贾梦婷), Huijie Yang(杨会杰), Changgui Gu(顾长贵)   

  1. Business School, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
  • 收稿日期:2020-03-03 修回日期:2020-03-28 出版日期:2020-06-05 发布日期:2020-06-05
  • 通讯作者: Changgui Gu E-mail:gu_changgui@163.com
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11875042 and 11505114), the Innovation Foundation of Shanghai Aerospace Science and Technology, China (Grant No. SAST2018-22), and the Course of Scientific Research Project of Shanghai University for Science and Technology (Grant No. 13002100).

Entrainment range affected by the difference in sensitivity to light-information between two groups of SCN neurons

Bao Zhu(朱宝), Jian Zhou(周建), Mengting Jia(贾梦婷), Huijie Yang(杨会杰), Changgui Gu(顾长贵)   

  1. Business School, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
  • Received:2020-03-03 Revised:2020-03-28 Online:2020-06-05 Published:2020-06-05
  • Contact: Changgui Gu E-mail:gu_changgui@163.com
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11875042 and 11505114), the Innovation Foundation of Shanghai Aerospace Science and Technology, China (Grant No. SAST2018-22), and the Course of Scientific Research Project of Shanghai University for Science and Technology (Grant No. 13002100).

摘要: The mammals can not only entrain to the natural 24-h light-dark cycle, but also to the artificial cycle with non 24-h period through the main clock named suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain. The range of the periods of the artificial cycles which the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) can entrain, is called entrainment range reflecting the flexibility of the SCN. The SCN can be divided into two groups of neurons functionally, based on the different sensitivities to the light information. In the present study, we examined whether the entrainment range is affected by this difference in the sensitivity by a Poincaré model. We found that the relationship of the entrainment range to the difference depends on the coupling between two groups. When the coupling strength is much smaller than the light intensity, the relationship is parabolic-like, and the maximum of the entrainment range is obtained with no difference of the sensitivity. When the coupling strength is much larger than the light intensity, the relationship is monotonically changed, and the maximum of the entrainment range is obtained when the difference is the largest. Our finding may provide an explanation for the exitance of the difference in the sensitivity to light-information as well as shed light on how to increase the flexibility of the SCN represented by widening the entrainment range.

关键词: SCN network, circadian rhythm, coupling strength, sensitivity to light-information, entrainment range

Abstract: The mammals can not only entrain to the natural 24-h light-dark cycle, but also to the artificial cycle with non 24-h period through the main clock named suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain. The range of the periods of the artificial cycles which the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) can entrain, is called entrainment range reflecting the flexibility of the SCN. The SCN can be divided into two groups of neurons functionally, based on the different sensitivities to the light information. In the present study, we examined whether the entrainment range is affected by this difference in the sensitivity by a Poincaré model. We found that the relationship of the entrainment range to the difference depends on the coupling between two groups. When the coupling strength is much smaller than the light intensity, the relationship is parabolic-like, and the maximum of the entrainment range is obtained with no difference of the sensitivity. When the coupling strength is much larger than the light intensity, the relationship is monotonically changed, and the maximum of the entrainment range is obtained when the difference is the largest. Our finding may provide an explanation for the exitance of the difference in the sensitivity to light-information as well as shed light on how to increase the flexibility of the SCN represented by widening the entrainment range.

Key words: SCN network, circadian rhythm, coupling strength, sensitivity to light-information, entrainment range

中图分类号:  (Circadian rhythms)

  • 87.18.Yt
05.45.Xt (Synchronization; coupled oscillators) 87.18.Sn (Neural networks and synaptic communication)