The Bmal1 gene, found throughout the human body, is believed to be a critical part of the body’s main molecular timekeeper, but after deleting it in animal models, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that tissues continued to follow a 24-hour rhythm. The team also found these tissues could follow that circadian rhythm—the 24-hour molecular clock that influences a variety of daily functions from sleep to metabolism—even in the absence of outside stimulus that can influence the cycle, like light or temperature changes. These results indicate that, while the Bmal1 gene may heavily influence some circadian rhythm, the process is controlled by a more complex system, and that other drivers of the biological clock exist. The research published this month in the journal Science.
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