Gene may account for jet lag

After long international flights, tired travelers often suffer from jet lag -- though overtired, they cannot fall asleep. Researchers at the University have discovered a gene which explains this phenomenon. Dubbed "timeless," the gene is responsible for controlling behavior -- such as sleep -- which relies on a 24-hour cycle. Researchers are hoping to use the discovery to cure jet lag, sleep disorders and depression. They are also looking to help graveyard-shift workers cope with the disruption to their internal clocks. The scientists' goal is to determine how the body regulates internal temperature, hormone secretion and sleep patterns, according to Neuroscience Professor Amita Sehgal. "The overall goal is to find the molecular basis of behavior rhythms," she said. According to Sehgal, the newly-discovered gene interacts with a known gene, called "per," to collectively function as a timekeeper. Bodily cycles turn off when there is a large amount of the combined gene product. But the cycles turn on when the amount is small, Sehgal explained. "It's a very important finding," said Allan Pack, director of the Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology. "[Sehgal] found one of the molecular mechanisms of the internal clock." The usefulness of this research for sleep-related disturbances is important, Pack said. In the future, researchers will be able to shift the internal clock to relieve sleep disorders. Delayed sleep phase syndrome, one of these disorders, is very common in young people -- especially those in college. Sufferers can not fall asleep until 2 a.m., Pack explained. This becomes problematic when societal demands -- such as work and school -- force the sufferer to rise at 8 a.m. He or she then becomes permanently sleep-deprived. Advanced phase syndrome is exactly the opposite, Pack said. It is usually found in older people who wake up too early. Although the discovery of the "timeless" gene is a step forward in learning the workings of the internal clock, Sehgal said it is just the beginning. "I think it will be a long time before we can gain a complete understanding of how and why rhythms work in living organisms," she said.

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