Control of rest-activity behavior by the central clock in drosophila

Abstract

Our current understanding of circadian rhythms comes from advances in many different species. Remarkably, basic features of these rhythms and their underlying mechanisms are conserved across organisms, thereby allowing a unique cross- disciplinary approach. On the molecular and cellular level, the contributions of research done in Drosophila are unquestionable. The molecular clock mechanism and some of the clock genes first deciphered in Drosophila have now even been implicated in human circadian disorders. Here we review the basic elements of the circadian system that drives rest-activity behavior in flies. We describe the molecular basis of the clock, the mechanisms by which the clock entrains to environmental signals, and the brain clock circuit, in which different groups of clock neurons subserve distinct aspect of the behavioral rhythm. Studies in these different areas are providing a comprehensive understanding of how rhythmic behavior is generated.