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Brown RE. Evo-devo applied to sleep research: an approach whose time has come. SLEEP ADVANCES : A JOURNAL OF THE SLEEP RESEARCH SOCIETY 2024; 5:zpae040. [PMID: 39022590 PMCID: PMC11253433 DOI: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpae040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Sleep occurs in all animals but its amount, form, and timing vary considerably between species and between individuals. Currently, little is known about the basis for these differences, in part, because we lack a complete understanding of the brain circuitry controlling sleep-wake states and markers for the cell types which can identify similar circuits across phylogeny. Here, I explain the utility of an "Evo-devo" approach for comparative studies of sleep regulation and function as well as for sleep medicine. This approach focuses on the regulation of evolutionary ancient transcription factors which act as master controllers of cell-type specification. Studying these developmental transcription factor cascades can identify novel cell clusters which control sleep and wakefulness, reveal the mechanisms which control differences in sleep timing, amount, and expression, and identify the timepoint in evolution when different sleep-wake control neurons appeared. Spatial transcriptomic studies, which identify cell clusters based on transcription factor expression, will greatly aid this approach. Conserved developmental pathways regulate sleep in mice, Drosophila, and C. elegans. Members of the LIM Homeobox (Lhx) gene family control the specification of sleep and circadian neurons in the forebrain and hypothalamus. Increased Lhx9 activity may account for increased orexin/hypocretin neurons and reduced sleep in Mexican cavefish. Other transcription factor families specify sleep-wake circuits in the brainstem, hypothalamus, and basal forebrain. The expression of transcription factors allows the generation of specific cell types for transplantation approaches. Furthermore, mutations in developmental transcription factors are linked to variation in sleep duration in humans, risk for restless legs syndrome, and sleep-disordered breathing. This paper is part of the "Genetic and other molecular underpinnings of sleep, sleep disorders, and circadian rhythms including translational approaches" collection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritchie E Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School, West Roxbury, MA, USA
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Pandi-Perumal SR, Saravanan KM, Paul S, Namasivayam GP, Chidambaram SB. Waking Up the Sleep Field: An Overview on the Implications of Genetics and Bioinformatics of Sleep. Mol Biotechnol 2024; 66:919-931. [PMID: 38198051 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-01009-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Sleep genetics is an intriguing, as yet less understood, understudied, emerging area of biological and medical discipline. A generalist may not be aware of the current status of the field given the variety of journals that have published studies on the genetics of sleep and the circadian clock over the years. For researchers venturing into this fascinating area, this review thus includes fundamental features of circadian rhythm and genetic variables impacting sleep-wake cycles. Sleep/wake pathway medication exposure and susceptibility are influenced by genetic variations, and the responsiveness of sleep-related medicines is influenced by several functional polymorphisms. This review highlights the features of the circadian timing system and then a genetic perspective on wakefulness and sleep, as well as the relationship between sleep genetics and sleep disorders. Neurotransmission genes, as well as circadian and sleep/wake receptors, exhibit functional variability. Experiments on animals and humans have shown that these genetic variants impact clock systems, signaling pathways, nature, amount, duration, type, intensity, quality, and quantity of sleep. In this regard, the overview covers research on sleep genetics, the genomic properties of several popular model species used in sleep studies, homologs of mammalian genes, sleep disorders, and related genes. In addition, the study includes a brief discussion of sleep, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome from the viewpoint of a model organism. It is suggested that the understanding of genetic clues on sleep function and sleep disorders may, in future, result in an evidence-based, personalized treatment of sleep disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seithikurippu R Pandi-Perumal
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, 570015, India
- Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 602105, India
- Division of Research and Development, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, 144411, India
| | - Konda Mani Saravanan
- Department of Biotechnology, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600073, India
| | - Sayan Paul
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Ganesh Pandian Namasivayam
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), A210, Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study, Yoshida Ushinomiya-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Saravana Babu Chidambaram
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, 570015, India.
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, 570015, India.
- Special Interest Group - Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Neurosciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, 570015, India.
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