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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Aug 30.
Published in final edited form as: Annu Rev Physiol. 2010;72:551–577. doi: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-021909-135919

Figure 3.

Figure 3

(A) Schematic diagram of intercellular signaling mechanisms within SCN, showing that action potentials arriving at synaptic terminals of core neurons trigger release of GABA and colocalized neuropeptides such as VIP or GRP. VIP, for example, binds to postsynaptic VPAC2 receptors of shell neurons, leading to membrane depolarization, elevated calcium and cAMP levels, phosphorylation of CREB, and induction of Per and Cry transcription, thus altering the phase and amplitude of the intracellular oscillator. Adjacent SCN neurons are also coupled by gap junctions. (B) The SCN network synchronizes and reinforces cellular oscillations, increases precision, and rescues rhythmicity of mutant oscillators. Reprinted from Liu et al. (209), with permission from McMillan Publishers Ltd.