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The Sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans: What We Know Until Now

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Abstract

Sleep, as one of the most important requirements of our brain, has a mystical nature. Despite long-standing studies, the molecular mechanisms and physiological properties of sleep have not been defined well as the complexity of the mammals’ brain make it difficult to investigate the mechanisms and properties of sleep. Although some features of sleep have changed during evolution, its existence in such a simple animal, Caenorhabditis elegans, not only signifies the importance of sleep in even simple animals, but also allows the scientist to assess the core mechanism and biological events in an uncomplicated organism. This article reviews the information which exists about the characteristics of sleep in C. elegans, its circadian rhythm, the neurons and neurotransmitters responsible for each state, and the signaling molecules involved. Although much still remains to be resolved about the sleep of C. elegans, the available knowledge helps the scientists to recognize the properties better of this mysterious function of the brain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanomedicine and Nanobiology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Maryam Moosavi

  2. Department of Physiology, Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Maryam Moosavi

  3. Basic Sciences in Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Gholam Reza Hatam

  4. Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Gholam Reza Hatam

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Moosavi, M., Hatam, G.R. The Sleep in Caenorhabditis elegans: What We Know Until Now. Mol Neurobiol 55, 879–889 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-016-0362-9

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