A new study conducted by researchers at Cincinnati Children’s in collaboration with Kyoto University has provided evidence that drosophila and mammals have similar proteins in their brain that help regulate the rhythm of body temperatures that are important in normal metabolism as well as sleep.
According to a quote from Dr. Fumika Hamada, a lead study author, “We’re looking for a mechanistic understanding of how body temperature rhythms are regulated. This would have positive impacts on the treatment of circadian clock diseases, sleep problems and human health.”
The researchers identified diuretic hormone 31 receptor (DH31R), a receptor protein which regulates body temperature rhythms in the brain of drosophila while the animals are active during the day. They also identified a receptor protein called calcitonin receptor (Calcr) in the brain of mice that functions to regulate their shifts in body temperature during activity at night. Both proteins have similar ancestry as well as similar sequences of amino acids. The hope is to use this information to improve sleep in humans with sleep disorders.
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 