Recently published research has located a gene on the human genome which is implicated in regulating the length of sleep the human being requires. Through extensive research, a gene mutation was discovered and is believed to be a result of repressed transcription of certain other genes andnimplicated in the regulation of circadian rhythms. Sleep still remains a biological phenomenon: though it is known that it is regulated largely by circadian rhythms and homeostasis.
This rare gene mutation was discovered in two members of a small extended family, with both mother and daughter having shorter long term sleeping requirements than the previous standard of eight hours sleep a night. Genetically engineered mice and flies which expressed the mutated human gene were studied, with results similar to the observations made in affected humans. The mice with the mutated human gene slept less over a 24 hour period as compared to the normal mice, and also needed less compensation after a sleep deprivation period.
This new research will lead to a further understanding of sleep and the human genome, and in the near future pathologies relating to sleep disturbance may be extinct. It will also lead to further mapping of other genes and mutations present in human beings in order to understand ourselves further.
Caitlin O'Hare
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