Pharmacological Interventions to Circadian Clocks and Their Molecular Bases
Simon Miller, Tsuyoshi Hirota
Abstract
Daily physiological rhythms are regulated by the body's internal timekeeper known as the circadian clock. Expression, post-translational modification, and degradation of clock proteins constituting the circadian clock are precisely controlled in a rhythmic manner. Perturbation of these processes by nature and nurture results in physiological dysfunction and diseases. Small-molecule modulators of clock or clock-related proteins can adjust clock functions, and thus represent a promising method of therapeutic treatment for a range of clock-related diseases. In this review, we will introduce the identification and development of small-molecule compounds that target clock proteins, as well as X-ray crystal structures of protein-compound complexes that facilitate the understanding of clock protein regulation and drug derivatization. Furthermore, we describe the effects of these compounds in a diseased setting and discuss the therapeutic potential of clock modulators.