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Review
. 2020 Mar 27:9:F1000 Faculty Rev-214.
doi: 10.12688/f1000research.22028.1. eCollection 2020.

Recent advances in understanding the genetics of sleep

Maxime Jan  1 , Bruce F O'Hara  2 , Paul Franken  1
Affiliations
Review

Recent advances in understanding the genetics of sleep

Maxime Jan et al. F1000Res. .

Abstract

Sleep is a ubiquitous and complex behavior in both its manifestation and regulation. Despite its essential role in maintaining optimal performance, health, and well-being, the genetic mechanisms underlying sleep remain poorly understood. Here, we review the forward genetic approaches undertaken in the last four years to elucidate the genes and gene pathways affecting sleep and its regulation. Despite an increasing number of studies and mining large databases, a coherent picture on "sleep" genes has yet to emerge. We highlight the results achieved by using unbiased genetic screens mainly in humans, mice, and fruit flies with an emphasis on normal sleep and make reference to lessons learned from the circadian field.

Keywords: Forward genetics; GRP; GWAS; Genetic Screen; Genetics; Sleep; Sleep Regulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: BFO is co-founder and owner of Signal Solutions LLC, manufacturer of the PiezoSleep recording system, which was used in some of the studies mentioned. The authors declare that they have no competing interests.No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed.

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