Transcriptional activity in the brain during sleep deprivation.

Molecular biological techniques combined with experimental sleep deprivation have revealed alterations in gene transcriptional activity of several proteins which may mediate the effects of prolonged wakefulness in the brain. During sleep deprivation gene transcription is altered in neuronal systems known to participate in the regulation of vigilance and sleep, ie the norardenergic and cholinergic systems, and several neuropeptides and cytokines. The study of immediate early genes during sleep deprivation has revealed increased transcriptional activity in those brain areas that are active during wakefulness. Systemic search for alterated levels of messenger RNA in sleep-deprived brain has revealed signal transduction proteins and metabolic enzymes which may mediate changes in neuronal function during prolonged wakefulness. The purpose of this article is to give a short overview of those genes whose transcription is affected by sleep deprivation according to the current literature, and to characterize the possible role of these genes in sleep regulation.