Scientists are closer to understanding how a particular gene mutation causes some people to be extreme morning larks -- findings that could eventually aid in understanding various sleep disorders, according to Reuters. Several years ago, researchers linked a gene known as Per2 to an inherited disorder called familial advanced sleep-phase syndrome (FASPS). The disorder causes people to follow an unusual sleep pattern: they're typically ready for bed by 7 p.m., and ready to start their day hours before sunrise. Scientists have known that FASPS is essentially a glitch in the body "clock," or circadian rhythm, and that the problem stems from a mutation in Per2 -- one of a handful of proteins that has been shown to help govern the body's roughly 24-hour clock. But the new study shows more precisely what goes wrong in the body clock's timing. In experiments with cells, German researchers found that in people with FASPS, the clock runs faster because the Per2 protein is cleared from the nucleus of body cells too quickly -- advancing the circadian rhythm by several hours. They report the findings in the journal Genes & Development. It's estimated that about 0.3 percent of the population is affected by FASPS. Researchers hope that by understanding the molecular mechanisms behind the disorder, they can find a treatment -- possibly by designing a drug that alters the activity of the impaired Per2 protein. More broadly, scientists believe that for all people, the tendency to be an early riser or a night owl is partly determined by genes. The current findings "contribute to the understanding of circadian clock function in general," study co-author Dr. Achim Kramer, of the Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin, told Reuters Health. Though sleep disorders are a wide-ranging, complex set of problems, Kramer explained, the findings could eventually aid in discovering effective treatments for certain sleep disorders.
