Scientists Discover 'Clockwork Gears' of Mood
08:51 GMT 02.02.2026 (Updated: 09:10 GMT 02.02.2026)
© AP Photo / Jeffrey T. Barnes
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Scientists have identified a genetic factor that causes mood deterioration in the winter. The factor, which "regulates" a person's mood depending on sleep patterns, daylight hours, and other factors, was discovered by researchers at Tyumen State Medical University (TyumSMU) as part of an international scientific team.
The findings were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
In winter, as the days shorten, the body’s internal clock gets out of sync. The body starts to misinterpret the time of day, leading many people to feel a lack of energy and mood deterioration. However, as soon as our "biological sensors" start receiving more light, psychological well-being improves, explained scientists at Tyumen State Medical University (Russian Ministry of Health).
Researchers from the university, along with scientists from Petrozavodsk, Syktyvkar, Novosibirsk, as well as from Germany, the United States, and Switzerland, identified the light-sensing gene (REV-ERBα), which regulates not only mood and sleep based on lighting but also sugar metabolism, immune function, and inflammatory responses.
This gene could become a target for new medications for winter depression, as well as for reducing the risk of obesity and diabetes, explained Professor Denis Gubin, head of the Chronobiology Laboratory at the University Research Institute of Biomedical Technologies at TyumSMU.
15 December 2025, 10:31 GMT
“REV-ERBα is not the 'main clockmaker'; it is the 'gray cardinal' of biological clocks: it doesn’t start the mechanism, but governs most aspects of its function. This gene acts like a secret advisor: it subtly regulates sleep, metabolism, immunity, inflammation, and even mood, coordinating the activity of four main clock genes (CLOCK, BMAL1, PER, CRY). Without it, biological clocks function like a clock without gears: they can run, but incorrectly. This is why it is called the 'gray cardinal' — it operates in the background, but solves many tasks of the clock genes,” explained Gubin.
REV-ERBαresearch is primarily conducted on laboratory animals worldwide, but the TyumSMU team, along with colleagues, conducted one of the first studies on a group of people living in extreme light conditions in the Arctic region, said Gubin.
“We believe that it’s not only the amount of REV-ERBα, but also its rhythm that matters. Further research is needed to study its activity dynamics throughout the day. This depends on the light regimen and the alternation of physical activity and sleep. Simple measures can help combat seasonal psychological stress: morning light and dark nights can already be effective and free therapy. We’re not suggesting treating depression as a 'symptom' — the goal is to restore the biological clocks underlying it,” clarified Ivan Petrov, rector of TyumSMU and head of the university's chronobiology research projects.
The study was supported by the Tyumen Region Administration as part of the West Siberian Interregional Scientific and Educational Center grant.
9 November 2025, 14:45 GMT
