Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (ARNTL)

Transcriptional activator which forms a core component of the circadian clock. The circadian clock, an internal time- keeping system, regulates various physiological processes through the generation of roughly 24 hour circadian rhythms in gene expression, which can be translated into rhythms in metabolism and behaviour.

It is derived from the Latin roots'circa' (about) and'diem' (day) and acts as an important regulator of a wide variety of physiological functions including metabolism, sleep, body temperature, blood pressure, endocrine, immune, cardiovascular, and renal function. Consists of two major components: the central clock, residing in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the brain, and the peripheral clocks that are present in virtually every tissue and organ system.