Dream Genes Needed for REM Sleep

We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and that stuff includes Chrm1 and Chrm3, genes for a pair of acetylcholine receptors. According to a new study based at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research in Japan, these genes are necessary for rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.To uncover the molecular mechanisms behind REM sleep, the RIKEN-led scientific team experimented with cholinergic neurons in a mouse model. Such neurons are studded with acetylcholine receptors, which pr