Characterization of the core mammalian clock component, NPAS2, as a REV-ERBalpha/RORalpha target gene

Rev-erbα and Rev-erbβ coordinately protect the circadian clock and normal metabolic function

The nuclear receptor Rev-erbα regulates circadian rhythm and metabolism, but its effects are modest and it has been considered to be a secondary regulator of the cell-autonomous clock. Here we report that depletion of Rev-erbα together with closely related Rev-erbβ has dramatic effects on the cell-autonomous clock as well as hepatic lipid metabolism. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts were rendered arrhythmic by depletion of both Rev-erbs. In mouse livers, Rev-erbβ mRNA and protein levels oscillate with a diurnal pattern similar to that of Rev-erbα, and both Rev-erbs are recruited to a remarkably similar set of binding sites across the genome, enriched near metabolic genes. Depletion of both Rev-erbs in liver synergistically derepresses several metabolic genes as well as genes that control the positive limb of the molecular clock. Moreover, deficiency of both Rev-erbs causes marked hepatic steatosis, in contrast to relatively subtle changes upon loss of either subtype alone. These findings establish the two Rev-erbs as major regulators of both clock function and metabolism, displaying a level of subtype collaboration that is unusual among nuclear receptors but common among core clock proteins, protecting the organism from major perturbations in circadian and metabolic physiology.

Regulation of p53 stability and apoptosis by a ROR agonist

Activation of p53 function leading to cell-cycle arrest and/or apoptosis is a promising strategy for development of anti-cancer therapeutic agents. Here, we describe a novel mechanism for stabilization of p53 protein expression via activation of the orphan nuclear receptor, RORα. We demonstrate that treatment of cancer cells with a newly described synthetic ROR agonist, SR1078, leads to p53 stabilization and induction of apoptosis. These data suggest that synthetic ROR agonists may hold utility in the treatment of cancer.

Regulation of expression of citrate synthase by the retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor α (RORα)

The retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor α (RORα) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors that plays an important role in regulation of the circadian rhythm and metabolism. Mice lacking a functional RORα display a range of metabolic abnormalities including decreased serum cholesterol and plasma triglycerides. Citrate synthase (CS) is a key enzyme of the citric acid cycle that provides energy for cellular function. Additionally, CS plays a critical role in providing citrate derived acetyl-CoA for lipogenesis and cholesterologenesis. Here, we identified a functional RORα response element (RORE) in the promoter of the CS gene. ChIP analysis demonstrates RORα occupancy of the CS promoter and a putative RORE binds to RORα effectively in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay and confers RORα responsiveness to a reporter gene in a cotransfection assay. We also observed a decrease in CS gene expression and CS enzymatic activity in the staggerer mouse, which has a mutation of in the Rora gene resulting in nonfunctional RORα protein. Furthermore, we found that SR1001 a RORα inverse agonist eliminated the circadian pattern of expression of CS mRNA in mice. These data suggest that CS is a direct RORα target gene and one mechanism by which RORα regulates lipid metabolism is via regulation of CS expression.

Daily patterns of clock and cognition-related factors are modified in the hippocampus of vitamin A-deficient rats

The circadian expression of clock and clock-controlled cognition-related genes in the hippocampus would be essential to achieve an optimal daily cognitive performance. There is some evidence that retinoid nuclear receptors (RARs and RXRs) can regulate circadian gene expression in different tissues. In this study, Holtzman male rats from control and vitamin A-deficient groups were sacrificed throughout a 24-h period and hippocampus samples were isolated every 4 or 5 h. RARα and RXRβ expression level was quantified and daily expression patterns of clock BMAL1, PER1, RORα, and REVERB genes, RORα and REVERB proteins, as well as temporal expression of cognition-related RC3 and BDNF genes were determined in the hippocampus of the two groups of rats. Our results show significant daily variations of BMAL1, PER1, RORα, and REVERB genes, RORα and REVERB proteins and, consequently, daily oscillating expression of RC3 and BDNF genes in the rat hippocampus. Vitamin A deficiency reduced RXRβ mRNA level as well as the amplitude of PER1, REVERB gene, and REVERB protein rhythms, and phase-shifted the daily peaks of BMAL1 and RORα mRNA, RORα protein, and RC3 and BDNF mRNA levels. Thus, nutritional factors, such as vitamin A and its derivatives the retinoids, might modulate daily patterns of BDNF and RC3 expression in the hippocampus, and they could be essential to maintain an optimal daily performance at molecular level in this learning-and-memory-related brain area.

Interactions between metabolism and circadian clocks: reciprocal disturbances

Obesity is a medical condition of excess body fat, recognized as a global epidemic. Besides genetic factors, overconsumption of high-energy food and a sedentary lifestyle are major obesogenic causes. A newly identified determinant is altered circadian rhythmicity. To anticipate and adapt to daily changes in the environment, organisms have developed an endogenous circadian timing system, comprising a main circadian clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, principally synchronized to the light-dark cycle. Secondary peripheral clocks are found in various tissues, such as the liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue. These clocks control the rhythmic patterns of myriad metabolic processes. We will review the evidence that metabolic dysfunction is associated with circadian disturbances at both central and peripheral levels and, conversely, that disruption of circadian clock functioning can lead to obesity. The roots of these reciprocal interactions will be illustrated by transcriptional crosstalk between metabolic and circadian systems. Chronotherapeutic approaches of dieting to maintain or restore a proper circadian alignment could be useful to limit the magnitude of metabolic risks.

The REV-ERBs and RORs: molecular links between circadian rhythms and lipid homeostasis

Research efforts spanning the past two decades have established a clear link between nuclear receptor function, regulation of the circadian clock and lipid homeostasis. As such, this family of receptors represents an important area of research. Recent advances in the field have identified two nuclear receptor subfamilies, the REV-ERBs and the 'retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptors' (RORs), as critical regulators of the circadian clock with significant roles in lipid homeostasis. In this review, the latest information garnered from cutting-edge research on these two nuclear receptor subfamilies will be discussed. Through direct targeting of the REV-ERBs and RORs with synthetic ligands, generation of novel tools aimed at characterizing their function in vivo have been developed, which may lead to novel therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic disorders.

The Fox and the Rabbits-Environmental Variables and Population Genetics (1) Replication Problems in Association Studies and the Untapped Power of GWAS (2) Vitamin A Deficiency, Herpes Simplex Reactivation and Other Causes of Alzheimer's Disease

Classical population genetics shows that varying permutations of genes and risk factors permit or disallow the effects of causative agents, depending on circumstance. For example, genes and environment determine whether a fox kills black or white rabbits on snow or black ash covered islands. Risk promoting effects are different on each island, but obscured by meta-analysis or GWAS data from both islands, unless partitioned by different contributory factors. In Alzheimer's disease, the foxes appear to be herpes, borrelia or chlamydial infection, hypercholesterolemia, hyperhomocysteinaemia, diabetes, cerebral hypoperfusion, oestrogen depletion, or vitamin A deficiency, all of which promote beta-amyloid deposition in animal models—without the aid of gene variants. All relate to risk factors and subsets of susceptibility genes, which condition their effects. All are less prevalent in convents, where nuns appear less susceptible to the ravages of ageing. Antagonism of the antimicrobial properties of beta-amyloid by Abeta autoantibodies in the ageing population, likely generated by antibodies raised to beta-amyloid/pathogen protein homologues, may play a role in this scenario. These agents are treatable by diet and drugs, vitamin supplementation, pathogen detection and elimination, and autoantibody removal, although again, the beneficial effects of individual treatments may be tempered by genes and environment.

Direct regulation of CLOCK expression by REV-ERB

Circadian rhythms are regulated at the cellular level by transcriptional feedback loops leading to oscillations in expression of key proteins including CLOCK, BMAL1, PERIOD (PER), and CRYPTOCHROME (CRY). The CLOCK and BMAL1 proteins are members of the bHLH class of transcription factors and form a heterodimer that regulates the expression of the PER and CRY genes. The nuclear receptor REV-ERBα plays a key role in regulation of oscillations in BMAL1 expression by directly binding to the BMAL1 promoter and suppressing its expression at certain times of day when REV-ERBα expression levels are elevated. We recently demonstrated that REV-ERBα also regulates the expression of NPAS2, a heterodimer partner of BMAL1. Here, we show that REV-ERBα also regulates the expression another heterodimer partner of BMAL1, CLOCK. We identified a REV-ERBα binding site within the 1^st intron of the CLOCK gene using a chromatin immunoprecipitation – microarray screen. Suppression of REV-ERBα expression resulted in elevated CLOCK mRNA expression consistent with REV-ERBα's role as a transcriptional repressor. A REV-ERB response element (RevRE) was identified within this region of the CLOCK gene and was conserved between humans and mice. Additionally, the CLOCK RevRE conferred REV-ERB responsiveness to a heterologous reporter gene. Our data suggests that REV-ERBα plays a dual role in regulation of the activity of the BMAL1/CLOCK heterodimer by regulation of expression of both the BMAL1 and CLOCK genes.

Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γ directly regulates neuronal PAS domain protein 2 transcription in vivo

Retinoic acid-related orphan receptors (RORs) and the basic helix–loop–helix-PAS transcription factor Npas2 have been implicated in the control of circadian rhythm. In this study, we demonstrate that RORγ directly regulates Npas2 expression in vivo. Although the rhythmicity of Npas2 mRNA expression was maintained in RORγ^−/− mice, the peak level of expression was significantly reduced in several tissues, while loss of RORα had little effect. Inversely, overexpression of RORγ in hepatoma Hepa1-6 cells greatly induced the expression of Npas2. RORγ-activated Npas2 transcription directly by binding two ROREs in its proximal promoter. ChIP analysis demonstrated that RORγ was recruited to this promoter in the liver of wild-type mice, but not RORγ-deficient mice. Activation of Npas2 correlated positively with chromatin accessibility and level of H3K9 acetylation. The activation of Npas2 by RORγ was repressed by co-expression with Rev-Erbα or addition of the ROR inverse agonist T0901317. Npas2 expression was also significantly enhanced during brown adipose differentiation and that this induction was greatly suppressed in adipose cells lacking RORγ. Our results indicate that RORγ and Rev-Erbα are part of a feed-back loop that regulates the circadian expression of Npas2 suggesting a regulatory role for these receptors in Npas2-dependent physiological processes.