PKCγ participates in food entrainment by regulating BMAL1

E3 ubiquitin ligase UBR5 modulates circadian rhythm by facilitating the ubiquitination and degradation of the key clock transcription factor BMAL1

The circadian clock is the inner rhythm of life activities and is controlled by a self-sustained and endogenous molecular clock, which maintains a ~ 24 h internal oscillation. As the core element of the circadian clock, BMAL1 is susceptible to degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Nevertheless, scant information is available regarding the UPS enzymes that intricately modulate both the stability and transcriptional activity of BMAL1, affecting the cellular circadian rhythm. In this work, we identify and validate UBR5 as a new E3 ubiquitin ligase that interacts with BMAL1 by using affinity purification, mass spectrometry, and biochemical experiments. UBR5 overexpression induced BMAL1 ubiquitination, leading to diminished stability and reduced protein level of BMAL1, thereby attenuating its transcriptional activity. Consistent with this, UBR5 knockdown increases the BMAL1 protein. Domain mapping discloses that the C-terminus of BMAL1 interacts with the N-terminal domains of UBR5. Similarly, cell-line-based experiments discover that HYD, the UBR5 homolog in Drosophila, could interact with and downregulate CYCLE, the BMAL1 homolog in Drosophila. PER2-luciferase bioluminescence real-time reporting assay in a mammalian cell line and behavioral experiments in Drosophila reveal that UBR5 or hyd knockdown significantly reduces the period of the circadian clock. Therefore, our work discovers a new ubiquitin ligase UBR5 that regulates BMAL1 stability and circadian rhythm and elucidates the underlying molecular mechanism. This work provides an additional layer of complexity to the regulatory network of the circadian clock at the post-translational modification level, offering potential insights into the modulation of the dysregulated circadian rhythm.

Circadian Rhythms in Cardiovascular Metabolism

Energetic demand and nutrient supply fluctuate as a function of time-of-day, in alignment with sleep-wake and fasting-feeding cycles. These daily rhythms are mirrored by 24-hour oscillations in numerous cardiovascular functional parameters, including blood pressure, heart rate, and myocardial contractility. It is, therefore, not surprising that metabolic processes also fluctuate over the course of the day, to ensure temporal needs for ATP, building blocks, and metabolism-based signaling molecules are met. What has become increasingly clear is that in addition to classic signal-response coupling (termed reactionary mechanisms), cardiovascular-relevant cells use autonomous circadian clocks to temporally orchestrate metabolic pathways in preparation for predicted stimuli/stresses (termed anticipatory mechanisms). Here, we review current knowledge regarding circadian regulation of metabolism, how metabolic rhythms are synchronized with cardiovascular function, and whether circadian misalignment/disruption of metabolic processes contribute toward the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.

The Function, Regulation, and Mechanism of Protein Turnover in Circadian Systems in Neurospora and Other Species

Circadian clocks drive a large array of physiological and behavioral activities. At the molecular level, circadian clocks are composed of positive and negative elements that form core oscillators generating the basic circadian rhythms. Over the course of the circadian period, circadian negative proteins undergo progressive hyperphosphorylation and eventually degrade, and their stability is finely controlled by complex post-translational pathways, including protein modifications, genetic codon preference, protein-protein interactions, chaperon-dependent conformation maintenance, degradation, etc. The effects of phosphorylation on the stability of circadian clock proteins are crucial for precisely determining protein function and turnover, and it has been proposed that the phosphorylation of core circadian clock proteins is tightly correlated with the circadian period. Nonetheless, recent studies have challenged this view. In this review, we summarize the research progress regarding the function, regulation, and mechanism of protein stability in the circadian clock systems of multiple model organisms, with an emphasis on Neurospora crassa, in which circadian mechanisms have been extensively investigated. Elucidation of the highly complex and dynamic regulation of protein stability in circadian clock networks would greatly benefit the integrated understanding of the function, regulation, and mechanism of protein stability in a wide spectrum of other biological processes.

Protein Kinases in Obesity, and the Kinase-Targeted Therapy

The action of protein kinases and protein phosphatases is essential for multiple physiological responses. Each protein kinase displays its own unique substrate specificity and a regulatory mechanism that may be modulated by association with other proteins. Protein kinases are classified as dual-specificity kinases and dual-specificity phosphatases. Dual-specificity phosphatases are important signal transduction enzymes that regulate various cellular processes in coordination with protein kinases and play an important role in obesity. Impairment of insulin signaling in obesity is largely mediated by the activation of the inhibitor of kappa B-kinase beta and the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress activate the JNK pathway which suppresses insulin biosynthesis. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) are important for proper regulation of glucose metabolism in mammals at both the hormonal and cellular levels. Additionally, obesity-activated calcium/calmodulin dependent-protein kinase II/p38 suppresses insulin-induced protein kinase B phosphorylation by activating the ER stress effector, activating transcription factor-4. To alleviate lipotoxicity and insulin resistance, promising targets are pharmacologically inhibited. Nifedipine, calcium channel blocker, stimulates lipogenesis and adipogenesis by downregulating AMPK and upregulating mTOR, which thereby enhances lipid storage. Contrary to the nifedipine, metformin activates AMPK, increases fatty acid oxidation, suppresses fatty acid synthesis and deposition, and thus alleviates lipotoxicity. Obese adults with vascular endothelial dysfunction have greater endothelial cells activation of unfolded protein response stress sensors, RNA-dependent protein kinase-like ER eukaryotic initiation factor-2 alpha kinase (PERK), and activating transcription factor-6. The transcriptional regulation of adipogenesis in obesity is influenced by AGC (protein kinase A (PKA), PKG, PKC) family signaling kinases. Obesity may induce systemic oxidative stress and increase reactive oxygen species in adipocytes. An increase in intracellular oxidative stress can promote PKC-β activation. Activated PKC-β induces growth factor adapter Shc phosphorylation. Shc-generated peroxides reduce mitochondrial oxygen consumption and enhance triglyceride accumulation and lipotoxicity. Liraglutide attenuates mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species generation. Co-treatment of antiobesity and antidiabetic herbal compound, berberine with antipsychotic drug olanzapine decreases the accumulation of triglyceride. While low-dose rapamycin, metformin, amlexanox, thiazolidinediones, and saroglitazar protect against insulin resistance, glucagon-like peptide-1 analog liraglutide inhibits palmitate-induced inflammation by suppressing mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activity and protects against lipotoxicity.

Phosphorylation and Circadian Molecular Timing

Endogenous circadian rhythms are biological processes generated by an internal body clock. They are self-sustaining, and they govern biochemical and physiological processes. However, circadian rhythms are influenced by many external stimuli to reprogram the phase in response to environmental change. Through their adaptability to environmental changes, they synchronize physiological responses to environmental challenges that occur within a sidereal day. The precision of this circadian system is assured by many post-translational modifications (PTMs) that occur on the protein components of the circadian clock mechanism. The most ancient example of circadian rhythmicity driven by phosphorylation of clock proteins was observed in cyanobacteria. The influence of phosphorylation on the circadian system is observed through different kingdoms, from plants to humans. Here, we discuss how phosphorylation modulates the mammalian circadian clock, and we give a detailed overview of the most critical discoveries in the field.

To Ub or not to Ub: Regulation of circadian clocks by ubiquitination and deubiquitination

Circadian clocks are internal timing systems that enable organisms to adjust their behavioral and physiological rhythms to the daily changes of their environment. These clocks generate self-sustained oscillations at the cellular, tissue, and behavioral level. The rhythm-generating mechanism is based on a gene expression network with a delayed negative feedback loop that causes the transcripts to oscillate with a period of approximately 24 hr. This oscillatory nature of the proteins involved in this network necessitates that they are intrinsically unstable, with a short half-life. Hence, post-translational modifications (PTMs) are important to precisely time the presence, absence, and interactions of these proteins at appropriate times of the day. Ubiquitination and deubiquitination are counter-balancing PTMs which play a key role in this regulatory process. In this review, we take a comprehensive look at the roles played by the processes of ubiquitination and deubiquitination in the clock machinery of the most commonly studied eukaryotic models of the circadian clock: plants, fungi, fruit flies, and mammals. We present the effects exerted by ubiquitinating and deubiquitinating enzymes on the stability, but also the activity, localization, and interactions of clock proteins. Overall, these PTMs have key roles in regulating not only the pace of the circadian clocks but also their response to external cues and their control of cellular functions.

Regulation and function of extra-SCN circadian oscillators in the brain

Most organisms evolved endogenous, so called circadian clocks as internal timekeeping mechanisms allowing them to adapt to recurring changes in environmental demands brought about by 24-hour rhythms such as the light-dark cycle, temperature variations or changes in humidity. The mammalian circadian clock system is based on cellular oscillators found in all tissues of the body that are organized in a hierarchical fashion. A master pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) synchronizes peripheral tissue clocks and extra-SCN oscillators in the brain with each other and with external time. Different time cues (so called Zeitgebers) such as light, food intake, activity and hormonal signals reset the clock system through the SCN or by direct action at the tissue clock level. While most studies on non-SCN clocks so far have focused on peripheral tissues, several extra-SCN central oscillators were characterized in terms of circadian rhythm regulation and output. Some of them are directly innervated by the SCN pacemaker, while others receive indirect input from the SCN via other neural circuits or extra-brain structures. The specific physiological function of these non-SCN brain oscillators as well as their role in the regulation of the circadian clock network remains understudied. In this review we summarize our current knowledge about the regulation and function of extra-SCN circadian oscillators in different brain regions and devise experimental approaches enabling us to unravel the organization of the circadian clock network in the central nervous system.

Periodicity, repression, and the molecular architecture of the mammalian circadian clock

Large molecular machines regulate daily cycles of transcriptional activity and help generate rhythmic behavior. In recent years, structural and biochemical analyses have elucidated a number of principles guiding the interactions of proteins that form the basis of circadian timing. In its simplest form, the circadian clock is composed of a transcription/translation feedback loop. However, this description elides a complicated process of activator recruitment, chromatin decompaction, recruitment of coactivators, expression of repressors, formation of a repressive complex, repression of the activators, and ultimately degradation of the repressors and reinitiation of the cycle. Understanding the core principles underlying the clock requires careful examination of molecular and even atomic level details of these processes. Here, we review major structural and biochemical findings in circadian biology and make the argument that shared protein interfaces within the clockwork are critical for both the generation of rhythmicity and timing of the clock.

The Mysterious Food-Entrainable Oscillator: Insights from Mutant and Engineered Mouse Models

The food-entrainable oscillator (FEO) is a mysterious circadian clock because its anatomical location(s) and molecular timekeeping mechanism are unknown. Food anticipatory activity (FAA), which is defined as the output of the FEO, emerges during temporally restricted feeding. FAA disappears immediately during ad libitum feeding and reappears during subsequent fasting. A free-running FAA rhythm has been observed only in rare circumstances when food was provided with a period outside the range of entrainment. Therefore, it is difficult to study the circadian properties of the FEO. Numerous studies have attempted to identify the critical molecular components of the FEO using mutant and genetically engineered mouse models. Herein we critically review the experimental protocols and findings of these studies in mouse models. Several themes emerge from these studies. First, there is little consistency in restricted feeding protocols between studies. Moreover, the protocols were sometimes not optimal, resulting in erroneous conclusions that FAA was absent in some mouse models. Second, circadian genes are not necessary for FEO timekeeping. Thus, another noncanonical timekeeping mechanism must exist in the FEO. Third, studies of mouse models have shown that signaling pathways involved in circadian timekeeping, reward (dopaminergic), and feeding and energy homeostasis can modulate, but are not necessary for, the expression of FAA. In sum, the approaches to date have been largely unsuccessful in discovering the timekeeping mechanism of the FEO. Moving forward, we propose the use of standardized and optimized experimental protocols that focus on identifying genes that alter the period of FAA in mutant and engineered mouse models. This approach is likely to permit discovery of molecular components of the FEO timekeeping mechanism.

Circadian modification network of a core clock driver BMAL1 to harmonize physiology from brain to peripheral tissues

Circadian clocks dictate various physiological functions by brain SCN (a central clock) -orchestrating the temporal harmony of peripheral clocks of tissues/organs in the whole body, with adaptability to environments by resetting their timings. Dysfunction of this circadian adaptation system (CAS) occasionally causes/exacerbates diseases. CAS is based on cell-autonomous molecular clocks, which oscillate via a core transcriptional/translational feedback loop with clock genes/proteins, e.g., BMAL1: CLOCK circadian transcription driver and CRY1/2 and PER1/2 suppressors, and is modulated by various regulatory loops including clock protein modifications. Among mutants with a single clock gene, BMAL1-deficient mice exhibit the most drastic loss of circadian functions. Here, we highlight on numerous circadian protein modifications of mammalian BMAL1, e.g., multiple phosphorylations, SUMOylation, ubiquitination, acetylation, O-GlcNAcylation and S-nitrosylation, which mutually interplay to control molecular clocks and coordinate physiological functions from the brain to peripheral tissues through the input and output of the clocks.

Molecular modulators of the circadian clock: lessons from flies and mice

Circadian timekeeping is a ubiquitous mechanism that enables organisms to maintain temporal coordination between internal biological processes and time of the local environment. The molecular basis of circadian rhythms lies in a set of transcription-translation feedback loops (TTFLs) that drives the rhythmic transcription of core clock genes, whose level and phase of expression serve as the marker of circadian time. However, it has become increasingly evident that additional regulatory mechanisms impinge upon the TTFLs to govern the properties and behavior of the circadian clock. Such mechanisms include changes in chromatin architecture, interactions with other transcription factor networks, post-transcriptional control by RNA modifications, alternative splicing and microRNAs, and post-translational regulation of subcellular trafficking and protein degradation. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge of circadian clock regulation-from transcriptional to post-translational-drawing from literature pertaining to the Drosophila and murine circadian systems.

Ghrelin induces clock gene expression in the liver of goldfish in vitro via protein kinase C and protein kinase A pathways

The liver is the most important link between the circadian system and metabolism. As a food-entrainable oscillator, the hepatic clock needs to be entrained by food-related signals. The objective of the present study was to investigate the possible role of ghrelin (an orexigenic peptide mainly synthesized in the gastrointestinal tract) as an endogenous synchronizer of the liver oscillator in teleosts. To achieve this aim, we first examined the presence of ghrelin receptors in the liver of goldfish. Then, the ghrelin regulation of clock gene expression in the goldfish liver was studied. Finally, the possible involvement of the phospholipase C/protein kinase C (PLC/PKC) and adenylate cyclase/protein kinase A (AC/PKA) intracellular signalling pathways was investigated. Ghrelin receptor transcripts, ghs-r1a, are present in the majority of goldfish hepatic cells. Ghrelin induced the mRNA expression of the positive (gbmal1a, gclock1a) and negative (gper genes) elements of the main loop of the molecular clock machinery, as well as grev-erbα (auxiliary loop) in cultured liver. These effects were blocked, at least in part, by a ghrelin antagonist. Incubation of liver with a PLC inhibitor (U73122), a PKC activator (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate) and a PKC inhibitor (chelerythrine chloride) demonstrated that the PLC/PKC pathway mediates such ghrelin actions. Experiments with an AC activator (forskolin) and a PKA inhibitor (H89) showed that grev-erbα regulation could be due to activation of PKA. Taken together, the present results show for the first time in vertebrates a direct action of ghrelin on hepatic clock genes and support a role for this hormone as a temporal messenger in the entrainment of liver circadian functions.

Glutamate-Dependent BMAL1 Regulation in Cultured Bergmann Glia Cells

Glutamate, the major excitatory amino acid, activates a wide variety of signal transduction cascades. This neurotransmitter is involved in photic entrainment of circadian rhythms, which regulate physiological and behavioral functions. The circadian clock in vertebrates is based on a transcription-translation feedback loop in which Brain and muscle aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT)-like protein 1 (BMAL1) acts as transcriptional activator of others clock genes. This protein is expressed in nearly all suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons, as well as in the granular layer of the cerebellum. In this context, we decided to investigate the role of glutamate in the molecular mechanisms involved in the processes of transcription/translation of BMAL1 protein. To this end, primary cultures of chick cerebellar Bergmann glial cells were stimulated with glutamatergic ligands and we found that BMAL1 levels increased in a dose- and time dependent manner. Additionally, we studied the phosphorylation of serine residues in BMAL1 under glutamate stimulation and we were able to detect an increase in the phosphorylation of this protein. The increased expression of BMAL1 is most probably the result of a stabilization of the protein after it has been phosphorylated by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and/or the Ca(2+)/diacylglycerol dependent protein kinase. The present results strongly suggest that glutamate participates in regulating BMAL1 in glial cells and that these cells might prove to be important in the control of circadian rhythms in the cerebellum.

Ube3a imprinting impairs circadian robustness in Angelman syndrome models

BACKGROUND

The paternal allele of Ube3a is silenced by imprinting in neurons, and Angelman syndrome (AS) is a disorder arising from a deletion or mutation of the maternal Ube3a allele, which thereby eliminates Ube3a neuronal expression. Sleep disorders such as short sleep duration and increased sleep onset latency are very common in AS.

RESULTS

We found a unique link between neuronal imprinting of Ube3a and circadian rhythms in two mouse models of AS, including enfeebled circadian activity behavior and slowed molecular rhythms in ex vivo brain tissues. As a consequence of compromised circadian behavior, metabolic homeostasis is also disrupted in AS mice. Unsilencing the paternal Ube3a allele restores functional circadian periodicity in neurons deficient in maternal Ube3a but does not affect periodicity in peripheral tissues that are not imprinted for uniparental Ube3a expression. The ubiquitin ligase encoded by Ube3a interacts with the central clock components BMAL1 and BMAL2. Moreover, inactivation of Ube3a expression elevates BMAL1 levels in brain regions that control circadian behavior of AS-model mice, indicating an important role for Ube3a in modulating BMAL1 turnover.

CONCLUSIONS

Ube3a expression constitutes a direct mechanistic connection between symptoms of a human neurological disorder and the central circadian clock mechanism. The lengthened circadian period leads to delayed phase, which could explain the short sleep duration and increased sleep onset latency of AS subjects. Moreover, we report the pharmacological rescue of an AS phenotype, in this case, altered circadian period. These findings reveal potential treatments for sleep disorders in AS patients.

Circadian biology: rhythms leave their imprint

A recent study has revealed that loss of neuronal expression of the paternally imprinted gene Ube3a in Angelman syndrome results in selective neuronal loss of robust circadian oscillations, with a resulting behavioural phenotype, and adipose tissue accumulation.

Influence of sex on genetic regulation of "drinking in the dark" alcohol consumption

The ILSXISS (LXS) recombinant inbred (RI) panel of mice is a valuable resource for genetic mapping studies of complex traits, due to its genetic diversity and large number of strains. Male and female mice from this panel were used to investigate genetic influences on alcohol consumption in the "drinking in the dark" (DID) model. Male mice (38 strains) and female mice (36 strains) were given access to 20% ethanol during the early phase of their circadian dark cycle for four consecutive days. The first principal component of alcohol consumption measures on days 2, 3, and 4 was used as a phenotype (DID phenotype) to calculate QTLs, using a SNP marker set for the LXS RI panel. Five QTLs were identified, three of which included a significant genotype by sex interaction, i.e., a significant genotype effect in males and not females. To investigate candidate genes associated with the DID phenotype, data from brain microarray analysis (Affymetrix Mouse Exon 1.0 ST Arrays) of male LXS RI strains were combined with RNA-Seq data (mouse brain transcriptome reconstruction) from the parental ILS and ISS strains in order to identify expressed mouse brain transcripts. Candidate genes were determined based on common eQTL and DID phenotype QTL regions and correlation of transcript expression levels with the DID phenotype. The resulting candidate genes (in particular, Arntl/Bmal1) focused attention on the influence of circadian regulation on the variation in the DID phenotype in this population of mice.

A central role for ubiquitination within a circadian clock protein modification code

Circadian rhythms, endogenous cycles of about 24 h in physiology, are generated by a master clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus and other clocks located in the brain and peripheral tissues. Circadian disruption is known to increase the incidence of various illnesses, such as mental disorders, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. At the molecular level, periodicity is established by a set of clock genes via autoregulatory translation–transcription feedback loops. This clock mechanism is regulated by post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination, which set the pace of the clock. Ubiquitination in particular has been found to regulate the stability of core clock components but also other clock protein functions. Mutation of genes encoding ubiquitin ligases can cause either elongation or shortening of the endogenous circadian period. Recent research has also started to uncover roles for deubiquitination in the molecular clockwork. Here, we review the role of the ubiquitin pathway in regulating the circadian clock and we propose that ubiquitination is a key element in a clock protein modification code that orchestrates clock mechanisms and circadian behavior over the daily cycle.

The E3 ubiquitin ligase UBE3A is an integral component of the molecular circadian clock through regulating the BMAL1 transcription factor

Post-translational modifications (such as ubiquitination) of clock proteins are critical in maintaining the precision and robustness of the evolutionarily conserved circadian clock. Ubiquitination of the core clock transcription factor BMAL1 (brain and muscle Arnt-like 1) has recently been reported. However, it remains unknown whether BMAL1 ubiquitination affects circadian pacemaking and what ubiquitin ligase(s) is involved. Here, we show that activating UBE3A (by expressing viral oncogenes E6/E7) disrupts circadian oscillations in mouse embryonic fibroblasts, measured using PER2::Luc dynamics, and rhythms in endogenous messenger ribonucleic acid and protein levels of BMAL1. Over-expression of E6/E7 reduced the level of BMAL1, increasing its ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. UBE3A could bind to and degrade BMAL1 in a ubiquitin ligase-dependent manner. This occurred both in the presence and absence of E6/E7. We provide in vitro (knockdown/over-expression in mammalian cells) and in vivo (genetic manipulation in Drosophila) evidence for an endogenous role of UBE3A in regulating circadian dynamics and rhythmic locomotor behaviour. Together, our data reveal an essential and conserved role of UBE3A in the regulation of the circadian system in mammals and flies and identify a novel mechanistic link between oncogene E6/E7-mediated cell transformation and circadian (BMAL1) disruption.

HSP90 affects the stability of BMAL1 and circadian gene expression

The mammalian circadian clock comprises a system of interconnected transcriptional and translational feedback loops. Proper oscillator function requires the precisely timed synthesis and degradation of core clock proteins. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent molecular chaperone, has important functions in many cellular regulatory pathways by controlling the activity and stability of its various client proteins. Despite accumulating evidence for interplay between the heat shock response and the circadian system, the role of HSP90 in the mammalian core clock is not known. The results of this study suggest that inhibition of the ATP-dependent chaperone activity of HSP90 impairs circadian rhythmicity of cultured mouse fibroblasts whereby amplitude and phase of the oscillations are predominantly affected. Inhibition of HSP90 shortened the half-life of BMAL1, which resulted in reduced cellular protein levels and blunted expression of rhythmic BMAL1-CLOCK target genes. Furthermore, the HSP90 isoforms HSP90AA1 and HSP90AB1, and not HSP90B1-GRP94 or TRAP1, are responsible for maintaining proper cellular levels of BMAL1 protein. In summary, these findings provide evidence for a model in which cytoplasmic HSP90 is required for transcriptional activation processes by the positive arm of the mammalian circadian clock.

Physiological responses to food intake throughout the day

Circadian rhythms act to optimise many aspects of our biology and thereby ensure that physiological processes are occurring at the most appropriate time. The importance of this temporal control is demonstrated by the strong associations between circadian disruption, morbidity and disease pathology. There is now a wealth of evidence linking the circadian timing system to metabolic physiology and nutrition. Relationships between these processes are often reciprocal, such that the circadian system drives temporal changes in metabolic pathways and changes in metabolic/nutritional status alter core molecular components of circadian rhythms. Examples of metabolic rhythms include daily changes in glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity and postprandial response. Time of day alters lipid and glucose profiles following individual meals whereas, over a longer time scale, meal timing regulates adiposity and body weight; these changes may occur via the ability of timed feeding to synchronise local circadian rhythms in metabolically active tissues. Much of the work in this research field has utilised animal and cellular model systems. Although these studies are highly informative and persuasive, there is a largely unmet need to translate basic biological data to humans. The results of such translational studies may open up possibilities for using timed dietary manipulations to help restore circadian synchrony and downstream physiology. Given the large number of individuals with disrupted rhythms due to, for example, shift work, jet-lag, sleep disorders and blindness, such dietary manipulations could provide widespread improvements in health and also economic performance.

Delayed Timing of Eating: Impact on Weight and Metabolism

Animal studies of delayed eating have provided useful information regarding the potential relationship between nighttime eating and increased weight and metabolic dysregulation, which occur in the absence of increased locomotion or increased caloric intake. We first review recent studies detailing these relationships and possible mechanisms in rodents. We then examine human data showing that sleep restriction leads to increased energy intake and weight gain, followed by a review of the human phenotype of delayed eating, night eating syndrome, and its relation to weight and metabolism. Finally, we examine human experimental studies of delayed eating and discuss preliminary data that show slight weight gain, dysfunction in energy expenditure, and abnormalities in the circadian rhythms of appetitive, stress, and sleep hormones. Well-controlled, longer-term experimental studies in humans are warranted to test the effect of delayed eating without sleep restriction to clarify whether limiting or eliminating nighttime eating could lead to weight loss and significantly improve related disorders, such as diabetes and heart disease, over time.

Sympathetic activation induces skeletal Fgf23 expression in a circadian rhythm-dependent manner

The circadian clock network is well known to link food intake and metabolic outputs. Phosphorus is a pivotal nutritional factor involved in energy and skeletal metabolisms and possesses a circadian profile in the circulation; however, the precise mechanisms whereby phosphate metabolism is regulated by the circadian clock network remain largely unknown. Because sympathetic tone, which displays a circadian profile, is activated by food intake, we tested the hypothesis that phosphate metabolism was regulated by the circadian clock network through the modification of food intake-associated sympathetic activation. Skeletal Fgf23 expression showed higher expression during the dark phase (DP) associated with elevated circulating FGF23 levels and enhanced phosphate excretion in the urine. The peaks in skeletal Fgf23 expression and urine epinephrine levels, a marker for sympathetic tone, shifted from DP to the light phase (LP) when mice were fed during LP. Interestingly, β-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol (ISO), induced skeletal Fgf23 expression when administered at ZT12, but this was not observed in Bmal1-deficient mice. In vitro reporter assays revealed that ISO trans-activated Fgf23 promoter through a cAMP responsive element in osteoblastic UMR-106 cells. The mechanism of circadian regulation of Fgf23 induction by ISO in vivo was partly explained by the suppressive effect of Cryptochrome1 (Cry1) on ISO signaling. These results indicate that the regulation of skeletal Fgf23 expression by sympathetic activity is dependent on the circadian clock system and may shed light on new regulatory networks of FGF23 that could be important for understanding the physiology of phosphate metabolism.

Solving the mystery of human sleep schedules one mutation at a time

Sleep behavior remains one of the most enigmatic areas of life. The unanswered questions range from "why do we sleep?" to "how we can improve sleep in today's society?" Identification of mutations responsible for altered circadian regulation of human sleep lead to unique opportunities for probing these territories. In this review, we summarize causative circadian mutations found from familial genetic studies to date. We also describe how these mutations mechanistically affect circadian function and lead to altered sleep behaviors, including shifted or shortening of sleep patterns. In addition, we discuss how the investigation of mutations can not only expand our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating the circadian clock and sleep duration, but also bridge the pathways between clock/sleep and other human physiological conditions and ailments such as metabolic regulation and migraine headaches.