The multiple facets of Per2

Variants in the circadian clock genes PER2 and PER3 associate with familial sleep phase disorders

Delayed sleep phase disorder and advanced sleep phase disorder cause disruption of the circadian clock and present with extreme morning/evening chronotype with unclear role of the genetic etiology, especially for delayed sleep phase disorder. To assess if genotyping can aid in clinical diagnosis, we examined the presence of genetic variants in circadian clock genes previously linked to both sleep disorders in Slovenian patient cohort. Based on Morning-evening questionnaire, we found 15 patients with extreme chronotypes, 13 evening and 2 morning, and 28 controls. Sanger sequencing was used to determine the presence of carefully selected candidate SNPs in regions of the CSNK1D, PER2/3 and CRY1 genes. In a patient with an extreme morning chronotype and a family history of circadian sleep disorder we identified two heterozygous missense variants in PER3 gene, c.1243C>G (NM_001377275.1 (p.Pro415Ala)) and c.1250A>G (NM_001377275.1 (p.His417Arg)). The variants were significantly linked to Advanced sleep phase disorder and were also found in proband's father with extreme morningness. Additionally, a rare SNP was found in PER2 gene in a patient with clinical picture of Delayed sleep phase disorder. The novel variant in PER2 (NM_022817.3):c.1901-218 G>T was found in proband's parent with eveningness, indicating an autosomal dominant inheritance. We identified a family with autosomal dominant inheritance of two PER3 heterozygous variants that can be linked to Advanced sleep phase disorder. We revealed also a rare hereditary form of Delayed sleep phase disorder with a new PER2 variant with autosomal dominant inheritance, shedding the light into the genetic causality.

Clock gene Per2 modulates epidermal tissue repair in vivo

Wound healing can be influenced by genes that control the circadian cycle, including Per2 and BMAL1, which coordinate the functions of several organs, including the skin. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of PER2 during experimental skin wound healing. Two groups (control and Per2-KO), consisting of 14 male mice each, were anesthetized by inhalation, and two 6 mm wounds were created on their dorsal skin using a punch biopsy. A silicone ring was sutured around the wound perimeter to restrict contraction. The wound healing process was clinically measured daily (closure index) until complete wound repair. On Day 6, histomorphometric analysis was performed using the length and thickness of the epithelial migration tongue, in addition to counting vessels underlying the lesion by immunofluorescence assay and maturation of collagen fibers through picrosirius staining. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and quantification were performed using the subcutaneous injection technique 2 h before euthanasia and through immunohistochemical analysis of the proliferative index. In addition, the qualitative analysis of myofibroblasts and periostin distribution in connective tissue was performed by immunofluorescence. Statistically significant differences were observed in the healing time between the experimental groups (means: 15.5 days for control mice and 13.5 days for Per2-KO; p = 0.001). The accelerated healing observed in the Per2-KO group (p < 0.05) was accompanied by statistical differences in wound diameter and length of the migrating epithelial tongue (p = 0.01) compared to the control group. Regarding BrdU immunoreactivity, higher expression was observed in the intact epithelium of Per2-KO animals (p = 0.01), and this difference compared to control was also present, to a lesser extent, at the wound site (p = 0.03). Immunofluorescence in the connective tissue underlying the wound showed a higher angiogenic potential in the Per2-KO group in the intact tissue area and the wound region (p < 0.01), where increased expression of myofibroblasts was also observed. Qualitative analysis revealed the distribution of periostin protein and collagen fibers in the connective tissue underlying the wound, with greater organization and maturation during the analyzed period. Our research showed that the absence of the Per2 gene positively impacts the healing time of the skin in vivo. This acceleration depends on the increase of epithelial proliferative and angiogenic capacity of cells carrying the Per2 deletion.

Rapid genetic adaptation to a novel ecosystem despite a large founder event

Introduced and invasive species make excellent natural experiments for investigating rapid evolution. Here, we describe the effects of genetic drift and rapid genetic adaptation in pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) that were accidentally introduced to the Great Lakes via a single introduction event 31 generations ago. Using whole-genome resequencing for 134 fish spanning five sample groups across the native and introduced range, we estimate that the source population's effective population size was 146,886 at the time of introduction, whereas the founding population's effective population size was just 72-a 2040-fold decrease. As expected with a severe founder event, we show reductions in genome-wide measures of genetic diversity, specifically a 37.7% reduction in the number of SNPs and an 8.2% reduction in observed heterozygosity. Despite this decline in genetic diversity, we provide evidence for putative selection at 47 loci across multiple chromosomes in the introduced populations, including missense variants in genes associated with circadian rhythm, immunological response and maturation, which match expected or known phenotypic changes in the Great Lakes. For one of these genes, we use a species-specific agent-based model to rule out genetic drift and conclude our results support a strong response to selection occurring in a period gene (per2) that plays a predominant role in determining an organism's daily clock, matching large day length differences experienced by introduced salmon during important phenological periods. Together, these results inform how populations might evolve rapidly to new environments, even with a small pool of standing genetic variation.

How phosphorylation impacts intrinsically disordered proteins and their function

Phosphorylation is the most common post-translational modification (PTM) in eukaryotes, occurring particularly frequently in intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). These proteins are highly flexible and dynamic by nature. Thus, it is intriguing that the addition of a single phosphoryl group to a disordered chain can impact its function so dramatically. Furthermore, as many IDPs carry multiple phosphorylation sites, the number of possible states increases, enabling larger complexities and novel mechanisms. Although a chemically simple and well-understood process, the impact of phosphorylation on the conformational ensemble and molecular function of IDPs, not to mention biological output, is highly complex and diverse. Since the discovery of the first phosphorylation site in proteins 75 years ago, we have come to a much better understanding of how this PTM works, but with the diversity of IDPs and their capacity for carrying multiple phosphoryl groups, the complexity grows. In this Essay, we highlight some of the basic effects of IDP phosphorylation, allowing it to serve as starting point when embarking on studies into this topic. We further describe how recent complex cases of multisite phosphorylation of IDPs have been instrumental in widening our view on the effect of protein phosphorylation. Finally, we put forward perspectives on the phosphorylation of IDPs, both in relation to disease and in context of other PTMs; areas where deep insight remains to be uncovered.

Mammalian PERIOD2 regulates H2A.Z incorporation in chromatin to orchestrate circadian negative feedback

Mammalian circadian oscillators are built on a feedback loop in which the activity of the transcription factor CLOCK-BMAL1 is repressed by the PER-CRY complex. Here, we show that murine Per^-/- fibroblasts display aberrant nucleosome occupancy around transcription start sites (TSSs) and at promoter-proximal and distal CTCF sites due to impaired histone H2A.Z deposition. Knocking out H2A.Z mimicked the Per null chromatin state and disrupted cellular rhythms. We found that endogenous mPER2 complexes retained CTCF as well as the specific H2A.Z-deposition chaperone YL1-a component of the ATP-dependent remodeler SRCAP and p400-TIP60 complex. While depleting YL1 or mutating chaperone-binding sites on H2A.Z lengthened the circadian period, H2A.Z deletion abrogated BMAL1 chromatin recruitment and promoted its proteasomal degradation. We propose that a PER2-mediated H2A.Z deposition pathway (1) compacts CLOCK-BMAL1 binding sites to establish negative feedback, (2) organizes circadian chromatin landscapes using CTCF and (3) bookmarks genomic loci for BMAL1 binding to impinge on the positive arm of the subsequent cycle.

PER2: a potential molecular marker for hematological malignancies

Circadian rhythm is a periodic change of organism according to the law of external environment, which is manifested in metabolism, cell proliferation, physiology and behavior. In recent years, the role of circadian genes in the occurrence and progression of hematological malignancies have been continuously demonstrated. PER2 is the core component of the circadian rhythm playing an important role in regulating the circadian rhythm of the biological clock. This review summarizes the research progress of PER2 in hematological malignancies, especially leukemia, in order to better understand its role in hematological malignancies, and provide new ideas for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Period 2: A Regulator of Multiple Tissue-Specific Circadian Functions

The zebrafish represents a powerful model for exploring how light regulates the circadian clock due to the direct light sensitivity of its peripheral clocks, a property that is retained even in organ cultures as well as zebrafish-derived cell lines. Light-inducible expression of the per2 clock gene has been predicted to play a vital function in relaying light information to the core circadian clock mechanism in many organisms, including zebrafish. To directly test the contribution of per2 to circadian clock function in zebrafish, we have generated a loss-of-function per2 gene mutation. Our results reveal a tissue-specific role for the per2 gene in maintaining rhythmic expression of circadian clock genes, as well as clock-controlled genes, and an impact on the rhythmic behavior of intact zebrafish larvae. Furthermore, we demonstrate that disruption of the per2 gene impacts on the circadian regulation of the cell cycle in vivo. Based on these results, we hypothesize that in addition to serving as a central element of the light input pathway to the circadian clock, per2 acts as circadian regulator of tissue-specific physiological functions in zebrafish.

Targeted modification of the Per2 clock gene alters circadian function in mPer2luciferase (mPer2Luc) mice

Modification of the Per2 clock gene in mPer2Luc reporter mice significantly alters circadian function. Behavioral period in constant dark is lengthened, and dissociates into two distinct components in constant light. Rhythms exhibit increased bimodality, enhanced phase resetting to light pulses, and altered entrainment to scheduled feeding. Mechanistic mathematical modelling predicts that enhanced protein interactions with the modified mPER2 C-terminus, combined with differential clock regulation among SCN subregions, can account for effects on circadian behavior via increased Per2 transcript and protein stability. PER2::LUC produces greater suppression of CLOCK:BMAL1 E-box activity than PER2. mPer2Luc carries a 72 bp deletion in exon 23 of Per2, and retains a neomycin resistance cassette that affects rhythm amplitude but not period. The results show that mPer2Luc acts as a circadian clock mutation illustrating a need for detailed assessment of potential impacts of c-terminal tags in genetically modified animal models.

Attenuated SIRT1 Activity Leads to PER2 Cytoplasmic Localization and Dampens the Amplitude of Bmal1 Promoter-Driven Circadian Oscillation

The circadian clock possesses robust systems to maintain the rhythm approximately 24 h, from cellular to organismal levels, whereas aging is known to be one of the risk factors linked to the alternation of circadian physiology and behavior. The amount of many metabolites in the cells/body is altered with the aging process, and the most prominent metabolite among them is the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺), which is associated with posttranslational modifications of acetylation and poly-ADP-ribosylation status of circadian clock proteins and decreases with aging. However, how low NAD⁺ condition in cells, which mimics aged or pathophysiological conditions, affects the circadian clock is largely unknown. Here, we show that low NAD⁺ in cultured cells promotes PER2 to be retained in the cytoplasm through the NAD⁺/SIRT1 axis, which leads to the attenuated amplitude of Bmal1 promoter-driven luciferase oscillation. We found that, among the core clock proteins, PER2 is mainly affected in its subcellular localization by NAD⁺ amount, and a higher cytoplasmic PER2 localization was observed under low NAD⁺ condition. We further found that NAD⁺-dependent deacetylase SIRT1 is the regulator of PER2 subcellular localization. Thus, we anticipate that the altered PER2 subcellular localization by low NAD⁺ is one of the complex changes that occurs in the aged circadian clock.

PER2-mediated ameloblast differentiation via PPARγ/AKT1/β-catenin axis

Circadian rhythm is involved in the development and diseases of many tissues. However, as an essential environmental regulating factor, its effect on amelogenesis has not been fully elucidated. The present study aims to investigate the correlation between circadian rhythm and ameloblast differentiation and to explore the mechanism by which circadian genes regulate ameloblast differentiation. Circadian disruption models were constructed in mice for in vivo experiments. An ameloblast-lineage cell (ALC) line was used for in vitro studies. As essential molecules of the circadian system, Bmal1 and Per2 exhibited circadian expression in ALCs. Circadian disruption mice showed reduced amelogenin (AMELX) expression and enamel matrix secretion and downregulated expression of BMAL1, PER2, PPARγ, phosphorylated AKT1 and β-catenin, cytokeratin-14 and F-actin in ameloblasts. According to previous findings and our study, BMAL1 positively regulated PER2. Therefore, the present study focused on PER2-mediated ameloblast differentiation and enamel formation. Per2 knockdown decreased the expression of AMELX, PPARγ, phosphorylated AKT1 and β-catenin, promoted nuclear β-catenin accumulation, inhibited mineralization and altered the subcellular localization of E-cadherin in ALCs. Overexpression of PPARγ partially reversed the above results in Per2-knockdown ALCs. Furthermore, in in vivo experiments, the length of incisor eruption was significantly decreased in the circadian disturbance group compared to that in the control group, which was rescued by using a PPARγ agonist in circadian disturbance mice. In conclusion, through regulation of the PPARγ/AKT1/β-catenin signalling axis, PER2 played roles in amelogenin expression, cell junctions and arrangement, enamel matrix secretion and mineralization during ameloblast differentiation, which exert effects on enamel formation.

Parthenogenetic mosaicism: generation via second polar body retention and unmasking of a likely causative PER2 variant for hypersomnia

Background

Parthenogenetic mosaicism is an extremely rare condition identified only in five subjects to date. The previous studies indicate that this condition is mediated by parthenogenetic activation and is free from a specific phenotype ascribed to unmaking of a maternally inherited recessive variant in the parthenogenetic cell lineage.

Results

We examined a 28-year-old Japanese 46,XX female with Silver-Russell syndrome and idiopathic hypersomnia. The results revealed (1) predominance of maternally derived alleles for all the differentially methylated regions examined; (2) no disease-related copy-number variant; (3) two types of regions for all chromosomes, i.e., four BAF (B-allele frequency) band regions with single major microsatellite peaks of maternal origin and single minor microsatellite peaks of non-maternal (paternal) origin, and six BAF band regions with single major microsatellite peaks of maternal origin and two minor microsatellite peaks of maternal and non-maternal (paternal) origin; (4) an unmasked extremely rare PER2 variant (c.1403G>A:p.(Arg468Gln)) with high predicted pathogenicity; (5) mildly affected local structure with altered hydrogen bonds of the p.Arg468Gln-PER2 protein; and (6) nucleus-dominant subcellular distribution of the p.Arg468Gln-PER2 protein.

Conclusions

The above findings imply that the second polar body retention occurred around fertilization, resulting in the generation of the parthenogenetic cell lineage by endoreplication of a female pronucleus and the normal cell lineage by fusion of male and female pronuclei, and that the homozygous PER2 variant in the parthenogenetic cells is the likely causative factor for idiopathic hypersomnia.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13148-021-01062-0.

Downregulation of PER2 Promotes Tumor Progression by Enhancing Glycolysis via the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Protein Kinase B Pathway in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

PURPOSE

PER2 gene expression is downregulated in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and may have a pivotal role in tumor suppression. However, the biological function and mechanism of action of PER2 in OSCC remain unclear. In this study, the biological functions and anticancer mechanisms of PER2 in OSCC were investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Both stably overexpressed and silenced PER2 OSCC cells were established as an experimental group; empty vector lentivirus and scramble short hairpin RNA lentivirus transfected-cells, as negative control groups; and untreated OSCC cells, as a blank group. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and glycolysis potential assays were conducted. In addition, the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), phosphorylation of protein kinase B, hexokinase 2 (HK2), pyruvate kinase M (PKM2), and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) was quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Rescue experiments were performed by the addition of AKT activators in the overexpressed cell line and by the addition of glycolysis inhibitor in the silenced cell line. These findings were verified in vivo using stably transfected OSCC cells overexpressing PER2 implanted in nude mice.

RESULTS

PER2 overexpression significantly inhibited OSCC cell proliferation and glycolysis, promoted cell apoptosis, and reduced the expression of PI3K, phosphorylation of protein kinase B, HK2, PKM2, and LDHA. The converse was observed in PER2-silenced OSCC cells. After the addition of AKT activator to cultures of PER2-overexpressed OSCC cells, reduced glucose uptake, lactic acid production, and cell proliferation, combined with increased apoptosis, were substantially reversed. In addition, after the addition of HK2 inhibitor to PER2-silenced OSCC cells to inhibit glycolysis, the reduction in apoptosis and increased proliferation were significantly countermanded. Tumorigenesis experiments in vivo also confirmed that PER2 overexpression suppressed OSCC growth and decreased the expression of HK2, PKM2, and LDHA.

CONCLUSIONS

PER2 heightened glycolysis via the PI3K/AKT pathway, heightened cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis via glycolysis, thereby promoting the development of OSCC.

Frequency switching between oscillatory homeostats and the regulation of p53

Homeostasis is an essential concept to understand the stability of organisms and their adaptive behaviors when coping with external and internal assaults. Many hormones that take part in homeostatic control come in antagonistic pairs, such as glucagon and insulin reflecting the inflow and outflow compensatory mechanisms to control a certain internal variable, such as blood sugar levels. By including negative feedback loops homeostatic controllers can exhibit oscillations with characteristic frequencies. In this paper we demonstrate the associated frequency changes in homeostatic systems when individual controllers -in a set of interlocked feedback loops- gain control in response to environmental changes. Taking p53 as an example, we show how Per2, ATM and Mdm2 feedback loops -interlocked with p53- gain individual control in dependence to the level of DNA damage, and how each of these controllers provide certain functionalities in their regulation of p53. In unstressed cells, the circadian regulator Per2 ensures a basic p53 level to allow its rapid up-regulation in case of DNA damage. When DNA damage occurs the ATM controller increases the level of p53 and defends it towards uncontrolled degradation, which despite DNA damage, would drive p53 to lower values and p53 dysfunction. Mdm2 on its side keeps p53 at a high but sub-apoptotic level to avoid premature apoptosis. However, with on-going DNA damage the Mdm2 set-point is increased by HSP90 and other p53 stabilizers leading finally to apoptosis. An emergent aspect of p53 upregulation during cell stress is the coordinated inhibition of ubiquitin-independent and ubiquitin-dependent degradation reactions. Whether oscillations serve a function or are merely a by-product of the controllers are discussed in view of the finding that homeostatic control of p53, as indicated above, does in principle not require oscillatory homeostats.

Thermal stability analyses of human PERIOD-2 C-terminal domain using dynamic light scattering and circular dichroism

At the molecular level, the circadian clock is regulated by a time delayed transcriptional-translational feedback loop in which the core proteins interact with each other rhythmically to drive daily biological rhythms. The C-terminal domain of a key clock protein PER2 (PER2c) plays a critically important role in the loop, not only for its interaction with the binding partner CRY proteins but also for the CRY/PER complex’s translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus. Previous circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic studies have shown that mouse PER2c (mPER2c) is less structured in solution by itself but folded into stable secondary structures upon interaction with mouse CRYs. To understand the stability and folding of human PER2c (hPER2c), we expressed and purified hPER2c. Three oligomerization forms of recombinant hPER2c were identified and thoroughly characterized through a combination of biochemical and biophysical techniques. Different to mPER2c, both thermal unfolding DLS and CD analyses suggested that all forms of hPER2c have very stable secondary structures in solution by themselves with melting temperatures higher than the physiological body temperature, indicating that hPER2c does not require CRY to fold. Furthermore, we examined the effects of EDTA, salt concentration, and a reducing agent on hPER2c folding and oligomerization. The ability of hPER2c forming oligomers reflects the potential role of hPER2c in the assembly of circadian rhythm core protein complexes.

Aberrant Expression and Subcellular Localization of PER2 Promote the Progression of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma, one of the most prevalent cancer types in the world, has been confirmed under the influence of a key circadian gene, PER2, whose role has been identified in the development of some other types of cancers. However, the mechanism through which PER2 regulates the progress of OSCC remains largely unknown. In this study, we showed that besides the abnormal expression and subcellular localization of PER2 observed in OSCC tissues and cells as expected, these anomalous changes also existed in the adjacent noncancerous tissues, which was a novel finding in our research. The phase of PER2 rhythmic expression pattern in OSCC cells was later than that in oral keratinocytes in the protein level. In addition, we demonstrated that PER2 played as a resistant factor in the development of OSCC by upregulating TP53 and inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our results identified that the development of OSCC is closely associated with PER2, the aberrant expression and subcellular localization of which facilitates the malignant progress.

Exploring the role of circadian clock gene and association with cancer pathophysiology

Most of the processes that occur in the mind and body follow natural rhythms. Those with a cycle length of about one day are called circadian rhythms. These rhythms are driven by a system of self-sustained clocks and are entrained by environmental cues such as light-dark cycles as well as food intake. In mammals, the circadian clock system is hierarchically organized such that the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus integrates environmental information and synchronizes the phase of oscillators in peripheral tissues.The circadian system is responsible for regulating a variety of physiological and behavioral processes, including feeding behavior and energy metabolism. Studies revealed that the circadian clock system consists primarily of a set of clock genes. Several genes control the biological clock, including BMAL1, CLOCK (positive regulators), CRY1, CRY2, PER1, PER2, and PER3 (negative regulators) as indicators of the peripheral clock.Circadian has increasingly become an important area of medical research, with hundreds of studies pointing to the body's internal clocks as a factor in both health and disease. Thousands of biochemical processes from sleep and wakefulness to DNA repair are scheduled and dictated by these internal clocks. Cancer is an example of health problems where chronotherapy can be used to improve outcomes and deliver a higher quality of care to patients.In this article, we will discuss knowledge about molecular mechanisms of the circadian clock and the role of clocks in physiology and pathophysiology of concerns.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) regulates the circadian clock

Circadian oscillations emerge from transcriptional and post-translational feedback loops. An important step in generating rhythmicity is the translocation of clock components into the nucleus, which is regulated in many cases by kinases. In mammals, the kinase promoting the nuclear import of the key clock component Period 2 (PER2) is unknown. Here, we show that the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) regulates the mammalian circadian clock involving phosphorylation of PER2. Knock-down of Cdk5 in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the main coordinator site of the mammalian circadian system, shortened the free-running period in mice. CDK5 phosphorylated PER2 at serine residue 394 (S394) in a diurnal fashion. This phosphorylation facilitated interaction with Cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) and nuclear entry of the PER2-CRY1 complex. Taken together, we found that CDK5 drives nuclear entry of PER2, which is critical for establishing an adequate circadian period of the molecular circadian cycle. Of note is that CDK5 may not exclusively phosphorylate PER2, but in addition may regulate other proteins that are involved in the clock mechanism. Taken together, it appears that CDK5 is critically involved in the regulation of the circadian clock and may represent a link to various diseases affected by a derailed circadian clock.

Anyone who has crossed multiple time zones on a long flight will be familiar with jet lag, and that feeling of wanting to sleep at lunchtime and eat in the middle of the night. Many bodily processes, including appetite and wakefulness, roughly follow a 24-hour cycle. These cycles are known as circadian rhythms, from the Latin ‘circa diem’ meaning about a day. An area of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) coordinates circadian rhythms. It acts as a master clock by generating a 24-hour signal for the rest of the body to follow. Jet lag occurs when this internal circadian rhythm becomes out of sync with the local day-night cycle.

Although jet lag can be uncomfortable, it tends to disappear over the course of a few days. This is because exposure to daylight in our new location resets the SCN master clock, enabling us to adapt to a new time zone. But evidence suggests that long-term disruption of circadian rhythms, for example as a result of shift work, may have lasting harmful effects. These include an increased risk of degenerative brain disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Brenna et al. now identify a molecular mechanism that could explain this link. A key component of the SCN master clock is a protein called Period2 (PER2). Levels of PER2 rise and fall over each 24-hour period, helping the brain keep track of time. Brenna et al. show that PER2 interacts with CDK5, a protein that helps regulate brain development and that has been implicated in Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Reducing CDK5 levels in mice shortened their circadian rhythms by several hours. It also altered the animals’ behavioral patterns over a 24-hour period. Deleting the gene for PER2 had a similar effect, suggesting that CDK5 helps regulate PER2.

Future studies should investigate the molecular links between CDK5, circadian rhythms and processes such as neurodegeneration. The results would provide clues to whether manipulating the circadian clock could help prevent or treat neurological disorders.

The circadian gene, Per2, influences methamphetamine sensitization and reward through the dopaminergic system in the striatum of mice

Drug addiction is a chronic and relapsing brain disorder, influenced by complex interactions between endogenous and exogenous factors. Per2, a circadian gene, plays a role in drug addiction. Previous studies using Per2-knockout mice have shown a role for Per2 in cocaine, morphine and alcohol addiction. In the present study, we investigated the role of Per2 in methamphetamine (METH) addiction using Per2-overexpression and knockout mice. We observed locomotor sensitization responses to METH administration, and rewarding effects using a conditioned place preference test. In addition, we measured expression levels of dopamine and dopamine-related genes (monoamine oxidase A, DA receptor 1, DA receptor 2, DA active transporter, tyrosine hydroxylase and cAMP response element-binding protein 1) in the striatum of the mice after repeated METH treatments, using qRT-PCR. Per2-overexpressed mice showed decreased locomotor sensitization and rewarding effects of METH compared to the wildtype mice, whereas the opposite was observed in Per2 knockout mice. Both types of transgenic mice showed altered expression levels of dopamine-related genes after repeated METH administration. Specifically, we observed lower dopamine levels in Per2-overexpressed mice and higher levels in Per2-knockout mice. Taken together, Per2 expression levels may influence the addictive effects of METH through the dopaminergic system in the striatum of mice.

Distinct control of PERIOD2 degradation and circadian rhythms by the oncoprotein and ubiquitin ligase MDM2

The circadian clock relies on posttranslational modifications to set the timing for degradation of core regulatory components, which drives clock progression. Ubiquitin-modifying enzymes that target clock components for degradation mainly recognize phosphorylated substrates. Degradation of the circadian clock component PERIOD 2 (PER2) is mediated by its phospho-specific recognition by β-transducin repeat-containing proteins (β-TrCPs), which are F-box-containing proteins that function as substrate recognition subunits of the SCF^β-TRCP ubiquitin ligase complex. However, this mode of regulating PER2 stability falls short of explaining the persistent oscillatory phenotypes reported in biological systems lacking functional elements of the phospho-dependent PER2 degradation machinery. We identified PER2 as a previously uncharacterized substrate for the ubiquitin ligase mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) and found that MDM2 targeted PER2 for degradation in a manner independent of PER2 phosphorylation. Deregulation of MDM2 plays a major role in oncogenesis by contributing to the accumulation of genomic and epigenomic alterations that favor tumor development. MDM2-mediated PER2 turnover was important for defining the circadian period length in mammalian cells, a finding that emphasizes the connection between the circadian clock and cancer. Our results not only broaden the range of specific substrates of MDM2 beyond the cell cycle to include circadian components but also identify a previously unknown regulator of the clock as a druggable node that is often found to be deregulated during tumorigenesis.

Altered expression of the core circadian clock component PERIOD2 contributes to osteoarthritis-like changes in chondrocyte activity

In osteoarthritis, chondrocytes undergo a phenotype shift characterised by reduced expression of SOX9 (sry-box 9) and increased production of cartilage-degrading enzymes, e.g. MMP13 (matrix metalloproteinase 13) and ADAMTS5 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5). The chondrocyte clock is also altered. Specifically, the peak level of PER2 is elevated, but peak level of BMAL1 reduced in osteoarthritic chondrocytes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether increased PER2 expression causes disease-associated changes in chondrocyte activity and to identify whether known risk factors for osteoarthritis induce changes in PER2 and BMAL1 expression. Primary human chondrocytes isolated from macroscopically normal cartilage were serum-starved overnight then re-fed with serum-replete media with/without interleukin 1β (IL-1β) (10 ng/mL), hydrogen peroxide (100 µM) or basic calcium phosphate (BCP) crystals (50 µg/mL). Peak level of BMAL1 was lower, whereas PER2 levels remained elevated for longer, in chondrocytes treated with IL-1β, hydrogen peroxide or BCP crystals compared to untreated cells. Levels of SOX9 were lower, whereas levels of ADAMTS5 and MMP13 were higher, in chondrocytes exposed to any of the three treatments compared to untreated cells. Knockdown of PER2 using siRNA partially abrogated the effects of each treatment on chondrocyte phenotype marker expression. Similarly, in chondrocytes isolated from osteoarthritic cartilage PER2 knockdown was associated with increased SOX9, reduced ADAMTS5 and reduced RNA and protein levels of MMP13 indicating partial mitigation of the osteoarthritic phenotype. Conversely, further ablation of BMAL1 expression in osteoarthritic chondrocytes resulted in a further reduction in SOX9 and increase in MMP13 expression. Overexpression of PER2 in the H5 chondrocyte cell line led to increased ADAMTS5 and MMP13 and decreased SOX9 expression. Localised inflammation, oxidative stress and BCP crystal deposition in osteoarthritic joints may contribute to disease pathology by inducing changes in the chondrocyte circadian clock.

Implicit time-place conditioning alters Per2 mRNA expression selectively in striatum without shifting its circadian clocks

Animals create implicit memories of the time of day that significant events occur then anticipate the recurrence of those conditions at the same time on subsequent days. We tested the hypothesis that implicit time memory for daily encounters relies on the setting of the canonical circadian clockwork in brain areas involved in the formation or expression of context memories. We conditioned mice to avoid locations paired with a mild foot shock at one of two Zeitgeber times set 8 hours apart. Place avoidance was exhibited only when testing time matched the prior training time. The suprachiasmatic nucleus, dorsal striatum, nucleus accumbens, cingulate cortex, hippocampal complex, and amygdala were assessed for clock gene expression. Baseline phase dependent differences in clock gene expression were found in most tissues. Evidence for conditioned resetting of a molecular circadian oscillation was found only in the striatum (dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens shell), and specifically for Per2 expression. There was no evidence of glucocorticoid stress response in any tissue. The results are consistent with a model where temporal conditioning promotes a selective Per2 response in dopamine-targeted brain regions responsible for sensorimotor integration, without resetting the entire circadian clockwork.

Mutations in blind cavefish target the light-regulated circadian clock gene, period 2

Light represents the principal signal driving circadian clock entrainment. However, how light influences the evolution of the clock remains poorly understood. The cavefish Phreatichthys andruzzii represents a fascinating model to explore how evolution under extreme aphotic conditions shapes the circadian clock, since in this species the clock is unresponsive to light. We have previously demonstrated that loss-of-function mutations targeting non-visual opsins contribute in part to this blind clock phenotype. Here, we have compared orthologs of two core clock genes that play a key role in photic entrainment, cry1a and per2, in both zebrafish and P. andruzzii. We encountered aberrantly spliced variants for the P. andruzzii per2 transcript. The most abundant transcript encodes a truncated protein lacking the C-terminal Cry binding domain and incorporating an intronic, transposon-derived coding sequence. We demonstrate that the transposon insertion leads to a predominantly cytoplasmic localization of the cavefish Per2 protein in contrast to the zebrafish ortholog which is distributed in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Thus, it seems that during evolution in complete darkness, the photic entrainment pathway of the circadian clock has been subject to mutation at multiple levels, extending from opsin photoreceptors to nuclear effectors.

Methods in field chronobiology

Chronobiological research has seen a continuous development of novel approaches and techniques to measure rhythmicity at different levels of biological organization from locomotor activity (e.g. migratory restlessness) to physiology (e.g. temperature and hormone rhythms, and relatively recently also in genes, proteins and metabolites). However, the methodological advancements in this field have been mostly and sometimes exclusively used only in indoor laboratory settings. In parallel, there has been an unprecedented and rapid improvement in our ability to track animals and their behaviour in the wild. However, while the spatial analysis of tracking data is widespread, its temporal aspect is largely unexplored. Here, we review the tools that are available or have potential to record rhythms in the wild animals with emphasis on currently overlooked approaches and monitoring systems. We then demonstrate, in three question-driven case studies, how the integration of traditional and newer approaches can help answer novel chronobiological questions in free-living animals. Finally, we highlight unresolved issues in field chronobiology that may benefit from technological development in the future. As most of the studies in the field are descriptive, the future challenge lies in applying the diverse technologies to experimental set-ups in the wild.This article is part of the themed issue 'Wild clocks: integrating chronobiology and ecology to understand timekeeping in free-living animals'.

Clock gene Per2 as a controller of liver carcinogenesis

Environmental disruption of molecular clocks promoted liver carcinogenesis and accelerated cancer progression in rodents. We investigated the specific role of clock gene Period 2 (Per2) for liver carcinogenesis and clock-controlled cellular proliferation, genomic instability and inflammation. We assessed liver histopathology, and determined molecular and physiology circadian patterns in mice on chronic diethylnitrosamine (DEN) exposure according to constitutive Per2 mutation. First, we found that Per2^m/m liver displayed profound alterations in proliferation gene expression, including c-Myc derepression, phase-advanced Wee1, and arrhythmic Ccnb1 and K-ras mRNA expressions, as well as deregulated inflammation, through arrhythmic liver IL-6 protein concentration, in the absence of any DEN exposure. These changes could then make Per2^m/m mice more prone to subsequently develop liver cancers on DEN. Indeed, primary liver cancers were nearly fourfold as frequent in Per2^m/m mice as compared to wild-type (WT), 4 months after DEN exposure. The liver molecular clock was severely disrupted throughout the whole carcinogenesis process, including the initiation stage, i.e. within the initial 17 days on DEN. Per2^m/m further exhibited increased c-Myc and Ccnb1 mean 24h expressions, lack of P53 response, and arrhythmic ATM, Wee1 and Ccnb1 expressions. DEN-induced tumor related inflammation was further promoted through increased protein concentrations of liver IL-6 and TNF-α as compared to WT during carcinogenesis initiation. Per2 mutation severely deregulated liver gene or protein expressions related to three cancer hallmarks, including uncontrolled proliferation, genomic instability, and tumor promoting inflammation, and accelerated liver carcinogenesis several-fold. Clock gene Per2 acted here as a liver tumor suppressor from initiation to progression.

Loss of the clock gene PER2 is associated with cancer development and altered expression of important tumor-related genes in oral cancer

Recent studies have demonstrated that abnormal expression of the clock gene PER2 is closely associated with the development of a variety of cancer types. However, the expression of PER2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a common malignant tumor in humans, and its correlations with the clinicopathological parameters and survival time of OSCC patients and the altered expression of important tumor-related genes remain unclear. In the present study, we detected the mRNA and protein expression levels of PER2, PIK3CA, PTEN, P53, P14ARF and caspase‑8 in OSCC tissues and cancer-adjacent oral mucosa by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the PER2, PTEN, P53, P14ARF and caspase‑8 mRNA and protein expression levels in OSCC were significantly reduced compared with those in cancer-adjacent tissues. Additionally, the PIK3CA protein expression level was significantly increased in OSCC tissues, whereas the mRNA level was not. Decreased expression of PER2 was significantly associated with advanced clinical stage and the presence of lymphatic metastasis in OSCC patients. Patients with PER2‑negative expression had a significantly shorter survival time than those with PER2‑positive expression. PER2 expression was negatively correlated with PIK3CA and P53 levels, and positively correlated with PTEN, P14ARF and caspase‑8 levels. In summary, the results of this study suggest that loss of PER2 expression is closely associated with the genesis and development of OSCC and that PER2 may be an important prognostic biomarker in OSCC. PER2 may serve an antitumor role via the P53/P14ARF, PIK3CA/AKT and caspase‑8 pathways.

Analysis of DNA-damage response to ionizing radiation in serum-shock synchronized human fibroblasts

Many aspects of cellular physiology, including cellular response to genotoxic stress, are related to the circadian rhythmicity induced by the molecular clock. The current study investigated if the cellular response to DNA damage is in relation to endogenous expression levels of the PER2 protein, a key component of the molecular regulatory system that confers rhythmicity in mammalian cells. Human normal fibroblasts (CCD-34Lu) were subjected to serum shock to induce circadian oscillations of the PER2 protein and then irradiated with γ- rays at times corresponding to the trough and peak expression of the PER2 protein. To better examine cellular response to DNA damage, the experiments performed in this study were carried out in non-proliferating CCD-34Lu fibroblasts in order to maintain the cell and circadian cycles separated while they were being exposed to genotoxic stress. Study results demonstrated that clonogenic cell survival, double-strand break repair kinetics, and TP53 protein levels were affected in the cells irradiated at the trough than in those irradiated at peak expression of the PER2 protein.

Model-driven experimental approach reveals the complex regulatory distribution of p53 by the circadian factor Period 2

The circadian clock and cell cycle networks are interlocked on the molecular level, with the core clock loop exerting a multilevel regulatory role over cell cycle components. This is particularly relevant to the circadian factor Period 2 (Per2), which modulates the stability of the tumor suppressor p53 in unstressed cells and transcriptional activity in response to genotoxic stress. Per2 binding prevents Mdm2-mediated ubiquitination of p53 and, therefore, its degradation, and oscillations in the peaks of Per2 and p53 were expected to correspond. However, our findings showed that Per2 and p53 rhythms were significantly out-of-phase relative to each other in cell lysates and in purified cytoplasmic fractions. These seemingly conflicting experimental data motivated the use of a combined theoretical and experimental approach focusing on the role played by Per2 in dictating the phase of p53 oscillations. Systematic modeling of all possible regulatory scenarios predicted that the observed phase relationship between Per2 and p53 could be simulated if (i) p53 was more stable in the nucleus than in the cytoplasm, (ii) Per2 associates to various ubiquitinated forms of p53, and (iii) Per2 mediated p53 nuclear import. These predictions were supported by a sevenfold increase in p53's half-life in the nucleus and by in vitro binding of Per2 to the various ubiquitinated forms of p53. Last, p53's nuclear shuttling was significantly favored by ectopic expression of Per2 and reduced because of Per2 down-regulation. Our combined theoretical/mathematical approach reveals how clock regulatory nodes can be inferred from oscillating time course data.

Negative reciprocal regulation between Sirt1 and Per2 modulates the circadian clock and aging

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is involved in both aging and circadian-clock regulation, yet the link between the two processes in relation to SIRT1 function is not clear. Using Sirt1-deficient mice, we found that Sirt1 and Period 2 (Per2) constitute a reciprocal negative regulation loop that plays important roles in modulating hepatic circadian rhythmicity and aging. Sirt1-deficient mice exhibited profound premature aging and enhanced acetylation of histone H4 on lysine16 (H4K16) in the promoter of Per2, the latter of which leads to its overexpression; in turn, Per2 suppresses Sirt1 transcription through binding to the Sirt1 promoter at the Clock/Bmal1 site. This negative reciprocal relationship between SIRT1 and PER2 was also observed in human hepatocytes. We further demonstrated that the absence of Sirt1 or the ectopic overexpression of Per2 in the liver resulted in a dysregulated pace of the circadian rhythm. The similar circadian rhythm was also observed in aged wild type mice. The interplay between Sirt1 and Per2 modulates aging gene expression and circadian-clock maintenance.

Liver-derived ketone bodies are necessary for food anticipation

The circadian system has endowed animals with the ability to anticipate recurring food availability at particular times of day. As daily food anticipation (FA) is independent of the suprachiasmatic nuclei, the central pacemaker of the circadian system, questions arise of where FA signals originate and what role components of the circadian clock might play. Here we show that liver-specific deletion of Per2 in mice abolishes FA, an effect that is rescued by viral overexpression of Per2 in the liver. RNA sequencing indicates that Per2 regulates β-hydroxybutyrate (βOHB) production to induce FA leading to the conclusion that liver Per2 is important for this process. Unexpectedly, we show that FA originates in the liver and not in the brain. However, manifestation of FA involves processing of the liver-derived βOHB signal in the brain, indicating that the food-entrainable oscillator is not located in a single tissue but is of systemic nature.

Natural selection against a circadian clock gene mutation in mice

Circadian rhythms with an endogenous period close to or equal to the natural light-dark cycle are considered evolutionarily adaptive ("circadian resonance hypothesis"). Despite remarkable insight into the molecular mechanisms driving circadian cycles, this hypothesis has not been tested under natural conditions for any eukaryotic organism. We tested this hypothesis in mice bearing a short-period mutation in the enzyme casein kinase 1ε (tau mutation), which accelerates free-running circadian cycles. We compared daily activity (feeding) rhythms, survivorship, and reproduction in six replicate populations in outdoor experimental enclosures, established with wild-type, heterozygous, and homozygous mice in a Mendelian ratio. In the release cohort, survival was reduced in the homozygote mutant mice, revealing strong selection against short-period genotypes. Over the course of 14 mo, the relative frequency of the tau allele dropped from initial parity to 20%. Adult survival and recruitment of juveniles into the population contributed approximately equally to the selection for wild-type alleles. The expression of activity during daytime varied throughout the experiment and was significantly increased by the tau mutation. The strong selection against the short-period tau allele observed here contrasts with earlier studies showing absence of selection against a Period 2 (Per2) mutation, which disrupts internal clock function, but does not change period length. These findings are consistent with, and predicted by the theory that resonance of the circadian system plays an important role in individual fitness.

Hylan G-F 20 attenuates posttraumatic osteoarthritis progression: Association with upregulated expression of the circardian gene NPAS2

AIMS

The study was to examine the effect of Hylan G-F 20 on the progression of posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) and the expression of the circadian genes neuronal PAS domain protein 2 (NPAS2) and period 2 (Per2).

MAIN METHODS

We used the anterior cruciate ligament transaction and medial menisectomy (ACLT+MMx) model in Wistar rats. The rats were divided into three groups, the sham-operated group, the Hylan G-F 20-treated group, and the saline-treated group. Rats which underwent ACLT + MMx surgery were injected intraarticularly with, respectively, Hylan G-F 20 or saline once a week for 3 consecutive weeks, starting 7days after surgery. The gross morphology and histopathology of the experimental knee joints were evaluated at the end of week 6. Expression of the NPAS2 and Per2 genes was measured by real-time PCR.

KEY FINDINGS

Hylan G-F 20 suppressed the articular cartilage destruction and synovitis compared to the saline-treated group. Compared to the sham-operated group, the Hylan G-F 20-treated group showed significantly upregulated expression of NPAS2 in cartilage (2.53±0.08-fold higher; p<0.05) and a non-significant increase in Per2 expression (2.35±1.26-fold higher p=0.28), while the saline-treated group showed significant downregulation of NPAS2 expression and a non-significant decrease in Per2 expression.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our data suggested that early intraarticular injection of Hylan G-F 20 attenuates the progression of PTOA and significantly upregulates NPAS2 expression. These findings provide a new direction for studying associations between the use of a pharmacological agent, the degenerative process, and circadian gene expression.

The clock protein period 2 synchronizes mitotic expansion and decidual transformation of human endometrial stromal cells

Implantation requires coordinated interactions between the conceptus and surrounding decidual cells, but the involvement of clock genes in this process is incompletely understood. Circadian oscillations are predicated on transcriptional-translational feedback loops, which balance the activities of the transcriptional activators CLOCK (circadian locomotor output cycles kaput) and brain muscle arnt-like 1 and repressors encoded by PER (Period) and Cryptochrome genes. We show that loss of PER2 expression silences circadian oscillations in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs). Down-regulation occurred between 12 and 24 hours following differentiation and coincided with reduced CLOCK binding to a noncanonical E-box enhancer in the PER2 promoter. RNA sequencing revealed that premature inhibition of PER2 by small interfering RNA knockdown leads to a grossly disorganized decidual response. Gene ontology analysis highlighted a preponderance of cell cycle regulators among the 1121 genes perturbed upon PER2 knockdown. Congruently, PER2 inhibition abrogated mitotic expansion of differentiating HESCs by inducing cell cycle block at G2/M. Analysis of 70 midluteal endometrial biopsies revealed an inverse correlation between PER2 transcript levels and the number of miscarriages in women suffering reproductive failure (Spearman rank test, ρ = −0.3260; P = 0.0046). Thus, PER2 synchronizes endometrial proliferation with initiation of aperiodic decidual gene expression; uncoupling of these events may cause recurrent pregnancy loss.—Muter, J., Lucas, E. S., Chan, Y.-W., Brighton, P. J., Moore, J. D., Lacey, L., Quenby, S., Lam, E. W.-F., Brosens, J. J. The clock protein period 2 synchronizes mitotic expansion and decidual transformation of human endometrial stromal cells.

Association of the circadian factor Period 2 to p53 influences p53's function in DNA-damage signaling

Association of the circadian Per2 factor to p53 results in cytosol–nuclear shuttling of the complex and further association to Mdm2. The trimeric complex remains in the nucleus until a genotoxic signal frees p53, allowing for a transcriptional checkpoint response.

Circadian period proteins influence cell division and death by associating with checkpoint components, although their mode of regulation has not been firmly established. hPer2 forms a trimeric complex with hp53 and its negative regulator Mdm2. In unstressed cells, this association leads to increased hp53 stability by blocking Mdm2-dependent ubiquitination and transcription of hp53 target genes. Because of the relevance of hp53 in checkpoint signaling, we hypothesize that hPer2 association with hp53 acts as a regulatory module that influences hp53's downstream response to genotoxic stress. Unlike the trimeric complex, whose distribution was confined to the nuclear compartment, hPer2/hp53 was identified in both cytosol and nucleus. At the transcriptional level, a reporter containing the hp21^WAF1/CIP1 promoter, a target of hp53, remained inactive in cells expressing a stable form of the hPer2/hp53 complex even when treated with γ-radiation. Finally, we established that hPer2 directly acts on the hp53 node, as checkpoint components upstream of hp53 remained active in response to DNA damage. Quantitative transcriptional analyses of hp53 target genes demonstrated that unbound hp53 was absolutely required for activation of the DNA-damage response. Our results provide evidence of the mode by which the circadian tumor suppressor hPer2 modulates hp53 signaling in response to genotoxic stress.

Dual modes of CLOCK:BMAL1 inhibition mediated by Cryptochrome and Period proteins in the mammalian circadian clock

The mammalian circadian clock is based on a transcription–translation feedback loop in which CLOCK and BMAL1 proteins act as transcriptional activators of Cryptochrome and Period genes, which encode proteins that repress CLOCK–BMAL1 with a periodicity of ∼ 24 h. Ye et al. show that CRY binds to CLOCK–BMAL1 at the promoter and inhibits CLOCK–BMAL1-dependent transcription without dissociating the complex. PER alone has no effect on CLOCK–BMAL1-activated transcription, but in the presence of CRY, nuclear entry of PER inhibits transcription by displacing CLOCK–BMAL1 from the promoter.

The mammalian circadian clock is based on a transcription–translation feedback loop (TTFL) in which CLOCK and BMAL1 proteins act as transcriptional activators of Cryptochrome and Period genes, which encode proteins that repress CLOCK–BMAL1 with a periodicity of ∼24 h. In this model, the mechanistic roles of CRY and PER are unclear. Here, we used a controlled targeting system to introduce CRY1 or PER2 into the nuclei of mouse cells with defined circadian genotypes to characterize the functions of CRY and PER. Our data show that CRY is the primary repressor in the TTFL: It binds to CLOCK–BMAL1 at the promoter and inhibits CLOCK–BMAL1-dependent transcription without dissociating the complex (“blocking”-type repression). PER alone has no effect on CLOCK–BMAL1-activated transcription. However, in the presence of CRY, nuclear entry of PER inhibits transcription by displacing CLOCK–BMAL1 from the promoter (“displacement”-type repression). In light of these findings, we propose a new model for the mammalian circadian clock in which the negative arm of the TTFL proceeds by two different mechanisms during the circadian cycle.

Diurnal influences on electrophysiological oscillations and coupling in the dorsal striatum and cerebellar cortex of the anesthetized rat

Circadian rhythms modulate behavioral processes over a 24 h period through clock gene expression. What is largely unknown is how these molecular influences shape neural activity in different brain areas. The clock gene Per2 is rhythmically expressed in the striatum and the cerebellum and its expression is linked with daily fluctuations in extracellular dopamine levels and D2 receptor activity. Electrophysiologically, dopamine depletion enhances striatal local field potential (LFP) oscillations. We investigated if LFP oscillations and synchrony were influenced by time of day, potentially via dopamine mechanisms. To assess the presence of a diurnal effect, oscillatory power and coherence were examined in the striatum and cerebellum of rats under urethane anesthesia at four different times of day zeitgeber time (ZT1, 7, 13 and 19—indicating number of hours after lights turned on in a 12:12 h light-dark cycle). We also investigated the diurnal response to systemic raclopride, a D2 receptor antagonist. Time of day affected the proportion of LFP oscillations within the 0–3 Hz band and the 3–8 Hz band. In both the striatum and the cerebellum, slow oscillations were strongest at ZT1 and weakest at ZT13. A 3–8 Hz oscillation was present when the slow oscillation was lowest, with peak 3–8 Hz activity occurring at ZT13. Raclopride enhanced the slow oscillations, and had the greatest effect at ZT13. Within the striatum and with the cerebellum, 0–3 Hz coherence was greatest at ZT1, when the slow oscillations were strongest. Coherence was also affected the most by raclopride at ZT13. Our results suggest that neural oscillations in the cerebellum and striatum, and the synchrony between these areas, are modulated by time of day, and that these changes are influenced by dopamine manipulation. This may provide insight into how circadian gene transcription patterns influence network electrophysiology. Future experiments will address how these network alterations are linked with behavior.

The circadian factor Period 2 modulates p53 stability and transcriptional activity in unstressed cells

Period 2 forms a trimeric complex with p53 and Mdm2. As a result, p53’s transcriptional activity and stability are modulated in unstressed cells, ensuring that basal levels are present if a p53-mediated response is needed. These data provide evidence of cross-talk between circadian and checkpoint components, adding a level of regulation to the checkpoint.

Human Period 2 (hPer2) is a transcriptional regulator at the core of the circadian clock mechanism that is responsible for generating the negative feedback loop that sustains the clock. Its relevance to human disease is underlined by alterations in its function that affect numerous biochemical and physiological processes. When absent, it results in the development of various cancers and an increase in the cell's susceptibility to genotoxic stress. Thus we sought to define a yet-uncharacterized checkpoint node in which circadian components integrate environmental stress signals to the DNA-damage response. We found that hPer2 binds the C-terminal half of human p53 (hp53) and forms a stable trimeric complex with hp53’s negative regulator, Mdm2. We determined that hPer2 binding to hp53 prevents Mdm2 from being ubiquitinated and targeting hp53 by the proteasome. Down-regulation of hPer2 expression directly affects hp53 levels, whereas its overexpression influences both hp53 protein stability and transcription of targeted genes. Overall our findings place hPer2 directly at the heart of the hp53-mediated response by ensuring that basal levels of hp53 are available to precondition the cell when a rapid, hp53-mediated, transcriptional response is needed.

Dynamics of the circadian clock protein PERIOD2 in living cells

In mammals, circadian rhythms are generated by delayed negative feedback, in which period (PER1-PER3) and cryptochrome (CRY1, CRY2) proteins gradually accumulate in the nucleus to suppress the transcription of their own genes. Although the importance of nuclear import and export signals for the subcellular localization of clock proteins is well established, little is known about the dynamics of these processes as well as their importance for the generation of circadian rhythms. We show by pharmacological perturbations of oscillating cells that nuclear import and export are of crucial importance for the circadian period. Live-cell fluorescence microscopy revealed that nuclear import of the key circadian protein PER2 is fast and further accelerated by CRY1. Moreover, PER2 nuclear import is crucially dependent on a specific nuclear-receptor-binding motif in PER2 that also mediates nuclear immobility. Nuclear export, however, is relatively slow, supporting a model of PER2 nuclear accumulation by rapid import, slow export and substantial nuclear degradation.

A positive role for PERIOD in mammalian circadian gene expression

In the current model of the mammalian circadian clock, PERIOD (PER) represses the activity of the circadian transcription factors BMAL1 and CLOCK, either independently or together with CRYPTOCHROME (CRY). Here, we provide evidence that PER has an entirely different function from that reported previously, namely, that PER inhibits CRY-mediated transcriptional repression through interference with CRY recruitment into the BMAL1-CLOCK complex. This indirect positive function of PER is consistent with previous data from genetic analyses using Per-deficient or mutant mice. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that PER plays different roles in different circadian phases: an early phase in which it suppresses CRY activity, and a later phase in which it acts as a transcriptional repressor with CRY. This buffering effect of PER on CRY might help to prolong the period of rhythmic gene expression. Additional studies are required to carefully examine the promoter- and phase-specific roles of PER.

Synaptophysin is involved in resetting of the mammalian circadian clock

BACKGROUND

Mammals can adapt to changing light/dark conditions by advancing or delaying their circadian clock phase. Light pulses evoke changes in gene expression and neuronal activity in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the central pacemaker of the circadian system. Alterations in neuronal activity are partially mediated by changes in synaptic vesicle (SV) fusion at the presynaptic membrane, which modulates release of neurotransmitters.

METHODS

Male synaptophysin (Syp) knock-out and littermate control wild type mice were tested in an Aschoff type I resetting paradigm. Additionally, gene expression of cFos, Per1 and Per2 was assessed in the SCN. Finally, complexes between the synaptic vesicle proteins Syp and synaptobrevin (Syb) were studied in order to correlate behavior with protein complexes at synaptic vesicles.

RESULTS

Here we show that mice lacking Syp, a modulator of neurotransmitter release, are defective in delaying clock phase. In contrast, clock phase advances as well as clock period are normal in Syp-/- knock-out mice. This correlates with the formation of Syp/Syb complexes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that Syp is involved specifically in the response to a nocturnal light pulse occurring in the early night. It appears that the SV component Syp is critically involved in the delay portion of the resetting mechanism of the circadian clock.

Dexamethasone induces high-amplitude rhythms in preadipocytes, but hinders circadian expression in differentiated adipocytes

Glucocorticoids induce circadian gene expression in cultured cells and change the phase of circadian gene expression in vivo. In addition, glucocorticoids induce differentiation of preadipocyte to adipocytes. We set out to test the effect of dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid receptor agonist, on circadian rhythms in 3T3-L1 differentiated adipocytes. Our results show that differentiated adipocytes exhibit robust circadian rhythms without dexamethasone. Dexamethasone induces phase changes and increases the amplitude of circadian gene expression in nondifferentiated 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. However, dexamethasone had an opposite effect on differentiated adipocytes, leading to low-amplitude circadian expression. In conclusion, although glucocorticoids reset circadian rhythms, once rhythms are reset, glucocorticoid administration hinders circadian expression.

Role of the circadian clock gene Per2 in adaptation to cold temperature

Adaptive thermogenesis allows mammals to resist to cold. For instance, in brown adipose tissue (BAT) the facultative uncoupling of the proton gradient from ATP synthesis in mitochondria is used to generate systemic heat. However, this system necessitates an increase of the Uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1) and its activation by free fatty acids. Here we show that mice without functional Period2 (Per2) were cold sensitive because their adaptive thermogenesis system was less efficient. Upon cold-exposure, Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) induced Per2 in the BAT. Subsequently, PER2 as a co-activator of PPARα increased expression of Ucp1. PER2 also increased Fatty acid binding protein 3 (Fabp3), a protein important to transport free fatty acids from the plasma to mitochondria to activate UCP1. Hence, in BAT PER2 is important for the coordination of the molecular response of mice exposed to cold by synchronizing UCP1 expression and its activation.

Peripheral circadian clocks--a conserved phenotype?

The circadian system of mammals regulates the timing of occurrence of behavioral and physiological events, thereby optimizing adaptation to their surroundings. This system is composed of a single master pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and a population of peripheral clocks. The SCN integrates time information from exogenous sources and, in turn, synchronizes the downstream peripheral clocks. It is assumed that under normal conditions, the circadian phenotype of different peripheral clocks would be conserved with respect to its period and robustness. To study this idea, we measured the daily wheel-running activity (WRA; a marker of the SCN output) in 84 male inbred LEW/Crl rats housed under a 12 h:12 h light-dark cycle. In addition, we assessed the mRNA expression of two clock genes, rPer2 and rBmal1, and one clock-controlled gene, rDbp, in four tissues that have the access to time cues other than those emanating from the SCN: olfactory bulbs (OBs), liver, tail skin, and white blood cells (WBCs). In contrast with the assumption stated above, we found that circadian clocks in peripheral tissues differ in the temporal pattern of the expression of circadian clock genes, in the robustness of the rhythms, and possibly in the number of functional ~24-h-clock cells. Based on the tissue diversity in the robustness of the clock output, the hepatic clock is likely to house the highest number of functional ~24-h-clock cells, and the OBs, the fewest number. Thus, the phenotype of the circadian clock in the periphery is tissue specific and may depend not only on the SCN but also on the sensitivity of the tissue to non-SCN-derived time cues. In the OBs and liver, the circadian clock phenotypes seem to be dominantly shaped by the SCN output. However, in the tail skin and WBC, other time cues participate in the phenotype design. Finally, our study suggests that the basic phenotype of the circadian clock is constructed at the transcript level of the core clock genes. Yet, additional posttranscriptional and translational events can contribute to the robustness and periodicity of the clock output.

Genetic insights on sleep schedules: this time, it's PERsonal

The study of circadian rhythms is emerging as a fruitful opportunity for understanding cellular mechanisms that govern human physiology and behavior, fueled by evidence directly linking sleep disorders to genetic mutations affecting circadian molecular pathways. Familial advanced sleep-phase disorder (FASPD) is the first recognized Mendelian circadian rhythm trait, and affected individuals exhibit exceptionally early sleep-wake onset due to altered post-translational regulation of period homolog 2 (PER2). Behavioral and cellular circadian rhythms are analogously affected because the circadian period length of behavior is reduced in the absence of environmental time cues, and cycle duration of the molecular clock is likewise shortened. In light of these findings, we review the PER2 dynamics in the context of circadian regulation to reveal the mechanism of sleep-schedule modulation. Understanding PER2 regulation and functionality may shed new light on how our genetic composition can influence our sleep-wake behaviors.

Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 regulates inflammatory response to stress

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN

To explore the role of mammalian target of rapamycin 2 (mTORC2) in the activation of inflammatory and oxidative responses in rodent models of acute injury and metabolic stress.

MATERIAL

The impact of nephrilin, an inhibitor of mTORC2 complex, was assessed in three CD-1 mouse models of acute xenobiotic stress and in a hypertensive Dahl rat model of metabolic stress.

METHODS

Animals received daily subcutaneous bolus injections of saline or 4 mg/kg nephrilin. Tissues were assayed by ELISA, gene arrays and immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTS

Nephrilin significantly inhibited elevations in plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha, kidney substance P, and CX3CR1, and urinary lipocalin-2 [urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL)] in models of acute xenobiotic stress. UCHL1 gene expression levels dropped and plasma HMGB1 levels rose in the rhabdomyolysis model. Both effects were reversed by nephrilin. The inhibitor also blocked diet-induced elevations of uNGAL and albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) as well as kidney tissue phosphorylation of PKC-beta-2-T641 and p66shc-S36, and reduced dark ring-like staining of nuclei by anti-phos-p66shc-S36 antibody in frozen sections of diseased kidneys from hypertensive Dahl rats fed an 8 % NaCl diet for 4 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our results suggest a role for mTORC2 in the inflammatory-oxidative responses to stress.

The circadian clock component PERIOD2: from molecular to cerebral functions

The circadian clock is based on a molecular oscillator, which simulates the external day within nearly all of a body's cells. This "internalized" day then defines activity and rest phases for the cells and the organism by generating precise rhythms in the metabolism, physiology, and behavior. In its perfect state, this timing system allows for the synchronization of an organism to its environment and this may optimize energy handling and responses to daily recurring challenges. However, nowadays, we believe that desynchronization of an organism due to its lifestyle or problems with its circadian clock not only causes discomfort but also may aggravate conditions such as depression, metabolic syndrome, addiction, or cancer. In this review, we focus on one simple cogwheel of the mammalian circadian clock, the PERIOD2 (PER2) protein. Originally identified as an integral part of the molecular mechanism that yields overt rhythms of about 24h, more recently multiple other functions have been identified. In essence, the PER proteins, in addition to their important function within the molecular oscillator, can be seen not only as integrators on the input side of the circadian clock but also as mediators of clock output. This diversity in their function is possible, because the PER proteins can interact with a multitude of other proteins transferring oscillator timing information to the latter. In this fashion, the circadian clock synchronizes many rhythmic processes.

Time-Related Dynamics of Variation in Core Clock Gene Expression Levels in Tissues Relevant to the Immune System

Immune parameters show rhythmic changes with a 24-h periodicity driven by an internal circadian timing system that relies on clock genes (CGs). CGs form interlocked transcription-translation feedback loops to generate and maintain 24-h mRNA and protein oscillations. In this study we evaluate and compare the profiles and the dynamics of variation of CG expression in peripheral blood, and two lymphoid tissues of mice. Expression levels of seven recognized key CGs (mBmall, mClock, mPer1, mPer2, mCry1, mCry2, and Rev-erbα) were evaluated by quantitative RT- PCR in spleen, thymus and peripheral blood of C57BL/6 male mice housed on a 12-h light (L)-dark (D) cycle and sacrificed every 4 h for 24 h (3–4 mice/time point). We found a statistically significant time-effect in spleen (S), thymus (T) and blood (B) for the original values of expression level of mBmal1 (S), mClock (T, B), mPer1 (S, B), mPer2 (S), mCry1 (S), mCry2 (B) and mRev-Erbα (S, T, B) and for the fractional variation calculated between single time-point expression value of mBmal1 (B), mPer2 (T), mCry2 (B) and mRev-Erbα (S). A significant 24-h rhythm was validated for five CGs in blood (mClock, mPer1, mPer2, mCry2, mRev-Erbα), for four CGs in the spleen (mBmal1, mPer1, mPer2, mRev-Erbα), and for three CGs in the thymus (mClock, mPer2, mRev-Erbα). The original values of acrophases for mBmal1, mClock, mPer1, mPer2, mCry1 and mCry2 were very similar for spleen and thymus and advanced by several hours for peripheral blood compared to the lymphoid tissues, whereas the phases of mRev-Erbα were coincident for all three tissues. In conclusion, central and peripheral lymphoid tissues in the mouse show different sequences of activation of clock gene expression compared to peripheral blood. These differences may underlie the compartmental pattern of web functioning in the immune system.

Lab mice in the field: unorthodox daily activity and effects of a dysfunctional circadian clock allele

Daily patterns of animal behavior are potentially of vast functional importance. Fitness benefits have been identified in nature by the association between individual timing and survival or by the fate of individuals after experimental deletion of their circadian pacemaker. The recent advances in unraveling the molecular basis of circadian timing enable new approaches to natural selection on timing. The investigators report on the effect and fate of the mutant Per2(Brdm1) allele in 4 replicate populations of house mice in a seminatural outside environment over 2 years. This allele is known to compromise circadian organization and entrainment and to cause multiple physiological disturbances. Mice (N=250) bred from Per2(Brdm1) heterozygotes were implanted subcutaneously with transponders and released in approximately Mendelian ratios in four 400 m(2) pens. An electronic system stored the times of all visits to feeders of each individual. The study first demonstrates that mice are not explicitly nocturnal in this natural environment. Feeding activity was predominantly and sometimes exclusively diurnal and spread nearly equally over day and night under the protective snow cover in winter. The effect of Per2(Brdm1) on activity timing is negligible compared to seasonal changes in all genotypes. Second, the Per2(Brdm1) allele did not have persistent negative effects on fitness. In the first year, the allele gradually became less frequent by reducing survival. New cohorts captured had the same Per2(Brdm1) frequency as the survivors from previous cohorts, consistent with an absence of an effect on reproduction. In the second year, the allele recovered to about its initial frequency (0.54). These changes in selective advantage were primarily due to female mice, as females lived longer and the sex ratio dropped to about 25% males in the population. While it is unknown which selective advantage led to the recovery, the results caution against inferences from laboratory experiments on fitness consequences in the natural environment. It also demonstrates that the activity of mice, while strictly nocturnal in the laboratory, may be partially or completely diurnal in the field. The new method allows assessment of natural selection on specific alleles on a day-today basis.