1
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Avila A, Zhang SL. A circadian clock regulates the blood-brain barrier across phylogeny. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2024; 126:241-287. [PMID: 39029975 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2024.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
As the central regulatory system of an organism, the brain is responsible for overseeing a wide variety of physiological processes essential for an organism's survival. To maintain the environment necessary for neurons to function, the brain requires highly selective uptake and elimination of specific molecules through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). As an organism's activities vary throughout the day, how does the BBB adapt to meet the changing needs of the brain? A mechanism is through temporal regulation of BBB permeability via its circadian clock, which will be the focal point of this chapter. To comprehend the circadian clock's role within the BBB, we will first examine the anatomy of the BBB and the transport mechanisms enabling it to fulfill its role as a restrictive barrier. Next, we will define the circadian clock, and the discussion will encompass an introduction to circadian rhythms, the Transcription-Translation Feedback Loop (TTFL) as the mechanistic basis of circadian timekeeping, and the organization of tissue clocks found in organisms. Then, we will cover the role of the circadian rhythms in regulating the cellular mechanisms and functions of the BBB. We discuss the implications of this regulation in influencing sleep behavior, the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, and finally drug delivery for treatment of neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Avila
- Cell Biology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Shirley L Zhang
- Cell Biology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.
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2
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Anna G, John M, Kannan NN. miR-277 regulates the phase of circadian activity-rest rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1082866. [PMID: 38089472 PMCID: PMC10714010 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1082866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian clocks temporally organize behaviour and physiology of organisms with a rhythmicity of about 24 h. In Drosophila, the circadian clock is composed of mainly four clock genes: period (per), timeless (tim), Clock (Clk) and cycle (cyc) which constitutes the transcription-translation feedback loop. The circadian clock is further regulated via post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms among which microRNAs (miRNAs) are well known post-transcriptional regulatory molecules. Here, we identified and characterized the role of miRNA-277 (miR-277) expressed in the clock neurons in regulating the circadian rhythm. Downregulation of miR-277 in the pacemaker neurons expressing circadian neuropeptide, pigment dispersing factor (PDF) advanced the phase of the morning activity peak under 12 h light: 12 h dark cycles (LD) at lower light intensities and these flies exhibited less robust rhythms compared to the controls under constant darkness. In addition, downregulation of miR-277 in the PDF expressing neurons abolished the Clk gene transcript oscillation under LD. Our study points to the potential role of miR-277 in fine tuning the Clk expression and in maintaining the phase of the circadian rhythm in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nisha N. Kannan
- Chronobiology Laboratory, School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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3
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Wang D, Chen J, Yuan Y, Yu L, Yang G, Chen W. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of period reveals its function in the circadian rhythms of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:637-649. [PMID: 36377278 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Circadian clocks control the rhythmicity of many behaviors and physiological features of insects. To study the circadian clock of the moth Plutella xylostella, we employed CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing to investigate the effect of loss of the clock gene period on the circadian rhythms. P. xylostella harbors a single copy of period. Phylogenetic analysis showed that P. xylostella PERIOD is more homologous to mouse PERIOD than the PERIOD proteins from bees, flies, mosquitos, and many other Lepidoptera, such as Danaus plexippus and Bombyx mori. The circadian rhythms in adult locomotor activity were altered in the period knockout strain of P. xylostella under light-dark (LD) and continuous dark (DD) conditions. Under the LD cycle, the wild-type moths displayed nocturnal activity with activity peaking very early after lights off and quickly declining after lights on. In contrast, the period knockout strain had no peak in activity when the lights were turned off and exhibited steady activity throughout the hours of darkness. Interestingly, under DD conditions, our results showed that the locomotor rhythm can be maintained without period gene, but at a lower rhythmicity ratio than wild-type. In addition, knockout of period in P. xylostella changed circadian rhythms patterns related to pupal eclosion, mating, egg-laying, and egg hatching. Mechanistically, loss of PERIOD disrupted the molecular rhythm of period and changed the clock transcription rhythm in the heads of the moths under LD and DD conditions. Together, our study indicates that the PERIOD is required for normal expression of many behavioral rhythms in P. xylostella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Control of Insect Pests, (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Control of Insect Pests, (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yao Yuan
- Institute of Life Sciences, College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lingqi Yu
- Institute of Life Sciences, College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Guang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management for Fujian-Taiwan Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Fuzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Green Control of Insect Pests, (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wenfeng Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences, College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
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4
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Deppisch P, Kirsch V, Helfrich-Förster C, Senthilan PR. Contribution of cryptochromes and photolyases for insect life under sunlight. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:373-389. [PMID: 36609567 PMCID: PMC10102093 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01607-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The cryptochrome/photolyase (CRY/PL) family is essential for life under sunlight because photolyases repair UV-damaged DNA and cryptochromes are normally part of the circadian clock that controls the activity-sleep cycle within the 24-h day. In this study, we aim to understand how the lineage and habitat of an insect affects its CRY/PL composition. To this end, we searched the large number of annotated protein sequences of 340 insect species already available in databases for CRY/PLs. Using phylogenetic tree and motif analyses, we identified four frequent CRY/PLs in insects: the photolyases 6-4 PL and CPDII PL, as well as the mammalian-type cryptochrome (MCRY) and Drosophila-type cryptochrome (DCRY). Assignment of CRY/PLs to the corresponding insects confirmed that light-exposed insects tend to have more CRY/PLs than insects with little light exposure. Nevertheless, even insects with greatly reduced CRY/PLs still possess MCRY, which can be regarded as the major insect cryptochrome. Only flies of the genus Schizophora, which includes Drosophila melanogaster, lost MCRY. Moreover, we found that MCRY and CPDII PL as well as DCRY and 6-4 PL occur very frequently together, suggesting an interaction between the two pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Deppisch
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Valentina Kirsch
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Helfrich-Förster
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Pingkalai R Senthilan
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.
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5
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Stanton D, Justin HS, Reitzel AM. Step in Time: Conservation of Circadian Clock Genes in Animal Evolution. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1503-1518. [PMID: 36073444 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, the molecular mechanisms responsible for circadian phenotypes of animals have been studied in increasing detail in mammals, some insects, and other invertebrates. Particular circadian proteins and their interactions are shared across evolutionary distant animals, resulting in a hypothesis for the canonical circadian clock of animals. As the number of species for which the circadian clockwork has been described increases, the circadian clock in animals driving cyclical phenotypes becomes less similar. Our focus in this review is to develop and synthesize the current literature to better understand the antiquity and evolution of the animal circadian clockwork. Here, we provide an updated understanding of circadian clock evolution in animals, largely through the lens of conserved genes characterized in the circadian clock identified in bilaterian species. These comparisons reveal extensive variation within the likely composition of the core clock mechanism, including losses of many genes, and that the ancestral clock of animals does not equate to the bilaterian clock. Despite the loss of these core genes, these species retain circadian behaviors and physiology, suggesting novel clocks have evolved repeatedly. Additionally, we highlight highly conserved cellular processes (e.g., cell division, nutrition) that intersect with the circadian clock of some animals. The conservation of these processes throughout the animal tree remains essentially unknown, but understanding their role in the evolution and maintenance of the circadian clock will provide important areas for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Stanton
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Hannah S Justin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte NC 28223, USA
| | - Adam M Reitzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte NC 28223, USA
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6
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Neba Ambe GNN, Breda C, Bhambra AS, Arroo RRJ. Effect of the Citrus Flavone Nobiletin on Circadian Rhythms and Metabolic Syndrome. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27227727. [PMID: 36431828 PMCID: PMC9695244 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27227727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of the circadian clock in maintaining human health is now widely acknowledged. Dysregulated and dampened clocks may be a common cause of age-related diseases and metabolic syndrome Thus, circadian clocks should be considered as therapeutic targets to mitigate disease symptoms. This review highlights a number of dietary compounds that positively affect the maintenance of the circadian clock. Notably the polymethoxyflavone nobiletin has shown some encouraging results in pre-clinical experiments. Although many more experiments are needed to fully elucidate its exact mechanism of action, it is a promising candidate with potential as a chronotherapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gael N. N. Neba Ambe
- Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
| | - Carlo Breda
- School of Allied Health Sciences, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
| | - Avninder Singh Bhambra
- School of Allied Health Sciences, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
| | - Randolph R. J. Arroo
- Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
- Correspondence:
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7
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Abdalla OHMH, Mascarenhas B, Cheng HYM. Death of a Protein: The Role of E3 Ubiquitin Ligases in Circadian Rhythms of Mice and Flies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810569. [PMID: 36142478 PMCID: PMC9502492 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian clocks evolved to enable organisms to anticipate and prepare for periodic environmental changes driven by the day–night cycle. This internal timekeeping mechanism is built on autoregulatory transcription–translation feedback loops that control the rhythmic expression of core clock genes and their protein products. The levels of clock proteins rise and ebb throughout a 24-h period through their rhythmic synthesis and destruction. In the ubiquitin–proteasome system, the process of polyubiquitination, or the covalent attachment of a ubiquitin chain, marks a protein for degradation by the 26S proteasome. The process is regulated by E3 ubiquitin ligases, which recognize specific substrates for ubiquitination. In this review, we summarize the roles that known E3 ubiquitin ligases play in the circadian clocks of two popular model organisms: mice and fruit flies. We also discuss emerging evidence that implicates the N-degron pathway, an alternative proteolytic system, in the regulation of circadian rhythms. We conclude the review with our perspectives on the potential for the proteolytic and non-proteolytic functions of E3 ubiquitin ligases within the circadian clock system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama Hasan Mustafa Hasan Abdalla
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Brittany Mascarenhas
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Hai-Ying Mary Cheng
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
- Correspondence:
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8
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Ukita Y, Okumura M, Chihara T. Ubiquitin proteasome system in circadian rhythm and sleep homeostasis: Lessons from Drosophila. Genes Cells 2022; 27:381-391. [PMID: 35438236 PMCID: PMC9322287 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is regulated by two main processes: the circadian clock and sleep homeostasis. Circadian rhythms have been well studied at the molecular level. In the Drosophila circadian clock neurons, the core clock proteins are precisely regulated by post-translational modifications and degraded via the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Sleep homeostasis, however, is less understood; nevertheless, recent reports suggest that proteasome-mediated degradation of core clock proteins or synaptic proteins contributes to the regulation of sleep amount. Here, we review the molecular mechanism of the UPS and summarize the role of protein degradation in the regulation of circadian clock and homeostatic sleep in Drosophila. Moreover, we discuss the potential interaction between circadian clock and homeostatic sleep regulation with a prime focus on E3 ubiquitin ligases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumiko Ukita
- Program of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Misako Okumura
- Program of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Program of Basic Biology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takahiro Chihara
- Program of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Program of Basic Biology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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9
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Parasram K, Bachetti D, Carmona-Alcocer V, Karpowicz P. Fluorescent Reporters for Studying Circadian Rhythms in Drosophila melanogaster. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2482:353-371. [PMID: 35610439 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2249-0_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are daily oscillations in physiology and gene expression that are governed by a molecular feedback loop known as the circadian clock. In Drosophila melanogaster, the core clock consists of transcription factors clock (Clk) and cycle (cyc) which form protein heterodimers that activate transcription of their repressors, period (per) and timeless (tim). Once produced, protein heterodimers of per/tim repress Clk/cyc activity. One cycle of activation and repression takes approximately ("circa") 24-h ("diem") and repeats even in the absence of external stimuli. The circadian clock is active in many cells throughout the body; however, tracking it dynamically represents a challenge. Traditional fluorescent reporters are slowly degraded and consequently cannot be used to assess dynamic temporal changes exhibited by the circadian clock. The use of rapidly degraded fluorescent protein reporters containing destabilized GFP (dGFP) that report transcriptional activity in vivo at a single-cell level with ~1-h temporal resolution can circumvent this problem. Here we describe the use of circadian clock reporter strains of Drosophila melanogaster, ClockPER and ClockTIM, to track clock transcriptional activity using the intestine as a tissue of interest. These methods may be extended to other tissues in the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathyani Parasram
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Daniela Bachetti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | | | - Phillip Karpowicz
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada.
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10
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Brady D, Saviane A, Cappellozza S, Sandrelli F. The Circadian Clock in Lepidoptera. Front Physiol 2021; 12:776826. [PMID: 34867483 PMCID: PMC8635995 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.776826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
With approximately 160,000 identified species of butterflies and moths, Lepidoptera are among the most species-rich and diverse insect orders. Lepidopteran insects have fundamental ecosystem functions as pollinators and valuable food sources for countless animals. Furthermore, Lepidoptera have a significant impact on the economy and global food security because many species in their larval stage are harmful pests of staple food crops. Moreover, domesticated species such as the silkworm Bombyx mori produce silk and silk byproducts that are utilized by the luxury textile, biomedical, and cosmetics sectors. Several Lepidoptera have been fundamental as model organisms for basic biological research, from formal genetics to evolutionary studies. Regarding chronobiology, in the 1970s, Truman's seminal transplantation experiments on different lepidopteran species were the first to show that the circadian clock resides in the brain. With the implementation of molecular genetics, subsequent studies identified key differences in core components of the molecular circadian clock of Lepidoptera compared to the dipteran Drosophila melanogaster, the dominant insect species in chronobiological research. More recently, studies on the butterfly Danaus plexippus have been fundamental in characterizing the interplay between the circadian clock and navigation during the seasonal migration of this species. Moreover, the advent of Next Generation Omic technologies has resulted in the production of many publicly available datasets regarding circadian clocks in pest and beneficial Lepidoptera. This review presents an updated overview of the molecular and anatomical organization of the circadian clock in Lepidoptera. We report different behavioral circadian rhythms currently identified, focusing on the importance of the circadian clock in controlling developmental, mating and migration phenotypes. We then describe the ecological importance of circadian clocks detailing the complex interplay between the feeding behavior of these organisms and plants. Finally, we discuss how the characterization of these features could be useful in both pest control, and in optimizing rearing of beneficial Lepidoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Brady
- Department of Biology, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Alessio Saviane
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Cappellozza
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Padova, Italy
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11
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Regulation of Heme Oxygenase and Its Cross-Talks with Apoptosis and Autophagy under Different Conditions in Drosophila. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10111716. [PMID: 34829587 PMCID: PMC8614956 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10111716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Heme oxygenase (HO) is one of the cytoprotective enzymes that can mitigate the effects of oxidative stress. Here, we found that the ho mRNA level oscillates in the brain of Drosophila melanogaster with two minima at the beginning of the day and night. This rhythm was partly masked by light as its pattern changed in constant darkness (DD). It followed a similar trend in the clock mutant per01 under light/dark regime (LD12:12); however, differences between time points were not statistically significant. In older flies (20 days old), the rhythm was vanished; however, 15 days of curcumin feeding restored this rhythm with an elevated ho mRNA level at all time points studied. In addition, flies exposed to paraquat had higher ho expression in the brain, but only at a specific time of the day which can be a protective response of the brain against stress. These findings suggest that the expression of ho in the fly’s brain is regulated by the circadian clock, light, age, exposure to stress, and the presence of exogenous antioxidants. We also found that HO cross-talks with apoptosis and autophagy under different conditions. Induction of neuronal ho was accompanied by increased transcription of apoptosis and autophagy-related genes. However, this trend changed after exposure to curcumin and paraquat. Our results suggest that HO is involved in the control of apoptotic and autophagic key processes protecting the brain against oxidative damage.
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12
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Han H, Sun D, Cheng J, Yang Y, Xia J, Xie W, Xu B, Wu Q, Wang S, Guo Z, Zhang Y. The Thermoperiod Alters Boper Gene Expression and Thereby Regulates the Eclosion Rhythm of Bradysia odoriphaga (Diptera: Sciaridae). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:1241-1247. [PMID: 34387308 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvab079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In most organisms, various physiological and behavioral functions are expressed rhythmically. Previous studies have shown that thermoperiod is an important factor affecting circadian clock-related genes that regulate insect locomotor activity. Bradysia odoriphaga Yang & Zhang is an underground pest that attacks more than 30 crops but is especially damaging to Chinese chives. In this study, we analyzed the adult eclosion time and period (Boper) gene expression in B. odoriphaga as affected by temperature (cycling vs constant temperature), insect stage, and tissue specific. We found that the eclosion time and expression of the Boper gene changed during the temperature cycle but not under a constant temperature. Silencing of Boper expression significantly decreased the adult eclosion rate and significantly increased adult mortality and malformation. The findings indicate that thermoperiod alters Boper expression and regulates the eclosion rhythm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haolin Han
- College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Dan Sun
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jiaxu Cheng
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yuting Yang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jixing Xia
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wen Xie
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Baoyun Xu
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Qingjun Wu
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shaoli Wang
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhaojiang Guo
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Youjun Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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13
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Liu Y, Niu L, Liu X, Cheng C, Le W. Recent Progress in Non-motor Features of Parkinson's Disease with a Focus on Circadian Rhythm Dysregulation. Neurosci Bull 2021; 37:1010-1024. [PMID: 34128188 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00711-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, which manifests with both motor and non-motor symptoms. Circadian rhythm dysregulation, as one of the most challenging non-motor features of PD, usually appears long before obvious motor symptoms. Moreover, the dysregulated circadian rhythm has recently been reported to play pivotal roles in PD pathogenesis, and it has emerged as a hot topic in PD research. In this review, we briefly introduce the circadian rhythm and circadian rhythm-related genes, and then summarize recent research progress on the altered circadian rhythm in PD, ranging from clinical features to the possible causes of PD-related circadian disorders. We believe that future comprehensive studies on the topic may not only help us to explore the mechanisms of PD, but also shed light on the better management of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Liu
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116021, China
- Liaoning Provincial Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116021, China
| | - Long Niu
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116021, China
- Liaoning Provincial Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116021, China
| | - Xinyao Liu
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116021, China
- Liaoning Provincial Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116021, China
| | - Cheng Cheng
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116021, China
- Liaoning Provincial Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116021, China
| | - Weidong Le
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Research on the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116021, China.
- Liaoning Provincial Center for Clinical Research on Neurological Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116021, China.
- Institute of Neurology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science-Sichuan Provincial Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China.
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14
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Palm D, Uzoni A, Simon F, Fischer M, Coogan A, Tucha O, Thome J, Faltraco F. Evolutionary conservations, changes of circadian rhythms and their effect on circadian disturbances and therapeutic approaches. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:21-34. [PMID: 34102148 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The circadian rhythm is essential for the interaction of all living organisms with their environments. Several processes, such as thermoregulation, metabolism, cognition and memory, are regulated by the internal clock. Disturbances in the circadian rhythm have been shown to lead to the development of neuropsychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Interestingly, the mechanism of the circadian rhythms has been conserved in many different species, and misalignment between circadian rhythms and the environment results in evolutionary regression and lifespan reduction. This review summarises the conserved mechanism of the internal clock and its major interspecies differences. In addition, it focuses on effects the circadian rhythm disturbances, especially in cases of ADHD, and describes the possibility of recombinant proteins generated by eukaryotic expression systems as therapeutic agents as well as CRISPR/Cas9 technology as a potential tool for research and therapy. The aim is to give an overview about the evolutionary conserved mechanism as well as the changes of the circadian clock. Furthermore, current knowledge about circadian rhythm disturbances and therapeutic approaches is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Palm
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany
| | - Adriana Uzoni
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany
| | - Frederick Simon
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany
| | - Matthias Fischer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany
| | - Andrew Coogan
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Ireland
| | - Oliver Tucha
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany
| | - Johannes Thome
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany
| | - Frank Faltraco
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany.
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15
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Greenhalgh R, Dermauw W, Glas JJ, Rombauts S, Wybouw N, Thomas J, Alba JM, Pritham EJ, Legarrea S, Feyereisen R, Van de Peer Y, Van Leeuwen T, Clark RM, Kant MR. Genome streamlining in a minute herbivore that manipulates its host plant. eLife 2020; 9:56689. [PMID: 33095158 PMCID: PMC7738191 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici, is among the smallest animals on earth. It is a worldwide pest on tomato and can potently suppress the host's natural resistance. We sequenced its genome, the first of an eriophyoid, and explored whether there are genomic features associated with the mite's minute size and lifestyle. At only 32.5 Mb, the genome is the smallest yet reported for any arthropod and, reminiscent of microbial eukaryotes, exceptionally streamlined. It has few transposable elements, tiny intergenic regions, and is remarkably intron-poor, as more than 80% of coding genes are intronless. Furthermore, in accordance with ecological specialization theory, this defense-suppressing herbivore has extremely reduced environmental response gene families such as those involved in chemoreception and detoxification. Other losses associate with this species' highly derived body plan. Our findings accelerate the understanding of evolutionary forces underpinning metazoan life at the limits of small physical and genome size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Greenhalgh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Wannes Dermauw
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joris J Glas
- Department of Evolutionary and Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Stephane Rombauts
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nicky Wybouw
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jainy Thomas
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Juan M Alba
- Department of Evolutionary and Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ellen J Pritham
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Saioa Legarrea
- Department of Evolutionary and Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - René Feyereisen
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yves Van de Peer
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium.,Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Thomas Van Leeuwen
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Richard M Clark
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States.,Henry Eyring Center for Cell and Genome Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Merijn R Kant
- Department of Evolutionary and Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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16
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Parasram K, Karpowicz P. Time after time: circadian clock regulation of intestinal stem cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:1267-1288. [PMID: 31586240 PMCID: PMC11105114 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03323-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Daily fluctuations in animal physiology, known as circadian rhythms, are orchestrated by a conserved molecular timekeeper, known as the circadian clock. The circadian clock forms a transcription-translation feedback loop that has emerged as a central biological regulator of many 24-h processes. Early studies of the intestine discovered that many digestive functions have a daily rhythm and that intestinal cell production was similarly time-dependent. As genetic methods in model organisms have become available, it has become apparent that the circadian clock regulates many basic cellular functions, including growth, proliferation, and differentiation, as well as cell signalling and stem cell self-renewal. Recent connections between circadian rhythms and immune system function, and between circadian rhythms and microbiome dynamics, have also been revealed in the intestine. These processes are highly relevant in understanding intestinal stem cell biology. Here we describe the circadian clock regulation of intestinal stem cells primarily in two model organisms: Drosophila melanogaster and mice. Like all cells in the body, intestinal stem cells are subject to circadian timing, and both cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic circadian processes contribute to their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathyani Parasram
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Phillip Karpowicz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada.
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17
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Asirim EZ, Humberg TH, Maier GL, Sprecher SG. Circadian and Genetic Modulation of Visually-Guided Navigation in Drosophila Larvae. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2752. [PMID: 32066794 PMCID: PMC7026142 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59614-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Organisms possess an endogenous molecular clock which enables them to adapt to environmental rhythms and to synchronize their metabolism and behavior accordingly. Circadian rhythms govern daily oscillations in numerous physiological processes, and the underlying molecular components have been extensively described from fruit flies to mammals. Drosophila larvae have relatively simple nervous system compared to their adult counterparts, yet they both share a homologous molecular clock with mammals, governed by interlocking transcriptional feedback loops with highly conserved constituents. Larvae exhibit a robust light avoidance behavior, presumably enabling them to avoid predators and desiccation, and DNA-damage by exposure to ultraviolet light, hence are crucial for survival. Circadian rhythm has been shown to alter light-dark preference, however it remains unclear how distinct behavioral strategies are modulated by circadian time. To address this question, we investigate the larval visual navigation at different time-points of the day employing a computer-based tracking system, which allows detailed evaluation of distinct navigation strategies. Our results show that due to circadian modulation specific to light information processing, larvae avoid light most efficiently at dawn, and a functioning clock mechanism at both molecular and neuro-signaling level is necessary to conduct this modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Z Asirim
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Tim-Henning Humberg
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - G Larisa Maier
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Simon G Sprecher
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
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18
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Xu F, Kula-Eversole E, Iwanaszko M, Lim C, Allada R. Ataxin2 functions via CrebA to mediate Huntingtin toxicity in circadian clock neurons. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008356. [PMID: 31593562 PMCID: PMC6782096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Disrupted circadian rhythms is a prominent and early feature of neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington’s disease (HD). In HD patients and animal models, striatal and hypothalamic neurons expressing molecular circadian clocks are targets of mutant Huntingtin (mHtt) pathogenicity. Yet how mHtt disrupts circadian rhythms remains unclear. In a genetic screen for modifiers of mHtt effects on circadian behavior in Drosophila, we discovered a role for the neurodegenerative disease gene Ataxin2 (Atx2). Genetic manipulations of Atx2 modify the impact of mHtt on circadian behavior as well as mHtt aggregation and demonstrate a role for Atx2 in promoting mHtt aggregation as well as mHtt-mediated neuronal dysfunction. RNAi knockdown of the Fragile X mental retardation gene, dfmr1, an Atx2 partner, also partially suppresses mHtt effects and Atx2 effects depend on dfmr1. Atx2 knockdown reduces the cAMP response binding protein A (CrebA) transcript at dawn. CrebA transcript level shows a prominent diurnal regulation in clock neurons. Loss of CrebA also partially suppresses mHtt effects on behavior and cell loss and restoration of CrebA can suppress Atx2 effects. Our results indicate a prominent role of Atx2 in mediating mHtt pathology, specifically via its regulation of CrebA, defining a novel molecular pathway in HD pathogenesis. Circadian clocks evolved to anticipate 24 h environmental rhythms driven by the earth’s daily rotation and regulate nearly all aspects of behavior, physiology and the genome. Disruptions of the circadian clock have been associated with a wide range of human diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease (HD). Using an HD animal model in which a mutant Huntingtin (mHtt) protein is expressed, we identify a role for the RNA binding protein and neurodegenerative disease gene Ataxin-2 (Atx2) in mediating mHtt effects on circadian behavioral rhythms. Using transcriptomics, we identify the transcription factor CrebA as a potential target of both Atx2 and the circadian clock. Finally, we demonstrate a role for CrebA in mediating mHtt effects on circadian behavior, defining a novel Atx2-CrebA pathway in a neurodegenerative disease model. These studies define the molecular mechanisms by which mHtt can disrupt circadian rhythms identifying potential novel therapeutic targets for this uniformly fatal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangke Xu
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Elzbieta Kula-Eversole
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Marta Iwanaszko
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Chunghun Lim
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ravi Allada
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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19
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Nitta Y, Matsui S, Kato Y, Kaga Y, Sugimoto K, Sugie A. Analysing the evolutional and functional differentiation of four types of Daphnia magna cryptochrome in Drosophila circadian clock. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8857. [PMID: 31222139 PMCID: PMC6586792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45410-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptochrome (CRY) plays an important role in the input of circadian clocks in various species, but gene copies in each species are evolutionarily divergent. Type I CRYs function as a photoreceptor molecule in the central clock, whereas type II CRYs directly regulate the transcriptional activity of clock proteins. Functions of other types of animal CRYs in the molecular clock remain unknown. The water flea Daphnia magna contains four Cry genes. However, it is still difficult to analyse these four genes. In this study, we took advantage of powerful genetic resources available from Drosophila to investigate evolutionary and functional differentiation of CRY proteins between the two species. We report differences in subcellular localisation of each D. magna CRY protein when expressed in the Drosophila clock neuron. Circadian rhythm behavioural experiments revealed that D. magna CRYs are not functionally conserved in the Drosophila molecular clock. These findings provide a new perspective on the evolutionary conservation of CRY, as functions of the four D. magna CRY proteins have diverse subcellular localisation levels. Furthermore, molecular clocks of D. magna have been evolutionarily differentiated from those of Drosophila. This study highlights the extensive functional diversity existing among species in their complement of Cry genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Nitta
- Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Sayaka Matsui
- Department of Cell Science, Faculty of Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yukine Kato
- Department of Cell Science, Faculty of Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yosuke Kaga
- School of Medicine, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Kenkichi Sugimoto
- Department of Cell Science, Faculty of Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
| | - Atsushi Sugie
- Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
- Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
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20
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AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Regulates Circadian Rhythm by Affecting CLOCK in Drosophila. J Neurosci 2019; 39:3537-3550. [PMID: 30819799 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2344-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The circadian clock organizes the physiology and behavior of organisms to their daily environmental rhythms. The central circadian timekeeping mechanism in eukaryotic cells is the transcriptional-translational feedback loop (TTFL). In the Drosophila TTFL, the transcription factors CLOCK (CLK) and CYCLE (CYC) play crucial roles in activating expression of core clock genes and clock-controlled genes. Many signaling pathways converge on the CLK/CYC complex and regulate its activity to fine-tune the cellular oscillator to environmental time cues. We aimed to identify factors that regulate CLK by performing tandem affinity purification combined with mass spectrometry using Drosophila S2 cells that stably express HA/FLAG-tagged CLK and V5-tagged CYC. We identified SNF4Aγ, a homolog of mammalian AMP-activated protein kinase γ (AMPKγ), as a factor that copurified with HA/FLAG-tagged CLK. The AMPK holoenzyme composed of a catalytic subunit AMPKα and two regulatory subunits, AMPKβ and AMPKγ, directly phosphorylated purified CLK in vitro Locomotor behavior analysis in Drosophila revealed that knockdown of each AMPK subunit in pacemaker neurons induced arrhythmicity and long periods. Knockdown of AMPKβ reduced CLK levels in pacemaker neurons, and thereby reduced pre-mRNA and protein levels of CLK downstream core clock genes, such as period and vrille Finally, overexpression of CLK reversed the long-period phenotype that resulted from AMPKβ knockdown. Thus, we conclude that AMPK, a central regulator of cellular energy metabolism, regulates the Drosophila circadian clock by stabilizing CLK and activating CLK/CYC-dependent transcription.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Regulation of the circadian transcription factors CLK and CYC is fundamental to synchronize the core clock with environmental changes. Here, we show that the AMPKγ subunit of AMPK, a central regulator of cellular metabolism, copurifies with the CLK/CYC complex in Drosophila S2 cells. Furthermore, the AMPK holoenzyme directly phosphorylates CLK in vitro This study demonstrates that AMPK activity regulates the core clock in Drosophila by activating CLK, which enhances circadian transcription. In mammals, AMPK affects the core clock by downregulating circadian repressor proteins. It is intriguing to note that AMPK activity is required for core clock regulation through circadian transcription enhancement, whereas the target of AMPK action is different in Drosophila and mammals (positive vs negative element, respectively).
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21
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Gil KE, Park CM. Thermal adaptation and plasticity of the plant circadian clock. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 221:1215-1229. [PMID: 30289568 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Contents Summary 1215 I. Introduction 1215 II. Molecular organization of the plant circadian clock 1216 III. Temperature compensation 1219 IV. Temperature regulation of circadian behaviors 1220 V. Thermal adaptation of the clock: evolutionary considerations 1223 VI. Light and temperature information for the clock function - synergic or individual? 1224 VII. Concluding remarks and future prospects 1225 Acknowledgements 1225 References 1225 SUMMARY: Plant growth and development is widely affected by diverse temperature conditions. Although studies have been focused mainly on the effects of stressful temperature extremes in recent decades, nonstressful ambient temperatures also influence an array of plant growth and morphogenic aspects, a process termed thermomorphogenesis. Notably, accumulating evidence indicates that both stressful and nonstressful temperatures modulate the functional process of the circadian clock, a molecular timer of biological rhythms in higher eukaryotes and photosynthetic prokaryotes. The circadian clock can sustain robust and precise timing over a range of physiological temperatures. Genes and molecular mechanisms governing the temperature compensation process have been explored in different plant species. In addition, a ZEITLUPE/HSP90-mediated protein quality control mechanism helps plants maintain the thermal stability of the clock under heat stress. The thermal adaptation capability and plasticity of the clock are of particular interest in view of the growing concern about global climate changes. Considering these circumstances in the field, we believe that it is timely to provide a provoking discussion on the current knowledge of temperature regulation of the clock function. The review also will discuss stimulating ideas on this topic along with ecosystem management and future agricultural innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Eun Gil
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Chung-Mo Park
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
- Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
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22
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Li YH, Liu X, Vanselow JT, Zheng H, Schlosser A, Chiu JC. O-GlcNAcylation of PERIOD regulates its interaction with CLOCK and timing of circadian transcriptional repression. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007953. [PMID: 30703153 PMCID: PMC6372208 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian clocks coordinate time-of-day-specific metabolic and physiological processes to maximize organismal performance and fitness. In addition to light and temperature, which are regarded as strong zeitgebers for circadian clock entrainment, metabolic input has now emerged as an important signal for clock entrainment and modulation. Circadian clock proteins have been identified to be substrates of O-GlcNAcylation, a nutrient sensitive post-translational modification (PTM), and the interplay between clock protein O-GlcNAcylation and other PTMs is now recognized as an important mechanism by which metabolic input regulates circadian physiology. To better understand the role of O-GlcNAcylation in modulating clock protein function within the molecular oscillator, we used mass spectrometry proteomics to identify O-GlcNAcylation sites of PERIOD (PER), a repressor of the circadian transcriptome and a critical biochemical timer of the Drosophila clock. In vivo functional characterization of PER O-GlcNAcylation sites indicates that O-GlcNAcylation at PER(S942) reduces interactions between PER and CLOCK (CLK), the key transcriptional activator of clock-controlled genes. Since we observe a correlation between clock-controlled daytime feeding activity and higher level of PER O-GlcNAcylation, we propose that PER(S942) O-GlcNAcylation during the day functions to prevent premature initiation of circadian repression phase. This is consistent with the period-shortening behavioral phenotype of per(S942A) flies. Taken together, our results support that clock-controlled feeding activity provides metabolic signals to reinforce light entrainment to regulate circadian physiology at the post-translational level. The interplay between O-GlcNAcylation and other PTMs to regulate circadian physiology is expected to be complex and extensive, and reach far beyond the molecular oscillator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying H. Li
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Xianhui Liu
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Jens T. Vanselow
- Rudolf Virchow Center for Experimental Biomedicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Haiyan Zheng
- Biological Mass Spectrometry Facility, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
| | - Andreas Schlosser
- Rudolf Virchow Center for Experimental Biomedicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Joanna C. Chiu
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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23
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Zhu L, Tian Z, Guo S, Liu W, Zhu F, Wang XP. Circadian clock genes link photoperiodic signals to lipid accumulation during diapause preparation in the diapause-destined female cabbage beetles Colaphellus bowringi. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 104:1-10. [PMID: 30423421 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Many organisms have evolved a series of adaptions, such as dormancy or diapause in insects that enable them to withstand seasonally adverse conditions. In insects, photoperiodic signals received during the diapause induction phase have irreversible effect on diapause initiation. Insects continue to be exposed to diapause-inducing photoperiod after the diapause induction phase during diapause preparation before they enter diapause. However, how photoperiodic signals experienced during the diapause preparation phase (DPP) regulate diapause remains largely unclear. In this paper, we investigate this in the cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi. The cabbage beetle is in many respects an ideal experimental model in which to investigate the effect of photoperiodic signals on the DPP because it has facultative reproductive diapause induced by long-day length and has differentiable diapause induction and preparation phases. We found that the lipid content of female cabbage beetles decreased after diapause-destined (DD) individuals were exposed to a diapause-inhibiting photoperiod during the DPP. Two circadian clock negative regulators, per and tim, were probably involved in the photoperiodic response of beetles during the DPP. Per and tim presented obvious oscillation of circadian rhythm and photoperiodic response during the DPP in DD females and knock-down of these genes in DD females caused their lipid content to decrease. Per and tim probably promote lipid accumulation by regulating the expression of genes that regulate lipogenesis and lipolysis. Moreover, decreased lipid accumulation caused by exposure to different photoperiods during the DPP was independent of juvenile hormone. In summary, these results suggest that photoperiodic signals received during the DPP influence lipid accumulation in DD insects. DD insects still have some ability to monitor photoperiodic changes during the DPP and per and tim are probably involved in regulating physiological responses to photoperiodic signals during diapause preparation. These results shed light on the relationship between photoperiodic signals and diapause preparation, and may provide new insights on both how to better utilize insects as resources and for pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China
| | - Zhong Tian
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China
| | - Shuang Guo
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China
| | - Wen Liu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China.
| | - Fen Zhu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China
| | - Xiao-Ping Wang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China.
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24
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Daily Regulation of Phototransduction, Circadian Clock, DNA Repair, and Immune Gene Expression by Heme Oxygenase in the Retina of Drosophila. Genes (Basel) 2018; 10:genes10010006. [PMID: 30583479 PMCID: PMC6357063 DOI: 10.3390/genes10010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The daily expression of genes and the changes in gene expression after silencing the heme oxygenase (ho) gene were examined in the retina of Drosophila using microarray and SybrGreen qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) methods. The HO decrease in the morning upregulated 83 genes and downregulated 57 genes. At night, 80 genes were upregulated and 22 were downregulated. The top 20 genes downregulated after ho silencing in the morning modulate phototransduction, immune responses, autophagy, phagocytosis, apoptosis, the carbon monoxide (CO) response, the oxidative stress/UV response, and translation. In turn, the genes that upregulated at night were involved in translation—the response to oxidative stress, DNA damage, and phototransduction. Among the top 20 genes downregulated at night were genes involved in phototransduction, immune responses, and autophagy. For some genes, a low level of HO had an opposite effect in the morning compared to those at night. Silencing ho also changed the expression of circadian clock genes, while the HO decrease during the night enhanced the expression of immune system genes. The results showed that the cyclic expression of HO is important for controlling several processes in the retina, including neuroprotection and those involved in the innate immune system.
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Somers J, Harper REF, Albert JT. How Many Clocks, How Many Times? On the Sensory Basis and Computational Challenges of Circadian Systems. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:211. [PMID: 30258357 PMCID: PMC6143808 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A vital task for every organism is not only to decide what to do but also when to do it. For this reason, "circadian clocks" have evolved in virtually all forms of life. Conceptually, circadian clocks can be divided into two functional domains; an autonomous oscillator creates a ~24 h self-sustained rhythm and sensory machinery interprets external information to alter the phase of the autonomous oscillation. It is through this simple design that variations in external stimuli (for example, daylight) can alter our sense of time. However, the clock's simplicity ends with its basic concept. In metazoan animals, multiple external and internal stimuli, from light to temperature and even metabolism have been shown to affect clock time. This raises the fundamental question of cue integration: how are the many, and potentially conflicting, sources of information combined to sense a single time of day? Moreover, individual stimuli, are often detected through various sensory pathways. Some sensory cells, such as insect chordotonal neurons, provide the clock with both temperature and mechanical information. Adding confusion to complexity, there seems to be not only one central clock in the animal's brain but numerous additional clocks in the body's periphery. It is currently not clear how (or if) these "peripheral clocks" are synchronized to their central counterparts or if both clocks "tick" independently from one another. In this review article, we would like to leave the comfort zones of conceptual simplicity and assume a more holistic perspective of circadian clock function. Focusing on recent results from Drosophila melanogaster we will discuss some of the sensory, and computational, challenges organisms face when keeping track of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Somers
- Ear Institute, University College LondonLondon, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick InstituteLondon, United Kingdom
| | - Ross E. F. Harper
- Ear Institute, University College LondonLondon, United Kingdom
- Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology (CoMPLEX), University College LondonLondon, United Kingdom
| | - Joerg T. Albert
- Ear Institute, University College LondonLondon, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick InstituteLondon, United Kingdom
- Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology (CoMPLEX), University College LondonLondon, United Kingdom
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College LondonLondon, United Kingdom
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Top D, Young MW. Coordination between Differentially Regulated Circadian Clocks Generates Rhythmic Behavior. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2018; 10:a033589. [PMID: 28893860 PMCID: PMC6028074 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a033589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Specialized groups of neurons in the brain are key mediators of circadian rhythms, receiving daily environmental cues and communicating those signals to other tissues in the organism for entrainment and to organize circadian physiology. In Drosophila, the "circadian clock" is housed in seven neuronal clusters, which are defined by their expression of the main circadian proteins, Period, Timeless, Clock, and Cycle. These clusters are distributed across the fly brain and are thereby subject to the respective environments associated with their anatomical locations. While these core components are universally expressed in all neurons of the circadian network, additional regulatory proteins that act on these components are differentially expressed, giving rise to "local clocks" within the network that nonetheless converge to regulate coherent behavioral rhythms. In this review, we describe the communication between the neurons of the circadian network and the molecular differences within neurons of this network. We focus on differences in protein-expression patterns and discuss how such variation can impart functional differences in each local clock. Finally, we summarize our current understanding of how communication within the circadian network intersects with intracellular biochemical mechanisms to ultimately specify behavioral rhythms. We propose that additional efforts are required to identify regulatory mechanisms within each neuronal cluster to understand the molecular basis of circadian behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Top
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065
| | - Michael W Young
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065
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Li CJ, Yun XP, Yu XJ, Li B. Functional analysis of the circadian clock gene timeless in Tribolium castaneum. INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 25:418-428. [PMID: 28101904 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are endogenous oscillations with a period of about 24 h driven by a circadian clock. So far, variable oscillators have been found in insects. To explore the circadian clock of Tribolium castaneum, we cloned the clock gene timeless (Tctimeless). Its open reading frame is 3240 bp in length and consists of 10 exons. Tctimeless is highly expressed in the late pupal stage. Tissue-specific expression analysis in late adult stages revealed high expression of Tctimeless in the head, epidermis, fat body and accessory glands. Silencing of Tctimeless by RNA interference (RNAi) at the late larval stages caused a failure to initiate eclosion. Tctimeless knockdown in late pupal stages led to a gender-independent decline in egg production and progeny survival. As a core clock gene, Tctimeless exhibited one expression peak in the middle of the circadian day. Knockdown of Tctimeless disrupted daily expression patterns of Tccycle, Tcclock, Tcperiod and itself, while Tctimeless and Tcperiod expression patterns over the circadian day were also perturbed when Tccycle or Tcclock is suppressed by RNAi. This study identified a complex transcriptional relationship among circadian clock genes in T. castaneum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Jun Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Life Sciences, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao-Pei Yun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiao-Juan Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bin Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
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Jarabo P, Martin FA. Neurogenetics of Drosophila circadian clock: expect the unexpected. J Neurogenet 2017; 31:250-265. [DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2017.1370466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Haeme oxygenase protects against UV light DNA damages in the retina in clock-dependent manner. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5197. [PMID: 28701782 PMCID: PMC5507878 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05418-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we showed that in the retina of Drosophila, the expression of the ho gene, encoding haeme oxygenase (HO), is regulated by light but only at the beginning of the day. This timing must be set by the circadian clock as light pulses applied at other time points during the day do not increase the ho mRNA level. Moreover, light-induced activation of HO does not depend on the canonical phototransduction pathway but instead involves cryptochrome and is enhanced by ultraviolet (UV) light. Interestingly, the level of DNA damage in the retina after UV exposure was inversely related to the circadian oscillation of the ho mRNA level during the night, being the highest when the HO level was low and reversed during the day. Accordingly, induction of HO by hemin was associated with low DNA damage, while inhibition of HO activity by SnPPIX aggravated the damage. Our data suggest that HO acts in the retina to decrease oxidative DNA damage in photoreceptors caused by UV-rich light in the morning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khyati
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Indu Malik
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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Circadian Rhythms and Sleep in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2017; 205:1373-1397. [PMID: 28360128 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.185157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The advantages of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, including low genetic redundancy, functional simplicity, and the ability to conduct large-scale genetic screens, have been essential for understanding the molecular nature of circadian (∼24 hr) rhythms, and continue to be valuable in discovering novel regulators of circadian rhythms and sleep. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of these interrelated biological processes in Drosophila and the wider implications of this research. Clock genes period and timeless were first discovered in large-scale Drosophila genetic screens developed in the 1970s. Feedback of period and timeless on their own transcription forms the core of the molecular clock, and accurately timed expression, localization, post-transcriptional modification, and function of these genes is thought to be critical for maintaining the circadian cycle. Regulators, including several phosphatases and kinases, act on different steps of this feedback loop to ensure strong and accurately timed rhythms. Approximately 150 neurons in the fly brain that contain the core components of the molecular clock act together to translate this intracellular cycling into rhythmic behavior. We discuss how different groups of clock neurons serve different functions in allowing clocks to entrain to environmental cues, driving behavioral outputs at different times of day, and allowing flexible behavioral responses in different environmental conditions. The neuropeptide PDF provides an important signal thought to synchronize clock neurons, although the details of how PDF accomplishes this function are still being explored. Secreted signals from clock neurons also influence rhythms in other tissues. SLEEP is, in part, regulated by the circadian clock, which ensures appropriate timing of sleep, but the amount and quality of sleep are also determined by other mechanisms that ensure a homeostatic balance between sleep and wake. Flies have been useful for identifying a large set of genes, molecules, and neuroanatomic loci important for regulating sleep amount. Conserved aspects of sleep regulation in flies and mammals include wake-promoting roles for catecholamine neurotransmitters and involvement of hypothalamus-like regions, although other neuroanatomic regions implicated in sleep in flies have less clear parallels. Sleep is also subject to regulation by factors such as food availability, stress, and social environment. We are beginning to understand how the identified molecules and neurons interact with each other, and with the environment, to regulate sleep. Drosophila researchers can also take advantage of increasing mechanistic understanding of other behaviors, such as learning and memory, courtship, and aggression, to understand how sleep loss impacts these behaviors. Flies thus remain a valuable tool for both discovery of novel molecules and deep mechanistic understanding of sleep and circadian rhythms.
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Fu J, Murphy KA, Zhou M, Li YH, Lam VH, Tabuloc CA, Chiu JC, Liu Y. Codon usage affects the structure and function of the Drosophila circadian clock protein PERIOD. Genes Dev 2017; 30:1761-75. [PMID: 27542830 PMCID: PMC5002980 DOI: 10.1101/gad.281030.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Fu et al. show that Drosophila period (dper) codon usage is important for circadian clock function. Codon optimization of dper resulted in conformational changes of dPER protein, altered dPER phosphorylation profile and stability, and impaired dPER function in the circadian negative feedback loop, which manifests into changes in molecular rhythmicity and abnormal circadian behavioral output. Codon usage bias is a universal feature of all genomes, but its in vivo biological functions in animal systems are not clear. To investigate the in vivo role of codon usage in animals, we took advantage of the sensitivity and robustness of the Drosophila circadian system. By codon-optimizing parts of Drosophila period (dper), a core clock gene that encodes a critical component of the circadian oscillator, we showed that dper codon usage is important for circadian clock function. Codon optimization of dper resulted in conformational changes of the dPER protein, altered dPER phosphorylation profile and stability, and impaired dPER function in the circadian negative feedback loop, which manifests into changes in molecular rhythmicity and abnormal circadian behavioral output. This study provides an in vivo example that demonstrates the role of codon usage in determining protein structure and function in an animal system. These results suggest a universal mechanism in eukaryotes that uses a codon usage “code” within genetic codons to regulate cotranslational protein folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Fu
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Katherine A Murphy
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Mian Zhou
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA; School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Ying H Li
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Vu H Lam
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Christine A Tabuloc
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Joanna C Chiu
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
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Circadian Rhythm Neuropeptides in Drosophila: Signals for Normal Circadian Function and Circadian Neurodegenerative Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18040886. [PMID: 28430154 PMCID: PMC5412466 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18040886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythm is a ubiquitous phenomenon in many organisms ranging from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. During more than four decades, the intrinsic and exogenous regulations of circadian rhythm have been studied. This review summarizes the core endogenous oscillation in Drosophila and then focuses on the neuropeptides, neurotransmitters and hormones that mediate its outputs and integration in Drosophila and the links between several of these (pigment dispersing factor (PDF) and insulin-like peptides) and neurodegenerative disease. These signaling molecules convey important network connectivity and signaling information for normal circadian function, but PDF and insulin-like peptides can also convey signals that lead to apoptosis, enhanced neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in flies carrying circadian mutations or in a senescent state.
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Zhou J, Yu W, Hardin PE. CLOCKWORK ORANGE Enhances PERIOD Mediated Rhythms in Transcriptional Repression by Antagonizing E-box Binding by CLOCK-CYCLE. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006430. [PMID: 27814361 PMCID: PMC5096704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila circadian oscillator controls daily rhythms in physiology, metabolism and behavior via transcriptional feedback loops. CLOCK-CYCLE (CLK-CYC) heterodimers initiate feedback loop function by binding E-box elements to activate per and tim transcription. PER-TIM heterodimers then accumulate, bind CLK-CYC to inhibit transcription, and are ultimately degraded to enable the next round of transcription. The timing of transcriptional events in this feedback loop coincide with, and are controlled by, rhythms in CLK-CYC binding to E-boxes. PER rhythmically binds CLK-CYC to initiate transcriptional repression, and subsequently promotes the removal of CLK-CYC from E-boxes. However, little is known about the mechanism by which CLK-CYC is removed from DNA. Previous studies demonstrated that the transcription repressor CLOCKWORK ORANGE (CWO) contributes to core feedback loop function by repressing per and tim transcription in cultured S2 cells and in flies. Here we show that CWO rhythmically binds E-boxes upstream of core clock genes in a reciprocal manner to CLK, thereby promoting PER-dependent removal of CLK-CYC from E-boxes, and maintaining repression until PER is degraded and CLK-CYC displaces CWO from E-boxes to initiate transcription. These results suggest a model in which CWO co-represses CLK-CYC transcriptional activity in conjunction with PER by competing for E-box binding once CLK-CYC-PER complexes have formed. Given that CWO orthologs DEC1 and DEC2 also target E-boxes bound by CLOCK-BMAL1, a similar mechanism may operate in the mammalian clock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Wangjie Yu
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Paul E. Hardin
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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Meyer P, Young MW. The 2006 Pittendrigh/Aschoff Lecture: New Roles for Old Proteins in the Drosophila Circadian Clock. J Biol Rhythms 2016; 22:283-90. [PMID: 17660445 DOI: 10.1177/0748730407303239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Circadian behaviors in the animal kingdom are regulated by a small set of conserved genes. Starting with a historical perspective focused on Drosophila, the authors describe how the recurrent discovery of circadian clock genes uncovered a molecular mechanism associated with cycling gene expression. These molecular cycles appear to emerge from delayed negative and positive feedback. The authors will then introduce a novel timing mechanism uncovered by a single cell-based assay, with the new ideas and prospects for future research that it has raised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Meyer
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY10021, USA.
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Sehadová H, Markova EP, Sehnal F, Takeda M. Distribution of Circadian Clock-Related Proteins in the Cephalic Nervous System of the Silkworm, Bombyx Mori. J Biol Rhythms 2016; 19:466-82. [PMID: 15523109 DOI: 10.1177/0748730404269153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
In the circadian timing systems, input pathways transmit information on the diurnal environmental changes to a core oscillator that generates signals relayed to the body periphery by output pathways. Cryptochrome (CRY) protein participates in the light perception; period (PER), Cycle (CYC), and Doubletime (DBT) proteins drive the core oscillator; and arylalkylamines are crucial for the clock output in vertebrates. Using antibodies to CRY, PER, CYC, DBT, and arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (aaNAT), the authors examined neuronal architecture of the circadian system in the cephalic ganglia of adult silkworms. The antibodies reacted in the cytoplasm, never in the nuclei, of specific neurons. Acluster of 4 large Ia1 neurons in each dorsolateral protocerebrum, a pair of cells in the frontal ganglion, and nerve fibers in the corpora cardiaca and corpora allata were stained with all antibodies. The intensity of PER staining in the Ia1 cells and in 2 to 4 adjacent small cells oscillated, being maximal late in subjective day and minimal in early night. No other oscillations were detected in any cell and with any antibody. Six small cells in close vicinity to the Ia1 neurons coexpressed CYC-like and DBT-like, and 4 to 5 of them also coexpressed aaNATlike immunoreactivity; the PER- and CRY-like antigens were each present in separate groups of 4 cells. The CYC- and aaNAT-like antigens were further colocalized in small groups of neurons in the pars intercerebralis, at the venter of the optic tract, and in the subesophageal ganglion. Remaining antibodies reacted with similarly positioned cells in the pars intercerebralis, and the DBT antibody also reacted with the cells in the subesophageal ganglion, but antigen colocalizations were not proven. The results imply that key components of the silkworm circadian system reside in the Ia1 neurons and that additional, hierarchically arranged oscillators contribute to overt pacemaking. The retrocerebral neurohemal organs seem to serve as outlets transmitting central neural oscillations to the hemolymph. The frontal ganglion may play an autonomous function in circadian regulations. The colocalization of aaNAT- and CYC-like antigens suggests that the enzyme is functionally linked to CYC as in vertebrates and that arylalkylamines are involved in the insect output pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Sehadová
- Division of Molecular Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Japan
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Rivas GBS, Bauzer LGSDR, Meireles-Filho ACA. "The Environment is Everything That Isn't Me": Molecular Mechanisms and Evolutionary Dynamics of Insect Clocks in Variable Surroundings. Front Physiol 2016; 6:400. [PMID: 26793115 PMCID: PMC4709423 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2015.00400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are oscillations in behavior, metabolism and physiology that have a period close to 24 h. These rhythms are controlled by an internal pacemaker that evolved under strong selective pressures imposed by environmental cyclical changes, mainly of light and temperature. The molecular nature of the circadian pacemaker was extensively studied in a number of organisms under controlled laboratory conditions. But although these studies were fundamental to our understanding of the circadian clock, most of the environmental conditions used resembled rather crudely the relatively constant situation at lower latitudes. At higher latitudes light-dark and temperature cycles vary considerably across different seasons, with summers having long and hot days and winters short and cold ones. Considering these differences and other external cues, such as moonlight, recent studies in more natural and semi-natural situations revealed unexpected features at both molecular and behavioral levels, highlighting the dramatic influence of multiple environmental variables in the molecular clockwork. This emphasizes the importance of studying the circadian clock in the wild, where seasonal environmental changes fine-tune the underlying circadian mechanism, affecting population dynamics and impacting the geographical variation in clock genes. Indeed, latitudinal clines in clock gene frequencies suggest that natural selection and demography shape the circadian clock over wide geographical ranges. In this review we will discuss the recent advances in understanding the molecular underpinnings of the circadian clock, how it resonates with the surrounding variables (both in the laboratory and in semi-natural conditions) and its impact on population dynamics and evolution. In addition, we will elaborate on how next-generation sequencing technologies will complement classical reductionist approaches by identifying causal variants in natural populations that will link genetic variation to circadian phenotypes, illuminating how the circadian clock functions in the real world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo B. S. Rivas
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo CruzRio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luiz G. S. da R. Bauzer
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Controle de Artrópodes Vetores, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo CruzRio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo CruzRio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Antonio C. A. Meireles-Filho
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneLausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of BioinformaticsLausanne, Switzerland
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Circadian Control of Global Transcription. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:187809. [PMID: 26682214 PMCID: PMC4670846 DOI: 10.1155/2015/187809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms exist in most if not all organisms on the Earth and manifest in various aspects of physiology and behavior. These rhythmic processes are believed to be driven by endogenous molecular clocks that regulate rhythmic expression of clock-controlled genes (CCGs). CCGs consist of a significant portion of the genome and are involved in diverse biological pathways. The transcription of CCGs is tuned by rhythmic actions of transcription factors and circadian alterations in chromatin. Here, we review the circadian control of CCG transcription in five model organisms that are widely used, including cyanobacterium, fungus, plant, fruit fly, and mouse. Comparing the similarity and differences in the five organisms could help us better understand the function of the circadian clock, as well as its output mechanisms adapted to meet the demands of diverse environmental conditions.
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Donelson NC, Sanyal S. Use of Drosophila in the investigation of sleep disorders. Exp Neurol 2015; 274:72-9. [PMID: 26160555 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Genetic underpinnings for sleep disorders in humans remain poorly identified, investigated and understood. This is due to the inherent complexity of sleep and a disruption of normal sleep parameters in a number of neurological disorders. On the other hand, there have been steady and remarkable developments in the investigation of sleep using model organisms such as Drosophila. These studies have illuminated conserved genetic pathways, neural circuits and intra-cellular signaling modules in the regulation of sleep. Additionally, work in model systems is beginning to clarify the role of the circadian clock and basal sleep need in this process. There have also been initial efforts to directly model sleep disorders in flies in a few instances where a genetic basis has been suspected. Here, we discuss the opportunities and limitations of studying sleep disorders in Drosophila and propose that a greater convergence of basic sleep research in model organisms and human genetics should catalyze better understanding of sleep disorders and generate viable therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan C Donelson
- Neurology Research, 115 Broadway, Bio 6 Building, Biogen, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Subhabrata Sanyal
- Neurology Research, 115 Broadway, Bio 6 Building, Biogen, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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40
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Bellemer A. Thermotaxis, circadian rhythms, and TRP channels in Drosophila. Temperature (Austin) 2015; 2:227-43. [PMID: 27227026 PMCID: PMC4843867 DOI: 10.1080/23328940.2015.1004972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Revised: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 01/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a poikilothermic organism that must detect and respond to both fine and coarse changes in environmental temperature in order maintain optimal body temperature, synchronize behavior to daily temperature fluctuations, and to avoid potentially injurious environmental hazards. Members of the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) family of cation channels are well known for their activation by changes in temperature and their essential roles in sensory transduction in both invertebrates and vertebrates. The Drosophila genome encodes 13 TRP channels, and several of these have key sensory transduction and modulatory functions in allowing larval and adult flies to make fine temperature discriminations to attain optimal body temperature, detect and avoid large environmental temperature fluctuations, and make rapid escape responses to acutely noxious stimuli. Drosophila use multiple, redundant signaling pathways and neural circuits to execute these behaviors in response to both increases and decreases in temperature of varying magnitudes and time scales. A plethora of powerful molecular and genetic tools and the fly's simple, well-characterized nervous system have given Drosophila neurobiologists a powerful platform to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of TRP channel function and how these mechanisms are conserved in vertebrates, as well as how these channels function within sensorimotor circuits to generate both simple and complex thermosensory behaviors.
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Key Words
- A1, 1st Antennal Segment
- A2, 2nd Antennal Segment
- A3, 3rd Antennal Segment
- AC, Anterior Cell
- AL, Antennal Lobe
- AR, Arista
- Clk, Clock protein
- Cry, Cryptochrome
- Cyc, Cycle protein
- DN1, DN2, DN3, Dorsal Neuron group 1, 2, 3
- Dbt, Double Time protein
- Drosophila melanogaster
- GFP, Green Fluorescent Protein
- GPCR, G Protein-Coupled Receptor
- LN, Lateral Neuron
- LNd, Dorsal Lateral Neuron
- LNv, Ventral Lateral Neuron
- LPN, Lateral Posterior Neuron
- NEL, Nocifensive Escape Locomotion
- PAP, Proximal Antennal Protocerebrum
- PDF, Pigment Dispersing Factor
- PKD1, Polycistic Kidney Disease 1
- PLC, Phospholipase C
- Per, Period protein
- RNAi, RNA interference
- SAC, Sacculus
- SLPR, Superior Lateral Protocerebrum
- SOG, Suboesophageal Ganglion
- TRP channels
- TRP, Transient Receptor Potential
- TRPA, Transient Receptor Potential, group A (ankyrin repeat)
- TRPA1
- TRPC, Transient Receptor Potential, group C (canonical)
- TRPL, TRP-Like
- TRPM, Transient Receptor Potential, group M (melastatin)
- TRPP, Transient Receptor Potential, group P (polycystic)
- TRPV, Transient Receptor Potential, group V (vanilloid)
- Tim, Timeless protein
- VFP, Venus Fluorescent Protein
- circadian rhythms
- lLNv, Ventral Lateral Neuron, large cell body
- mdIV, Multidendritic Neuron, class IV
- nociception
- sLNv, Ventral Lateral Neuron, small cell body
- thermoTRP, thermosensitive TRP channel
- thermosensation
- thermotaxis
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Bellemer
- Department of Biology; Appalachian State University ; Boone, NC, USA
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Meireles-Filho ACA, Kyriacou CP. Circadian rhythms in insect disease vectors. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2014; 108 Suppl 1:48-58. [PMID: 24473802 PMCID: PMC4109179 DOI: 10.1590/0074-0276130438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms from bacteria to humans have evolved under predictable daily environmental
cycles owing to the Earth’s rotation. This strong selection pressure has generated
endogenous circadian clocks that regulate many aspects of behaviour, physiology and
metabolism, anticipating and synchronising internal time-keeping to changes in the
cyclical environment. In haematophagous insect vectors the circadian clock
coordinates feeding activity, which is important for the dynamics of pathogen
transmission. We have recently witnessed a substantial advance in molecular studies
of circadian clocks in insect vector species that has consolidated behavioural data
collected over many years, which provided insights into the regulation of the clock
in the wild. Next generation sequencing technologies will facilitate the study of
vector genomes/transcriptomes both among and within species and illuminate some of
the species-specific patterns of adaptive circadian phenotypes that are observed in
the field and in the laboratory. In this review we will explore these recent findings
and attempt to identify potential areas for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Carlos Alves Meireles-Filho
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, Lausanne, Laboratory of Systems Biology and Genetics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Charalambos Panayiotis Kyriacou
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, UK, Leicester, Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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42
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Caenorhabditis elegans period homolog lin-42 regulates the timing of heterochronic miRNA expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:15450-5. [PMID: 25319259 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1414856111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally via the 3' UTR of target mRNAs and were first identified in the Caenorhabditis elegans heterochronic pathway. miRNAs have since been found in many organisms and have broad functions, including control of differentiation and pluripotency in humans. lin-4 and let-7-family miRNAs regulate developmental timing in C. elegans, and their proper temporal expression ensures cell lineage patterns are correctly timed and sequentially executed. Although much is known about miRNA biogenesis, less is understood about how miRNA expression is timed and regulated. lin-42, the worm homolog of the circadian rhythm gene period of flies and mammals, is another core component of the heterochronic gene pathway. lin-42 mutants have a precocious phenotype, in which later-stage programs are executed too early, but the placement of lin-42 in the timing pathway is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that lin-42 negatively regulates heterochronic miRNA transcription. let-7 and the related miRNA miR-48 accumulate precociously in lin-42 mutants. This defect reflects transcriptional misregulation because enhanced expression of both primary miRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs) and a let-7 promoter::gfp fusion are observed. The pri-miRNA levels oscillate during larval development, in a pattern reminiscent of lin-42 expression. Importantly, we show that lin-42 is not required for this cycling; instead, peak amplitude is increased. Genetic analyses further confirm that lin-42 acts through let-7 family miRNAs. Taken together, these data show that a key function of lin-42 in developmental timing is to dampen pri-miRNAs levels, preventing their premature expression as mature miRNAs.
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43
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Li C, Wu W, Sang M, Liu X, Hu X, Yun X, Li B. Comparative RNA-sequencing analysis of mthl1 functions and signal transductions in Tribolium castaneum. Gene 2014; 547:310-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2014.06.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Revised: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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44
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Lazado CC, Kumaratunga HPS, Nagasawa K, Babiak I, Giannetto A, Fernandes JMO. Daily rhythmicity of clock gene transcripts in atlantic cod fast skeletal muscle. PLoS One 2014; 9:e99172. [PMID: 24921252 PMCID: PMC4062345 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The classical notion of a centralized clock that governs circadian rhythmicity has been challenged with the discovery of peripheral oscillators that enable organisms to cope with daily changes in their environment. The present study aimed to identify the molecular clock components in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and to investigate their daily gene expression in fast skeletal muscle. Atlantic cod clock genes were closely related to their orthologs in teleosts and tetrapods. Synteny was conserved to varying degrees in the majority of the 18 clock genes examined. In particular, aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like 2 (arntl2), RAR-related orphan receptor A (rora) and timeless (tim) displayed high degrees of conservation. Expression profiling during the early ontogenesis revealed that some transcripts were maternally transferred, namely arntl2, cryptochrome 1b and 2 (cry1b and cry2), and period 2a and 2b (per2a and per2b). Most clock genes were ubiquitously expressed in various tissues, suggesting the possible existence of multiple peripheral clock systems in Atlantic cod. In particular, they were all detected in fast skeletal muscle, with the exception of neuronal PAS (Per-Arnt-Single-minded) domain-containing protein (npas1) and rora. Rhythmicity analysis revealed 8 clock genes with daily rhythmic expression, namely arntl2, circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (clock), npas2, cry2, cry3 per2a, nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group D, member 1 (nr1d1), and nr1d2a. Transcript levels of the myogenic genes myogenic factor 5 (myf5) and muscleblind-like 1 (mbnl1) strongly correlated with clock gene expression. This is the first study to unravel the molecular components of peripheral clocks in Atlantic cod. Taken together, our data suggest that the putative clock system in fast skeletal muscle of Atlantic cod has regulatory implications on muscle physiology, particularly in the expression of genes related to myogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo C. Lazado
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, University of Nordland, Bodø, Norway
| | | | - Kazue Nagasawa
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, University of Nordland, Bodø, Norway
| | - Igor Babiak
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, University of Nordland, Bodø, Norway
| | - Alessia Giannetto
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, University of Nordland, Bodø, Norway
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Jorge M. O. Fernandes
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, University of Nordland, Bodø, Norway
- * E-mail:
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45
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Markova EP, Shimada T, Takeda M. Daily Expression Patterns ofCycleandClockGenes in the Head of the Silkworm,Bombyx Mori. BIOTECHNOL BIOTEC EQ 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2004.10819234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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46
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Fletcher S, Prochownik EV. Small-molecule inhibitors of the Myc oncoprotein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2014; 1849:525-43. [PMID: 24657798 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2014.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2013] [Revised: 03/09/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The c-Myc (Myc) oncoprotein is among the most attractive of cancer targets given that it is de-regulated in the majority of tumors and that its inhibition profoundly affects their growth and/or survival. However, its role as a seldom-mutated transcription factor, its lack of enzymatic activity for which suitable pharmaceutical inhibitors could be crafted and its expression by normal cells have largely been responsible for its being viewed as "undruggable". Work over the past several years, however, has begun to reverse this idea by allowing us to view Myc within the larger context of global gene regulatory control. Thus, Myc and its obligate heterodimeric partner, Max, are integral to the coordinated recruitment and post-translational modification of components of the core transcriptional machinery. Moreover, Myc over-expression re-programs numerous critical cellular functions and alters the cell's susceptibility to their inhibition. This new knowledge has therefore served as a framework upon which to develop new pharmaceutical approaches. These include the continuing development of small molecules which act directly to inhibit the critical Myc-Max interaction, those which act indirectly to prevent Myc-directed post-translational modifications necessary to initiate productive transcription and those which inhibit vital pathways upon which the Myc-transformed cell is particularly reliant. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Myc proteins in cell biology and pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Fletcher
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, USA; University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, Baltimore, USA
| | - Edward V Prochownik
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, USA; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA; The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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47
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Meireles-Filho ACA, Bardet AF, Yáñez-Cuna JO, Stampfel G, Stark A. cis-regulatory requirements for tissue-specific programs of the circadian clock. Curr Biol 2013; 24:1-10. [PMID: 24332542 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Revised: 09/24/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Broadly expressed transcriptions factors (TFs) control tissue-specific programs of gene expression through interactions with local TF networks. A prime example is the circadian clock: although the conserved TFs CLOCK (CLK) and CYCLE (CYC) control a transcriptional circuit throughout animal bodies, rhythms in behavior and physiology are generated tissue specifically. Yet, how CLK and CYC determine tissue-specific clock programs has remained unclear. RESULTS Here, we use a functional genomics approach to determine the cis-regulatory requirements for clock specificity. We first determine CLK and CYC genome-wide binding targets in heads and bodies by ChIP-seq and show that they have distinct DNA targets in the two tissue contexts. Computational dissection of CLK/CYC context-specific binding sites reveals sequence motifs for putative partner factors, which are predictive for individual binding sites. Among them, we show that the opa and GATA motifs, differentially enriched in head and body binding sites respectively, can be bound by OPA and SERPENT (SRP). They act synergistically with CLK/CYC in the Drosophila feedback loop, suggesting that they help to determine their direct targets and therefore orchestrate tissue-specific clock outputs. In addition, using in vivo transgenic assays, we validate that GATA motifs are required for proper tissue-specific gene expression in the adult fat body, midgut, and Malpighian tubules, revealing a cis-regulatory signature for enhancers of the peripheral circadian clock. CONCLUSIONS Our results reveal how universal clock circuits can regulate tissue-specific rhythms and, more generally, provide insights into the mechanism by which universal TFs can be modulated to drive tissue-specific programs of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anaïs F Bardet
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - J Omar Yáñez-Cuna
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerald Stampfel
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Stark
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), 1030 Vienna, Austria.
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48
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Uryu O, Karpova SG, Tomioka K. The clock gene cycle plays an important role in the circadian clock of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 59:697-704. [PMID: 23665334 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2013] [Revised: 04/24/2013] [Accepted: 04/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
To dissect the molecular oscillatory mechanism of the circadian clock in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, we have cloned a cDNA of the clock gene cycle (Gb'cyc) and analyzed its structure and function. Gb'cyc contains four functional domains, i.e. bHLH, PAS-A, PAS-B and BCTR domains, and is expressed rhythmically in light dark cycles, peaking at mid night. The RNA interference (RNAi) of Clock (Gb'Clk) and period (Gb'per) reduced the Gb'cyc mRNA levels and abolished the rhythmic expression, suggesting that the rhythmic expression of Gb'cyc is regulated by a mechanism including Gb'Clk and Gb'per. These features are more similar to those of mammalian orthologue of cyc (Bmal1) than those of Drosophila cyc. A single treatment with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of Gb'cyc effectively knocked down the Gb'cyc mRNA level and abolished its rhythmic expression. The cyc RNAi failed to disrupt the locomotor rhythm, but lengthened its free-running period in constant darkness (DD). It is thus likely that Gb'cyc is involved in the circadian clock machinery of the cricket. The cyc RNAi crickets showed a rhythmic expression of Gb'per and timeless (Gb'tim) in the optic lobe in DD, explaining the persistence of the locomotor rhythm. Surprisingly, cyc RNAi revealed a rhythmic expression of Gb'Clk in DD which is otherwise rather constitutively expressed in the optic lobe. These facts suggest that the cricket might have a unique clock oscillatory mechanism in which both Gb'cyc and Gb'Clk are rhythmically controlled and that under abundant expression of Gb'cyc the rhythmic expression of Gb'Clk may be concealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Outa Uryu
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
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49
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Hardin PE, Panda S. Circadian timekeeping and output mechanisms in animals. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2013; 23:724-31. [PMID: 23731779 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2013.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Revised: 02/25/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Daily rhythms in animal behavior, physiology and metabolism are driven by cell-autonomous clocks that are synchronized by environmental cycles, but maintain ∼24 hours rhythms even in the absence of environmental cues. These clocks keep time and control overt rhythms via interlocked transcriptional feedback loops, making it imperative to define the mechanisms that drive rhythmic transcription within these loops and on a genome-wide scale. Recent work identifies novel post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms that govern progression through these feedback loops to maintain a period of ∼24 hours. Likewise, new microarray and deep sequencing studies reveal interplay among clock activators, chromatin remodeling and RNA Pol II binding to set the phase of gene transcription and drive post-transcriptional regulatory systems that may greatly increase the proportion of genes that are under clock control. Despite great progress, gaps in our understanding of how feedback loop transcriptional programs maintain ∼24 hours cycles and drive overt rhythms remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Hardin
- Department of Biology and Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
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50
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Watthanasurorot A, Saelee N, Phongdara A, Roytrakul S, Jiravanichpaisal P, Söderhäll K, Söderhäll I. Astakine 2--the dark knight linking melatonin to circadian regulation in crustaceans. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003361. [PMID: 23555281 PMCID: PMC3605217 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 01/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Daily, circadian rhythms influence essentially all living organisms and affect many physiological processes from sleep and nutrition to immunity. This ability to respond to environmental daily rhythms has been conserved along evolution, and it is found among species from bacteria to mammals. The hematopoietic process of the crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus is under circadian control and is tightly regulated by astakines, a new family of cytokines sharing a prokineticin (PROK) domain. The expression of AST1 and AST2 are light-dependent, and this suggests an evolutionarily conserved function for PROK domain proteins in mediating circadian rhythms. Vertebrate PROKs are transmitters of circadian rhythms of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain of mammals, but the mechanism by which they function is unknown. Here we demonstrate that high AST2 expression is induced by melatonin in the brain. We identify RACK1 as a binding protein of AST2 and further provide evidence that a complex between AST2 and RACK1 functions as a negative-feedback regulator of the circadian clock. By DNA mobility shift assay, we showed that the AST2-RACK1 complex will interfere with the binding between BMAL1 and CLK and inhibit the E-box binding activity of the complex BMAL1-CLK. Finally, we demonstrate by gene knockdown that AST2 is necessary for melatonin-induced inhibition of the complex formation between BMAL1 and CLK during the dark period. In summary, we provide evidence that melatonin regulates AST2 expression and thereby affects the core clock of the crustacean brain. This process may be very important in all animals that have AST2 molecules, i.e. spiders, ticks, crustaceans, scorpions, several insect groups such as Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, and Blattodea, but not Diptera and Coleoptera. Our findings further reveal an ancient evolutionary role for the prokineticin superfamily protein that links melatonin to direct regulation of the core clock gene feedback loops. Most living organisms are able to sense the time and in particular time of day by their internal clocks. So-called clock proteins control these internal clockworks. BMAL1 and CLK are two important clock proteins, which together form a complex that serves as a transcription factor and controls the production of diurnal proteins. These diurnal proteins, in turn, inhibit the formation of clock proteins so that the concentration of the different proteins in the cell oscillates back and forth throughout the day. External factors may affect the balance of clock proteins, and one such important factor is light. Melatonin is a darkness hormone produced in the brain of most animals during the night, and here we show that melatonin controls the formation of a protein named AST2 in crayfish. AST2 belongs to a group of proteins found in many arthropods, such as spiders, scorpions, crustaceans, and some insects, whose function has been unknown until now. Now we demonstrate that AST2 is induced by melatonin at night and then functions in the internal biological clock by preventing BMAL1 and CLK to form a complex. In this way, AST2 acts as a link between melatonin and the internal biological clock.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Netnapa Saelee
- Department of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amornrat Phongdara
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics Research, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Sittiruk Roytrakul
- Proteomics Research Laboratory, Genome Institute, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), NSTDA, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Pikul Jiravanichpaisal
- Department of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), NSTDA, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Kenneth Söderhäll
- Department of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Irene Söderhäll
- Department of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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