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Zhang AQ, Ralph MR, Stinchcombe AR. A mathematical model for the role of dopamine-D2 self-regulation in the production of ultradian rhythms. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012082. [PMID: 38701077 PMCID: PMC11095719 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Many self-motivated and goal-directed behaviours display highly flexible, approximately 4 hour ultradian (shorter than a day) oscillations. Despite lacking direct correspondence to physical cycles in the environment, these ultradian rhythms may be involved in optimizing functional interactions with the environment and reflect intrinsic neural dynamics. Current evidence supports a role of mesostriatal dopamine (DA) in the expression and propagation of ultradian rhythmicity, however, the biochemical processes underpinning these oscillations remain to be identified. Here, we use a mathematical model to investigate D2 autoreceptor-dependent DA self-regulation as the source of ultradian behavioural rhythms. DA concentration at the midbrain-striatal synapses is governed through a dual-negative feedback-loop structure, which naturally gives rise to rhythmicity. This model shows the propensity of striatal DA to produce an ultradian oscillation characterized by a flexible period that is highly sensitive to parameter variations. Circadian (approximately 24 hour) regulation consolidates the ultradian oscillations and alters their response to the phase-dependent, rapid-resetting effect of a transient excitatory stimulus. Within a circadian framework, the ultradian rhythm orchestrates behavioural activity and enhances responsiveness to an external stimulus. This suggests a role for the circadian-ultradian timekeeping hierarchy in governing organized behaviour and shaping daily experience through coordinating the motivation to engage in recurring, albeit not highly predictable events, such as social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Qi Zhang
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin R. Ralph
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Kembro JM, Flesia AG, Acosta-Rodríguez VA, Takahashi JS, Nieto PS. Dietary restriction modulates ultradian rhythms and autocorrelation properties in mice behavior. Commun Biol 2024; 7:303. [PMID: 38461321 PMCID: PMC10925031 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05991-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal behavior emerges from integration of many processes with different spatial and temporal scales. Dynamical behavioral patterns, including daily and ultradian rhythms and the dynamical microstructure of behavior (i.e., autocorrelations properties), can be differentially affected by external cues. Identifying these patterns is important for understanding how organisms adapt to their environment, yet unbiased methods to quantify dynamical changes over multiple temporal scales are lacking. Herein, we combine a wavelet approach with Detrended Fluctuation Analysis to identify behavioral patterns and evaluate changes over 42-days in mice subjected to different dietary restriction paradigms. We show that feeding restriction alters dynamical patterns: not only are daily rhythms modulated but also the presence, phase and/or strength of ~12h-rhythms, as well as the nature of autocorrelation properties of feed-intake and wheel running behaviors. These results highlight the underlying complexity of behavioral architecture and offer insights into the multi-scale impact of feeding habits on physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackelyn Melissa Kembro
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (ICTA) and Departamento de Química, Cátedra de Química Biológica, Córdoba, Córdoba, X5000HUA, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- UNC, Córdoba, Córdoba, X5000HUA, Argentina
| | - Ana Georgina Flesia
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía, Física y Computación, Córdoba, Córdoba, X5000HUA, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios de Matemática (CIEM, CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Córdoba, X5000HUA, Argentina
| | - Victoria América Acosta-Rodríguez
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390-9111, USA
| | - Joseph S Takahashi
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390-9111, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390-9111, USA
| | - Paula Sofía Nieto
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía, Física y Computación, Córdoba, Córdoba, X5000HUA, Argentina.
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola (IFEG, CONICET-UNC), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Córdoba, X5000HUA, Argentina.
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3
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Ting IJ, Psomas A, Skene DJ, Van der Veen DR. Reduced glucose concentration enhances ultradian rhythms in Pdcd5 promoter activity in vitro. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1244497. [PMID: 37904794 PMCID: PMC10613464 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1244497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically driven ultradian rhythms in the hourly range are often co-expressed with circadian rhythms in various physiological processes including metabolic processes such as feeding behaviour, gene expression and cellular metabolism. Several behavioural observations show that reduced energy intake or increased energy expenditure leads to a re-balancing of ultradian and circadian timing, favouring ultradian feeding and activity patterns when energy availability is limited. This suggests a close link between ultradian rhythmicity and metabolic homeostasis, but we currently lack models to test this hypothesis at a cellular level. We therefore transduced 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cells with a reporter construct that drives a destabilised luciferase via the Pdcd5 promotor, a gene we previously showed to exhibit robust ultradian rhythms in vitro. Ultradian rhythmicity in Pdcd5 promotor driven bioluminescence was observed in >80% of all cultures that were synchronised with dexamethasone, whereas significantly lower numbers exhibited ultradian rhythmicity in non-synchronised cultures (∼11%). Cosine fits to ultradian bioluminescence rhythms in cells cultured and measured in low glucose concentrations (2 mM and 5 mM), exhibited significantly higher amplitudes than all other cultures, and a shorter period (6.9 h vs. 8.2 h, N = 12). Our findings show substantial ultradian rhythmicity in Pdcd5 promotor activity in cells in which the circadian clocks have been synchronised in vitro, which is in line with observations of circadian synchronisation of behavioural ultradian rhythms. Critically, we show that the amplitude of ultradian rhythms is enhanced in low glucose conditions, suggesting that low energy availability enhances ultradian rhythmicity at the cellular level in vitro.
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Asher G, Zhu B. Beyond circadian rhythms: emerging roles of ultradian rhythms in control of liver functions. Hepatology 2023; 77:1022-1035. [PMID: 35591797 PMCID: PMC9674798 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian liver must cope with various metabolic and physiological changes that normally recur every day and primarily stem from daily cycles of rest-activity and fasting-feeding. Although a large body of evidence supports the reciprocal regulation of circadian rhythms and liver function, the research on the hepatic ultradian rhythms have largely been lagging behind. However, with the advent of more cost-effective high-throughput omics technologies, high-resolution time-lapse imaging, and more robust and powerful mathematical tools, several recent studies have shed new light on the presence and functions of hepatic ultradian rhythms. In this review, we will first very briefly discuss the basic principles of circadian rhythms, and then cover in greater details the recent literature related to ultradian rhythms. Specifically, we will highlight the prevalence and mechanisms of hepatic 12-h rhythms, and 8-h rhythms, which cycle at the second and third harmonics of circadian frequency. Finally, we also refer to ultradian rhythms with other frequencies and examine the limitations of the current approaches as well as the challenges related to identifying ultradian rhythm and addressing their molecular underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gad Asher
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Bokai Zhu
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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5
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Lee JH, Moon E, Park J, Hong YR, Yoon M. Analysis of ultradian rest-activity rhythms using locomotor activity in mice. KOSIN MEDICAL JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.7180/kmj.22.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Locomotor activity in mice may have an ultradian rest-activity rhythm. However, to date, no study has shown how locomotor activity can be explained statistically using fitted cosine curves. Therefore, this study explored whether the ultradian rhythm of locomotor activity in mice could be analyzed using cosine fitting analysis.Methods: The locomotor activity of 20 male mice under a 12/12-hour dark/light cycle for 2 days was fitted to a cosine function to obtain the best fit. The mean absolute error (MAE) values were used to determine the explanatory power of the calculated cosine model for locomotor activity. The cosine fitting analysis was performed using R statistical software (version 4.1.1).Results: The mean MAE was 0.2944, whereas the mean MAE for integrating the individual analyses in the two experimental groups was 0.3284. The periods of the estimated ultradian rest-activity rhythm ranged from 1.602 to 4.168 hours. Conclusions: These results suggest that locomotor activity data reflect an ultradian rhythm better than a circadian rhythm. Locomotor activity can be statistically fitted to a cosine curve under well-controlled conditions. In the future, it will be necessary to explore whether this cosine-fitting analysis can be used to analyze ultradian rhythms under different experimental conditions.
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6
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Morris M, Yamazaki S, Stefanovska A. Multiscale Time-resolved Analysis Reveals Remaining Behavioral Rhythms in Mice Without Canonical Circadian Clocks. J Biol Rhythms 2022; 37:310-328. [PMID: 35575430 PMCID: PMC9160956 DOI: 10.1177/07487304221087065] [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] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are internal processes repeating approximately every 24 hours in living organisms. The dominant circadian pacemaker is synchronized to the environmental light-dark cycle. Other circadian pacemakers, which can have noncanonical circadian mechanisms, are revealed by arousing stimuli, such as scheduled feeding, palatable meals and running wheel access, or methamphetamine administration. Organisms also have ultradian rhythms, which have periods shorter than circadian rhythms. However, the biological mechanism, origin, and functional significance of ultradian rhythms are not well-elucidated. The dominant circadian rhythm often masks ultradian rhythms; therefore, we disabled the canonical circadian clock of mice by knocking out Per1/2/3 genes, where Per1 and Per2 are essential components of the mammalian light-sensitive circadian mechanism. Furthermore, we recorded wheel-running activity every minute under constant darkness for 272 days. We then investigated rhythmic components in the absence of external influences, applying unique multiscale time-resolved methods to analyze the oscillatory dynamics with time-varying frequencies. We found four rhythmic components with periods of ∼17 h, ∼8 h, ∼4 h, and ∼20 min. When the ∼17-h rhythm was prominent, the ∼8-h rhythm was of low amplitude. This phenomenon occurred periodically approximately every 2-3 weeks. We found that the ∼4-h and ∼20-min rhythms were harmonics of the ∼8-h rhythm. Coupling analysis of the ridge-extracted instantaneous frequencies revealed strong and stable phase coupling from the slower oscillations (∼17, ∼8, and ∼4 h) to the faster oscillations (∼20 min), and weak and less stable phase coupling in the reverse direction and between the slower oscillations. Together, this study elucidated the relationship between the oscillators in the absence of the canonical circadian clock, which is critical for understanding their functional significance. These studies are essential as disruption of circadian rhythms contributes to diseases, such as cancer and obesity, as well as mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Morris
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.,Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Shin Yamazaki
- Department of Neuroscience and Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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7
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Grieco F, Bernstein BJ, Biemans B, Bikovski L, Burnett CJ, Cushman JD, van Dam EA, Fry SA, Richmond-Hacham B, Homberg JR, Kas MJH, Kessels HW, Koopmans B, Krashes MJ, Krishnan V, Logan S, Loos M, McCann KE, Parduzi Q, Pick CG, Prevot TD, Riedel G, Robinson L, Sadighi M, Smit AB, Sonntag W, Roelofs RF, Tegelenbosch RAJ, Noldus LPJJ. Measuring Behavior in the Home Cage: Study Design, Applications, Challenges, and Perspectives. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:735387. [PMID: 34630052 PMCID: PMC8498589 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.735387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproducibility crisis (or replication crisis) in biomedical research is a particularly existential and under-addressed issue in the field of behavioral neuroscience, where, in spite of efforts to standardize testing and assay protocols, several known and unknown sources of confounding environmental factors add to variance. Human interference is a major contributor to variability both within and across laboratories, as well as novelty-induced anxiety. Attempts to reduce human interference and to measure more "natural" behaviors in subjects has led to the development of automated home-cage monitoring systems. These systems enable prolonged and longitudinal recordings, and provide large continuous measures of spontaneous behavior that can be analyzed across multiple time scales. In this review, a diverse team of neuroscientists and product developers share their experiences using such an automated monitoring system that combines Noldus PhenoTyper® home-cages and the video-based tracking software, EthoVision® XT, to extract digital biomarkers of motor, emotional, social and cognitive behavior. After presenting our working definition of a "home-cage", we compare home-cage testing with more conventional out-of-cage tests (e.g., the open field) and outline the various advantages of the former, including opportunities for within-subject analyses and assessments of circadian and ultradian activity. Next, we address technical issues pertaining to the acquisition of behavioral data, such as the fine-tuning of the tracking software and the potential for integration with biotelemetry and optogenetics. Finally, we provide guidance on which behavioral measures to emphasize, how to filter, segment, and analyze behavior, and how to use analysis scripts. We summarize how the PhenoTyper has applications to study neuropharmacology as well as animal models of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric illness. Looking forward, we examine current challenges and the impact of new developments. Examples include the automated recognition of specific behaviors, unambiguous tracking of individuals in a social context, the development of more animal-centered measures of behavior and ways of dealing with large datasets. Together, we advocate that by embracing standardized home-cage monitoring platforms like the PhenoTyper, we are poised to directly assess issues pertaining to reproducibility, and more importantly, measure features of rodent behavior under more ethologically relevant scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Briana J Bernstein
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | | | - Lior Bikovski
- Myers Neuro-Behavioral Core Facility, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- School of Behavioral Sciences, Netanya Academic College, Netanya, Israel
| | - C Joseph Burnett
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jesse D Cushman
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | | | - Sydney A Fry
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Bar Richmond-Hacham
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Martien J H Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Helmut W Kessels
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Michael J Krashes
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Vaishnav Krishnan
- Laboratory of Epilepsy and Emotional Behavior, Baylor Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sreemathi Logan
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Allied Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Maarten Loos
- Sylics (Synaptologics BV), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Katharine E McCann
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | | | - Chaim G Pick
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Chair and Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Thomas D Prevot
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gernot Riedel
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Lianne Robinson
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Mina Sadighi
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - August B Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - William Sonntag
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Center for Geroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | | | | | - Lucas P J J Noldus
- Noldus Information Technology BV, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Department of Biophysics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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8
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Alonso IP, Pino JA, Kortagere S, Torres GE, España RA. Dopamine transporter function fluctuates across sleep/wake state: potential impact for addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:699-708. [PMID: 33032296 PMCID: PMC8026992 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00879-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT) has been implicated in a variety of arousal-related processes including the regulation of motor activity, learning, motivated behavior, psychostimulant abuse, and, more recently, sleep/wake state. We previously demonstrated that DAT uptake regulates fluctuations in extracellular dopamine (DA) in the striatum across the light/dark cycle with DA levels at their highest during the dark phase and lowest during the light phase. Despite this evidence, whether fluctuations in DA uptake across the light/dark cycle are associated with changes in sleep/wake has not been tested. To address this, we employed a combination of sleep/wake recordings, fast scan cyclic voltammetry, and western blotting to examine whether sleep/wake state and/or light/dark phase impact DA terminal neurotransmission in male rats. Further, we assessed whether variations in plasma membrane DAT levels and/or phosphorylation of the threonine 53 site on the DAT accounts for fluctuations in DA neurotransmission. Given the extensive evidence indicating that psychostimulants increase DA through interactions with the DAT, we also examined to what degree the effects of cocaine at inhibiting the DAT vary across sleep/wake state. Results demonstrated a significant association between individual sleep/wake states and DA terminal neurotransmission, with higher DA uptake rate, increased phosphorylation of the DAT, and enhanced cocaine potency observed after periods of sleep. These findings suggest that sleep/wake state influences DA neurotransmission in a manner that is likely to impact a host of DA-dependent processes including a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. P. Alonso
- grid.166341.70000 0001 2181 3113Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129 USA
| | - J. A. Pino
- grid.440631.40000 0001 2228 7602Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Atacama, 1532502 Copiapó, Chile
| | - S. Kortagere
- grid.166341.70000 0001 2181 3113Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129 USA
| | - G. E. Torres
- grid.254250.40000 0001 2264 7145Department of Molecular, Cellular & Biomedical Sciences, CUNY School of Medicine at the City College of New York, New York, NY 10031 USA
| | - R. A. España
- grid.166341.70000 0001 2181 3113Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129 USA
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9
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Ananthasubramaniam B, Meijer JH. Regulation of Rest, Rather Than Activity, Underlies Day-Night Activity Differences in Mice. Front Physiol 2020; 11:268. [PMID: 32296342 PMCID: PMC7136415 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which serves as the central pacemaker in mammals, regulates the 24-h rhythm in behavioral activity. However, it is currently unclear whether and how bouts of activity and rest are regulated within the 24-h cycle (i.e., over ultradian time scales). Therefore, we used passive infrared sensors to measure temporal behavior in mice housed under either a light–dark (LD) cycle or continuous darkness (DD). We found that a probabilistic Markov model captures the ultradian changes in the behavioral state over a 24-h cycle. In this model, the animal’s behavioral state in the next time interval is determined solely by the animal’s current behavioral state and by the “toss” of a proverbial “biased coin.” We found that the bias of this “coin” is regulated by light input and by the phase of the clock. Moreover, the bias of this “coin” for an animal is related to the average length of rest and activity bouts in that animal. In LD conditions, the average length of rest bouts was greater during the day compared to during the night, whereas the average length of activity bouts was greater during the night compared to during the day. Importantly, we also found that day-night changes in the rest bout lengths were significantly greater than day-night changes in the activity bout lengths. Finally, in DD conditions, the activity and rest bouts also differed between subjective night and subjective day, albeit to a lesser extent compared to LD conditions. The ultradian regulation represented by the model does not result in ultradian rhythms, although some weak ultradian rhythms are present in the data. The persistent differences in bout length over the circadian cycle following loss of the external LD cycle indicate that the central pacemaker plays a role in regulating rest and activity bouts on an ultradian time scale.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johanna H Meijer
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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10
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Ultradian calcium rhythms in the paraventricular nucleus and subparaventricular zone in the hypothalamus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E9469-E9478. [PMID: 30228120 PMCID: PMC6176559 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1804300115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite that the various functions in mammals fluctuate in the ultradian fashion, the origin and mechanism of the rhythm are largely unknown. In this study, we found synchronous ultradian calcium rhythms in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), subparaventricular zone (SPZ), and suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The ultradian rhythms were originated from the SPZ-PVN region and transmitted to the SCN. Neurochemical interventions revealed that the glutamatergic mechanism is critical for generation and a tetrodotoxin-sensitive neural network for synchrony of the ultradian rhythm. The GABAergic system could have a role in refining the circadian output signals. The study provides the first clue to understand the loci and mechanism of ultradian rhythm in the hypothalamus. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master circadian clock in mammals, sends major output signals to the subparaventricular zone (SPZ) and further to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), the neural mechanism of which is largely unknown. In this study, the intracellular calcium levels were measured continuously in cultured hypothalamic slices containing the PVN, SPZ, and SCN. We detected ultradian calcium rhythms in both the SPZ-PVN and SCN regions with periods of 0.5–4.0 hours, the frequency of which depended on the local circadian rhythm in the SPZ-PVN region. The ultradian rhythms were synchronous in the entire SPZ-PVN region and a part of the SCN. Because the ultradian rhythms were not detected in the SCN-only slice, the origin of ultradian rhythm is the SPZ-PVN region. In association with an ultradian bout, a rapid increase of intracellular calcium in a millisecond order was detected, the frequency of which determined the amplitude of an ultradian bout. The synchronous ultradian rhythms were desynchronized and depressed by a sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin, suggesting that a tetrodotoxin-sensitive network is involved in synchrony of the ultradian bouts. In contrast, the ultradian rhythm is abolished by glutamate receptor blockers, indicating the critical role of glutamatergic mechanism in ultradian rhythm generation, while a GABAA receptor blocker increased the frequency of ultradian rhythm and modified the circadian rhythm in the SCN. A GABAergic network may refine the circadian output signals. The present study provides a clue to unraveling the loci and network mechanisms of the ultradian rhythm.
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11
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Bourguignon C, Storch KF. Control of Rest:Activity by a Dopaminergic Ultradian Oscillator and the Circadian Clock. Front Neurol 2017; 8:614. [PMID: 29230188 PMCID: PMC5711773 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
There is long-standing evidence for rhythms in locomotor activity, as well as various other aspects of physiology, with periods substantially shorter than 24 h in organisms ranging from fruit flies to humans. These ultradian oscillations, whose periods frequently fall between 2 and 6 h, are normally well integrated with circadian rhythms; however, they often lack the period stability and expression robustness of the latter. An adaptive advantage of ultradian rhythms has been clearly demonstrated for the common vole, suggesting that they may have evolved to confer social synchrony. The cellular substrate and mechanism of ultradian rhythm generation have remained elusive so far, however recent findings—the subject of this review—now indicate that ultradian locomotor rhythms rely on an oscillator based on dopamine, dubbed the dopaminergic ultradian oscillator (DUO). These findings also reveal that the DUO period can be lengthened from <4 to >48 h by methamphetamine treatment, suggesting that the previously described methamphetamine-sensitive (circadian) oscillator represents a long-period manifestation of the DUO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Bourguignon
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kai-Florian Storch
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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12
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Scriba MF, Henry I, Vyssotski AL, Mueller JC, Rattenborg NC, Roulin A. Ultradian Rhythmicity in Sleep-Wakefulness Is Related to Color in Nestling Barn Owls. J Biol Rhythms 2017; 32:456-468. [DOI: 10.1177/0748730417722250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The possession of a rhythm is usually described as an important adaptation to regular changing environmental conditions such as the light-dark cycle. However, recent studies have suggested plasticity in the expression of a rhythm depending on life history and environmental factors. Barn owl ( Tyto alba) nestlings show variations in behavior and physiology in relation to the size of black feather spots, a trait associated with many behavioral and physiological phenotypes including the circadian expression of corticosterone and the regulation of body mass. This raises the possibility that individual spottiness could be associated with rhythmicity in sleep-wakefulness. Owlets showed ultradian rhythms in sleep-wakefulness, with a period length of 4.5 to 4.9 h. The period length of wakefulness and non-REM sleep was shorter in heavily compared to lightly spotted female nestlings, whereas in males, the opposite result was found. Furthermore, male and female nestlings displaying small black spots showed strong rhythmicity levels in wakefulness and REM sleep. This might be an advantage in a stable environment with predictable periodic changes in light, temperature, or social interactions. Heavily spotted nestlings displayed weak rhythms in wakefulness and REM sleep, which might enable them to be more flexible in reactions to unexpected events such as predation or might be a mechanism to save energy. These findings are consistent with previous findings showing that large-spotted nestlings switch more frequently between wakefulness and sleep, resulting in higher levels of vigilance compared to small-spotted conspecifics. Thus, nestlings with larger black feather spots might differently handle the trade-off between wakefulness and sleep, attention, and social interactions compared to nestlings with smaller black spots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine F. Scriba
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Avian Sleep Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Isabelle Henry
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexei L. Vyssotski
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jakob C. Mueller
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Niels C. Rattenborg
- Avian Sleep Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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van der Veen DR, Gerkema MP. Unmasking ultradian rhythms in gene expression. FASEB J 2016; 31:743-750. [PMID: 27871062 PMCID: PMC5240665 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201600872r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Biological oscillations with an ultradian time scale of 1 to several hours include cycles in behavioral arousal, episodic glucocorticoid release, and gene expression. Ultradian rhythms are thought to have an extrinsic origin because of a perceived absence of ultradian rhythmicity in vitro and a lack of known molecular ultradian oscillators. We designed a novel, non-spectral-analysis method of separating ultradian from circadian components and applied it to a published gene expression dataset with an ultradian sampling resolution. Ultradian rhythms in mouse hepatocytes in vivo have been published, and we validated our approach using this control by confirming 175 of 323 ultradian genes identified in a prior study and found 862 additional ultradian genes. For the first time, we now report ultradian expression of >900 genes in vitro Sixty genes exhibited ultradian transcriptional rhythmicity, both in vivo and in vitro, including 5 genes involved in the cell cycle. Within these 60 genes, we identified significant enrichment of specific DNA motifs in the 1000 bp proximal promotor, some of which associate with known transcriptional factors. These findings are in strong support of instrinsically driven ultradian rhythms and expose potential molecular mechanisms and functions underlying ultradian rhythms that remain unknown.-Van der Veen, D. R., Gerkema, M. P. Unmasking ultradian rhythms in gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan R van der Veen
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom; and
| | - Menno P Gerkema
- Department of Chronobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
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14
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Thengone D, Gagnidze K, Pfaff D, Proekt A. Phase-Amplitude Coupling in Spontaneous Mouse Behavior. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162262. [PMID: 27631971 PMCID: PMC5025157 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The level of activity of many animals including humans rises and falls with a period of ~ 24 hours. The intrinsic biological oscillator that gives rise to this circadian oscillation is driven by a molecular feedback loop with an approximately 24 hour cycle period and is influenced by the environment, most notably the light:dark cycle. In addition to the circadian oscillations, behavior of many animals is influenced by multiple oscillations occurring at faster—ultradian—time scales. These ultradian oscillations are also thought to be driven by feedback loops. While many studies have focused on identifying such ultradian oscillations, less is known about how the ultradian behavioral oscillations interact with each other and with the circadian oscillation. Decoding the coupling among the various physiological oscillators may be important for understanding how they conspire together to regulate the normal activity levels, as well in disease states in which such rhythmic fluctuations in behavior may be disrupted. Here, we use a wavelet-based cross-frequency analysis to show that different oscillations identified in spontaneous mouse behavior are coupled such that the amplitude of oscillations occurring at higher frequencies are modulated by the phase of the slower oscillations. The patterns of these interactions are different among different individuals. Yet this variability is not random. Differences in the pattern of interactions are confined to a low dimensional subspace where different patterns of interactions form clusters. These clusters expose the differences among individuals—males and females are preferentially segregated into different clusters. These sex-specific features of spontaneous behavior were not apparent in the spectra. Thus, our methodology reveals novel aspects of the structure of spontaneous animal behavior that are not observable using conventional methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Thengone
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Khatuna Gagnidze
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America.,Laboratory for Neurobiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Donald Pfaff
- Laboratory for Neurobiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Alex Proekt
- Laboratory for Neurobiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America.,Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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15
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Miyata K, Kuwaki T, Ootsuka Y. The integrated ultradian organization of behavior and physiology in mice and the contribution of orexin to the ultradian patterning. Neuroscience 2016; 334:119-133. [PMID: 27491480 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Our series of rat experiments have shown that locomotor activity, arousal level, body and brown adipose tissue temperatures, heart rate and arterial pressure increase episodically in an integrated manner approximately every 100min (ultradian manner). Although it has been proposed that the integrated ultradian pattern is a fundamental biological rhythm across species, there are no reports of the integrated ultradian pattern in species other than rats. The aim of the present study was to establish a mouse model using simultaneous recording of locomotor activity, eating behavior, body temperature, heart rate and arousal in order to determine whether their behavior and physiology are organized in an ultradian manner in normal (wild-type) mice. We also incorporated the same recording in prepro-orexin knockout (ORX-KO) mice to reveal the role of orexin in the brain mechanisms underlying ultradian patterning. The orexin system is one of the key conductors required for coordinating autonomic functions and behaviors, and thus may contribute to ultradian patterning. In wild-type mice, locomotor activity, arousal level, body temperature and heart rate increased episodically every 93±18min (n=8) during 24h. Eating was integrated into the ultradian pattern, commencing 23±4min (n=8) after the onset of an electroencephalogram (EEG) ultradian episode. The integrated ultradian pattern in wild-type mice is very similar to that observed in rats. In ORX-KO mice, the ultradian episodic changes in locomotor activity, EEG arousal indices and body temperature were significantly attenuated, but the ultradian patterning was preserved. Our findings support the view that the ultradian pattern is common across species. The present results also suggest that orexin contributes to driving ultradian episodic changes, however, this neuropeptide is not essential for the generation of the ultradian pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Miyata
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Kuwaki
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Youichirou Ootsuka
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan; Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Human Physiology, School of Medicine, Flinders University, South Australia, Australia.
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16
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Smarr BL, Zucker I, Kriegsfeld LJ. Detection of Successful and Unsuccessful Pregnancies in Mice within Hours of Pairing through Frequency Analysis of High Temporal Resolution Core Body Temperature Data. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160127. [PMID: 27467519 PMCID: PMC4965159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Many controllable factors negatively impact fetal development, underscoring the importance of early pregnancy detection and identification of events that reliably predict potential complications. Clinically, core body temperature (CBT) is used to aid family planning and pregnancy detection. However, such temperature data typically are gathered in single, daily measurements. In animal studies, interventions or cell/tissue harvesting at defined stages of fetal development are arduous, requiring timed mating by trained observers. The value of continuous temperature measurements remains largely unexplored, but the advent of small, inexpensive, and increasingly ubiquitous, accurate sensor devices makes continuous measures feasible. Here, using a mouse model, we show that continuous, 1-min resolution CBT measurements reliably allow for the earliest and most accurate detection of pregnancy (100%, within 14 h of initial pairing), without requiring interaction with the animal for data collection. This method also reveals a subset of females that exhibit a pregnancy-like response following pairing that persists for a variable number of days. Application of wavelet analysis that permits frequency analysis while preserving temporal resolution, uncovers significant differences in ultradian frequencies of CBT; these rhythms are significantly increased in the 12 h after the day of pairing for pregnancies carried to term compared to apparent pregnancies that failed. High temporal resolution CBT and wavelet analysis permit strikingly early detection and separation of successful pregnancies and pregnancy-like events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L. Smarr
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, United States of America
| | - Irving Zucker
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, United States of America
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United States of America
| | - Lance J. Kriegsfeld
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, United States of America
- The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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Guzmán DA, Pellegrini S, Flesia AG, Aon MA, Marin RH, Kembro JM. High resolution, week-long, locomotion time series from Japanese quail in a home-box environment. Sci Data 2016; 3:160036. [PMID: 27271772 PMCID: PMC4896122 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2016.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal and spatial patterns of locomotion reflect both resting periods and the movement from one place to another to satisfy physiological and behavioural needs. Locomotion is studied in diverse areas of biology such as chronobiology and physiology, as well as in biomathematics. Herein, the locomotion of 24 visually-isolated Japanese quails in their home-box environment was recorded continuously over a 6.5 days at a 0.5 s sampling rate. Three time series are presented for each bird: (1) locomotor activity, (2) distance ambulated, and (3) zone of the box where the bird is located. These high resolution, week-long, time series consisting of 1.07×106 data points represent, to our knowledge, a unique data set in animal behavior, and are publically available on FigShare. The data obtained can be used for analyzing dynamic changes of daily or several day locomotion patterns, or for comparison with existing or future data sets or mathematical models across different taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego A Guzmán
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT, CONICET), and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 1611 Vélez Sarsfield, X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina.,Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, 20 Blichers Allé, Post Box 50, DK-8830, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Stefania Pellegrini
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT, CONICET), and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 1611 Vélez Sarsfield, X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ana G Flesia
- Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios de Matemática (CIEM, CONICET), and Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía y Física FAMAF, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ing. Medina Allende s/n Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, CP X5000HUA, Argentina
| | - Miguel A Aon
- Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Raúl H Marin
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT, CONICET), and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 1611 Vélez Sarsfield, X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Jackelyn M Kembro
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT, CONICET), and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 1611 Vélez Sarsfield, X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina
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18
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Lazopulo A, Syed S. A mathematical model provides mechanistic links to temporal patterns in Drosophila daily activity. BMC Neurosci 2016; 17:14. [PMID: 27090880 PMCID: PMC4835852 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-016-0248-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Circadian clocks are endogenous biochemical oscillators that control daily behavioral rhythms in all living organisms. In fruit fly, the circadian rhythms are typically studied using power spectra of multiday behavioral recordings. Despite decades of study, a quantitative understanding of the temporal shape of Drosophila locomotor rhythms is missing. Locomotor recordings have been used mostly to extract the period of the circadian clock, leaving these data-rich time series largely underutilized. The power spectra of Drosophila and mouse locomotion often show multiple peaks in addition to the expected at T ~ 24 h. Several theoretical and experimental studies have previously used these data to examine interactions between the circadian and other endogenous rhythms, in some cases, attributing peaks in the T < 24 h regime to ultradian oscillators. However, the analysis of fly locomotion was typically performed without considering the shape of time series, while the shape of the signal plays important role in its power spectrum. To account for locomotion patterns in circadian studies we construct a mathematical model of fly activity. Our model allows careful analysis of the temporal shape of behavioral recordings and can provide important information about biochemical mechanisms that control fly activity. Results Here we propose a mathematical model with four exponential terms and a single period of oscillation that closely reproduces the shape of the locomotor data in both time and frequency domains. Using our model, we reexamine interactions between the circadian and other endogenous rhythms and show that the proposed single-period waveform is sufficient to explain the position and height of >88 % of spectral peaks in the locomotion of wild-type and circadian mutants of Drosophila. In the time domain, we find the timescales of the exponentials in our model to be ~1.5 h−1 on average. Conclusions Our results indicate that multiple spectral peaks from fly locomotion are simply harmonics of the circadian period rather than independent ultradian oscillators as previously reported. From timescales of the exponentials we hypothesize that model rates reflect activity of the neuropeptides that likely transduce signals of the circadian clock and the sleep–wake homeostat to shape behavioral outputs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12868-016-0248-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Lazopulo
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, 1320 Campo Sano Avenue, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Sheyum Syed
- Department of Physics, University of Miami, 1320 Campo Sano Avenue, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA.
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19
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Investigation of pre-pubertal sex differences in wheel running and social behavior in three mouse strains. J ETHOL 2015; 33:177-187. [PMID: 26316671 DOI: 10.1007/s10164-015-0429-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in social behaviors exist in mammals during adulthood, and further evidence suggests that sex differences in behavior are present before sexual maturity. In order to model behavioral disorders in animals, it is important to assess baseline sex-related behavioral differences, especially when studying disorders for which sex-related behavioral effects are expected. We investigated the effect of sex on behavior in 3 strains of pre-pubertal mice (C57BL/6, CFW, and CF1) using a wheel-running assay. We found no significant sex differences in latency to run on the wheel or total duration of wheel running within each strain. During the social interaction test, there were no differences between sexes in latency or total duration of contact or following between a subject and novel mouse. We also evaluated behavioral patterns of wheel running and stereotypical behaviors, such as burrowing and grooming. Both sexes showed characteristic wheel running behavior, spending the majority of each trial interacting with the wheel when it was free and more time performing other activities (e.g., stereotypical behaviors, general locomotion) when it was jammed. These results provide evidence that, among various strains of pre-pubertal mice, baseline sex-related behavioral differences are not strong enough to influence the measured behaviors.
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20
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Blum ID, Zhu L, Moquin L, Kokoeva MV, Gratton A, Giros B, Storch KF. A highly tunable dopaminergic oscillator generates ultradian rhythms of behavioral arousal. eLife 2014; 3. [PMID: 25546305 PMCID: PMC4337656 DOI: 10.7554/elife.05105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultradian (∼4 hr) rhythms in locomotor activity that do not depend on the master circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus have been observed across mammalian species, however, the underlying mechanisms driving these rhythms are unknown. We show that disruption of the dopamine transporter gene lengthens the period of ultradian locomotor rhythms in mice. Period lengthening also results from chemogenetic activation of midbrain dopamine neurons and psychostimulant treatment, while the antipsychotic haloperidol has the opposite effect. We further reveal that striatal dopamine levels fluctuate in synchrony with ultradian activity cycles and that dopaminergic tone strongly predicts ultradian period. Our data indicate that an arousal regulating, dopaminergic ultradian oscillator (DUO) operates in the mammalian brain, which normally cycles in harmony with the circadian clock, but can desynchronize when dopamine tone is elevated, thereby producing aberrant patterns of arousal which are strikingly similar to perturbed sleep-wake cycles comorbid with psychopathology. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05105.001 The sleep-wake cycle of mammals is controlled by a ‘circadian clock’ within the brain, which is synchronized to the day–night cycle. However, other aspects of mammalian physiology including alertness and activity levels, as well as appetite and body temperature—fluctuate in cycles that repeat every few hours. These cycles are known as ultradian rhythms, and they may offer survival benefits by enabling potentially risky behaviors, such as foraging, to be coordinated between members of a group. Despite their widespread nature and the fact that they appear to be conserved in evolution, virtually nothing is known about the molecular basis of ultradian rhythms. Blum et al. have now identified a second internal clock within the brain, which they name ‘the DUO’, and shown that this clock normally works in concert with the circadian clock to regulate daily patterns of activity and alertness. Experiments in mice revealed that the DUO uses the brain chemical dopamine to generate bursts of activity roughly every four hours. Moreover, it continues to work when the circadian clock has been destroyed. Measurements of dopamine in freely moving mice showed that levels of the chemical fluctuate in synchrony with the animals' activity levels. Moreover, drugs that flood the brain with dopamine, such as methamphetamine, disrupt the 4-hour cycle by lengthening the period between bursts of activity, whereas drugs that block dopamine receptors have the opposite effect. As well as revealing a mechanism by which the brain coordinates processes that repeat several times per day, the identification of the DUO could also provide insights into the biological basis of psychiatric disorders. Conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are often accompanied by disturbances in patterns of activity and rest. While these have previously been attributed to the disruption of circadian rhythms, there is little direct evidence for this, which raises the possibility that these changes might instead reflect the disruption of ultradian rhythms. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05105.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian D Blum
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Lei Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Luc Moquin
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada
| | - Maia V Kokoeva
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Alain Gratton
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Bruno Giros
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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Abstract
The challenging problems presented by noisy biological oscillators have led to the development of a great variety of methods for accurately estimating rhythmic parameters such as period and amplitude. This chapter focuses on wavelet-based methods, which can be quite effective for assessing how rhythms change over time, particularly if time series are at least a week in length. These methods can offer alternative views to complement more traditional methods of evaluating behavioral records. The analytic wavelet transform can estimate the instantaneous period and amplitude, as well as the phase of the rhythm at each time point, while the discrete wavelet transform can extract the circadian component of activity and measure the relative strength of that circadian component compared to those in other frequency bands. Wavelet transforms do not require the removal of noise or trend, and can, in fact, be effective at removing noise and trend from oscillatory time series. The Fourier periodogram and spectrogram are reviewed, followed by descriptions of the analytic and discrete wavelet transforms. Examples illustrate application of each method and their prior use in chronobiology is surveyed. Issues such as edge effects, frequency leakage, and implications of the uncertainty principle are also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya L Leise
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
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22
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Pasquali V, Sbordoni V. High variability in the expression of circadian rhythms in a cave beetle population. BIOL RHYTHM RES 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/09291016.2014.934077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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23
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Wang ZY, Cable EJ, Zucker I, Prendergast BJ. Pregnancy-induced changes in ultradian rhythms persist in circadian arrhythmic Siberian hamsters. Horm Behav 2014; 66:228-37. [PMID: 24798705 PMCID: PMC4372156 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The impact of pregnancy and lactation on ultradian rhythms (URs) and circadian rhythms (CRs) of locomotor activity was assessed in circadian rhythmic and arrhythmic Siberian hamsters maintained in a long-day photoperiod (16h light/day). Progressive decrements in CR robustness and amplitude over the course of gestation were accompanied by enhanced URs. Dark-phase UR period and amplitude increased during early gestation and complexity and robustness increased during late gestation. The persistence of pregnancy-associated enhancements of URs in circadian arrhythmic (ARR) hamsters suggests that reproductive modulation of the UR waveform is not dependent on coherent circadian organization. The increased incidence of dark-phase URs appeared more rapidly in ARR dams than entrained (ENTR) dams. Throughout gestation, the percentage of dams with dark-phase URs was significantly greater in the ARR group. Gestational increases in UR complexity and robustness emerged earlier and were greater in ARR than ENTR dams. The attenuation of CRs during lactation is correlated with increased expression of URs. Relaxation of circadian control of the dam's behavior may increase fitness by permitting more efficient interactions with circadian arrhythmic pups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Yan Wang
- Committee on Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - Erin J Cable
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Irving Zucker
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Brian J Prendergast
- Committee on Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Tanahashi Y, Waki N, Unno T, Matsuyama H, Iino S, Kitazawa T, Yamada M, Komori S. Roles of M2 and M3 muscarinic receptors in the generation of rhythmic motor activity in mouse small intestine. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2013; 25:e687-97. [PMID: 23889852 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The roles of M2 and M3 muscarinic receptor subtypes in the regulation of gut motor activity were investigated. METHODS We simultaneously recorded changes in the intraluminal pressure (IP) and longitudinal tension (LT) in small intestinal segments from M2 or M3 receptor knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. KEY RESULTS In the WT preparations, luminal distension induced a continuous rhythmic contractile activity that was characterized by synchronous rises in IP and LT, occurring periodically at a constant interval. Tetrodotoxin completely abolished the response, whereas atropine either abolished or attenuated it. In the majority of the M2 KO preparations, however, no rhythmic activity was observed in response to the luminal distention, even though networks of enteric neurons and interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) seemed to be intact. Where rhythmic activity did occur in M2 KO preparations, it was atropine resistant. In the M3 KO preparations, the IP and LT were synchronously changed by the luminal distention, but the changes occurred at irregular intervals. The W/W(v) mutant preparations, which lack ICC in the myenteric plexus (ICC-MY), showed results similar to those of the M3 KO preparations. In some of the M2 /M3 double-KO preparations, rhythmic activity was not observed, but in the others, an atropine-resistant rhythmicity appeared. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES These results suggest that M2 and M3 muscarinic receptors differentially regulate the intestinal motor activity: M2 receptors play an essential role in the generation of rhythmic motor activity, and M3 receptors have a modulatory role in controlling the periodicity of the rhythmic activity together with the ICC-MY.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Tanahashi
- Department of Animal Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto, Japan
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Dowse HB. Maximum entropy spectral analysis for circadian rhythms: theory, history and practice. J Circadian Rhythms 2013; 11:6. [PMID: 23844660 PMCID: PMC3723481 DOI: 10.1186/1740-3391-11-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an array of numerical techniques available to estimate the period of circadian and other biological rhythms. Criteria for choosing a method include accuracy of period measurement, resolution of signal embedded in noise or of multiple periodicities, and sensitivity to the presence of weak rhythms and robustness in the presence of stochastic noise. Maximum Entropy Spectral Analysis (MESA) has proven itself excellent in all regards. The MESA algorithm fits an autoregressive model to the data and extracts the spectrum from its coefficients. Entropy in this context refers to "ignorance" of the data and since this is formally maximized, no unwarranted assumptions are made. Computationally, the coefficients are calculated efficiently by solution of the Yule-Walker equations in an iterative algorithm. MESA is compared here to other common techniques. It is normal to remove high frequency noise from time series using digital filters before analysis. The Butterworth filter is demonstrated here and a danger inherent in multiple filtering passes is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold B Dowse
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, School of Biology and Ecology, 5751 Murray Hall, University of Maine, Orono ME 04469, USA.
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Stephenson R, Lim J, Famina S, Caron AM, Dowse HB. Sleep-wake behavior in the rat: ultradian rhythms in a light-dark cycle and continuous bright light. J Biol Rhythms 2013; 27:490-501. [PMID: 23223374 DOI: 10.1177/0748730412461247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Ultradian rhythms are a prominent but little-studied feature of mammalian sleep-wake and rest-activity patterns. They are especially evident in long-term records of behavioral state in polyphasic animals such as rodents. However, few attempts have been made to incorporate ultradian rhythmicity into models of sleep-wake dynamics, and little is known about the physiological mechanisms that give rise to ultradian rhythms in sleep-wake state. This study investigated ultradian dynamics in sleep and wakefulness in rats entrained to a 12-h:12-h light-dark cycle (LD) and in rats whose circadian rhythms were suppressed and free-running following long-term exposure to uninterrupted bright light (LL). We recorded sleep-wake state continuously for 7 to 12 consecutive days and used time-series analysis to quantify the dynamics of net cumulative time in each state (wakefulness [WAKE], rapid eye movement sleep [REM], and non-REM sleep [NREM]) in each animal individually. Form estimates and autocorrelation confirmed the presence of significant ultradian and circadian rhythms; maximum entropy spectral analysis allowed high-resolution evaluation of multiple periods within the signal, and wave-by-wave analysis enabled a statistical evaluation of the instantaneous period, peak-trough range, and phase of each ultradian wave in the time series. Significant ultradian periodicities were present in all 3 states in all animals. In LD, ultradian range was approximately 28% of circadian range. In LL, ultradian range was slightly reduced relative to LD, and circadian range was strongly attenuated. Ultradian rhythms were found to be quasiperiodic in both LD and LL. That is, ultradian period varied randomly around a mean of approximately 4 h, with no relationship between ultradian period and time of day.
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Mueller JC, Steinmeyer C, Kempenaers B. Individual variation in sleep-wake rhythms in free-living birds. Chronobiol Int 2012; 29:1216-26. [PMID: 22881222 DOI: 10.3109/07420528.2012.705404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Ultradian rhythms, such as sleep-wake periodicities, during the night might represent basic rest-activity cycles of organisms that are fundamental to the temporal organization and synchronization of behavior throughout the day. However, in contrast to circadian rhythms, little is known about the underlying oscillators and molecular mechanisms of higher-frequency rhythms. A fundamental step for the understanding of the mechanisms of these latter periodicities is the analysis of variation in sleep-wake cycles in free-living animals, which can help in estimating the relative importance of genetic and environmental influence on the rhythmicity. We analyzed variation in the level of rhythmicity and period length (τ) of behaviorally defined sleep-wake cycles in a natural population of blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus. Our results indicate that the expression of periodicity in sleep-wake patterns, but not τ, has a strong individual-specific basis. The within-individual repeatability estimate of the expression of periodicity was .45 (95% confidence interval: .35-.55) when data from males and females were combined. In addition, periodicity was influenced by specific environmental factors, such as night temperature, seasonal date, and age of the individual. Most strikingly, low nighttime temperature negatively affected periodicity of sleep-wake patterns, potentially via a hypothermic response of the birds. Our results further suggest that τ is influenced by photoperiod. Blue tits showed longer sleep-wake rhythms when the nights were longer. These observations suggest a genetic basis for the incidence of rhythmic sleep-wake behavior in addition to environmental modifications of their specific expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob C Mueller
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Starnberg, Germany.
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Thomas C, Marcaletti S, Feige JN. Assessment of Spontaneous Locomotor and Running Activity in Mice. CURRENT PROTOCOLS IN MOUSE BIOLOGY 2011; 1:185-98. [PMID: 26068992 DOI: 10.1002/9780470942390.mo100170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The locomotor activity of laboratory mice is a global behavioral trait which can be valuable for the primary phenotyping of genetically engineered mouse models as well as mouse models of pathologies affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems, the musculoskeletal system, and the control of energy homeostasis. Basal levels of mouse locomotion can be recorded using infrared monitoring of movements, and further information can be gathered by giving the animal access to a running wheel, which will greatly enhance its spontaneous physical activity. Described here are two detailed protocols to evaluate basal locomotor activity and spontaneous wheel running. Curr. Protoc. Mouse Biol. 1:185-198. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Thomas
- Center of Phenogenomics (CPG), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Marcaletti
- MusculoSkeletal Diseases, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jérôme N Feige
- MusculoSkeletal Diseases, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
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