Effect of circadian phase on context and cued fear conditioning in C57BL/6J mice

Circadian neurogenetics and its implications in neurophysiology, behavior, and chronomedicine

The circadian rhythm affects multiple physiological processes, and disruption of the circadian system can be involved in a range of disease-related pathways. The genetic underpinnings of the circadian rhythm have been well-studied in model organisms. Significant progress has been made in understanding how clock genes affect the physiological functions of the nervous system. In addition, circadian timing is becoming a key factor in improving drug efficacy and reducing drug toxicity. The circadian biology of the target cell determines how the organ responds to the drug at a specific time of day, thus regulating pharmacodynamics. The current review brings together recent advances that have begun to unravel the molecular mechanisms of how the circadian clock affects neurophysiological and behavioral processes associated with human brain diseases. We start with a brief description of how the ubiquitous circadian rhythms are regulated at the genetic, cellular, and neural circuit levels, based on knowledge derived from extensive research on model organisms. We then summarize the latest findings from genetic studies of human brain disorders, focusing on the role of human clock gene variants in these diseases. Lastly, we discuss the impact of common dietary factors and medications on human circadian rhythms and advocate for a broader application of the concept of chronomedicine.

Circadian regulation of memory under stress: Endocannabinoids matter

Organisms ranging from plants to higher mammals have developed 24-hour oscillation rhythms to optimize physiology to environmental changes and regulate a plethora of neuroendocrine and behavioral processes, including neurotransmitter and hormone regulation, stress response and learning and memory function. Compelling evidence indicates that a wide array of memory processes is strongly influenced by stress- and emotional arousal-activated neurobiological systems, including the endocannabinoid system which has been extensively shown to play an integral role in mediating stress effects on memory. Here, we review findings showing how circadian rhythms and time-of-day influence stress systems and memory performance. We report evidence of circadian regulation of memory under stress, focusing on the role of the endocannabinoid system and highlighting its circadian rhythmicity. Our discussion illustrates how the endocannabinoid system mediates stress effects on memory in a circadian-dependent fashion. We suggest that endocannabinoids might regulate molecular mechanisms that control memory function under circadian and stress influence, with potential important clinical implications for both neurodevelopmental disorders and psychiatric conditions involving memory impairments.

Time of Day-Dependent Alteration of Hippocampal Rac1 Activation Regulates Contextual Fear Memory in Rats

Fear memory in species varies according to the time of the day. Although the underlying molecular mechanisms have been extensively explored, they remain largely unknown. Here, we report that hippocampal Rac1 activity undergoes a time of day-dependent alteration both in nocturnal rats and diurnal tree shrews and that training at the lower hippocampal Rac1 activation period during the night leads to better contextual fear memory in rats. Furthermore, day and night reversion by 24 h darkness/24 h light housing inverses the external clock time of hippocampal Rac1 activation, but the better contextual fear memory still coincides with the lower Rac1 activation in rats during the night. Interestingly, exogenous melatonin treatment promotes hippocampal Rac1 activity and impairs better contextual fear memory acquired at the lower Rac1 activation period during the night, and Rac1-specific inhibitor NSC23766 compromises the effect of melatonin. These results suggest that the time of day-dependent alteration of hippocampal Rac1 activation regulates contextual fear memory in rats by forgetting.

What's wrong with my experiment?: The impact of hidden variables on neuropsychopharmacology research

The field of neuropsychopharmacology relies on behavioral assays to quantify behavioral processes related to mental illness and substance use disorders. Although these assays have been highly informative, sometimes laboratories have unpublished datasets from experiments that "didn't work". Often this is because expected outcomes were not observed in positive or negative control groups. While this can be due to experimenter error, an important alternative is that under-appreciated environmental factors can have a major impact on results. "Hidden variables" such as circadian cycles, husbandry, and social environments are often omitted in methods sections, even though there is a strong body of literature documenting their impact on physiological and behavioral outcomes. Applying this knowledge in a more critical manner could provide behavioral neuroscientists with tools to develop better testing methods, improve the external validity of behavioral techniques, and make better comparisons of experimental data across institutions. Here we review the potential impact of "hidden variables" that are commonly overlooked such as light-dark cycles, transport stress, cage ventilation, and social housing structure. While some of these conditions may not be under direct control of investigators, it does not diminish the potential impact of these variables on experimental results. We provide recommendations to investigators on which variables to report in publications and how to address "hidden variables" that impact their experimental results.

Chronobiology of transient global amnesia

INTRODUCTION

The etiology of transient global amnesia (TGA) is still a matter of debate. Based, among others, on the observation of a close temporal relation between certain events and subsequent TGA episodes, recent proposals discuss the relevance of stress-associated processes impacting on hippocampal functioning. Circadian, infra- and ultradian rhythmicity has been found to play a relevant role in the multifactorial pathomechanisms of various disorders but has not been thoroughly studied in TGA.

METHODS

Data of patients with a final diagnosis of TGA were collected in Mannheim, Germany (06/1999-01/2018, n = 404), and in the Kansai district, Japan (04/2006-03/2018, n = 261). Chronological patterns of TGA occurrence were determined.

RESULTS

Significant circadian rhythmicity of TGA occurrence with bimodal peaks (mid-morning, late afternoon) was found for the entire population (p = 0.002) and for either sub-cohort (Mannheim: p = 0.003, Kansai: p = 0.007). This finding was confirmed for either sex (women: p = 0.004, men: p = 0.004) and different age groups (< 65 years: p = 0.0009, ≥ 65 years: p = 0.003). There was no variation according to day of the week, month or season, but the proportion of patients with a weekday episode was significantly higher in the Mannheim cohort (p = 0.002).

DISCUSSION

We identified a robust circadian rhythm in TGA occurrence which remarkably applied to either of the two study sites located on different continents and which was independent of sex and age. In light of abundant evidence of circadian rhythmicity of both, components of the human stress response system and memory, chronobiological analyses may provide an opportunity to further uncover the mechanisms underlying TGA.

Time-of-day as a critical biological variable

Time-of-day is a crucial, yet often overlooked, biological variable in biomedical research. We examined the top 25 most cited papers in several domains of behavioral neuroscience to determine whether time-of-day information was reported. The majority of studies report behavioral testing conducted during the day, which does not coincide with the optimal time to perform the testing from an functional perspective of the animals being tested. The majority of animal models used in biomedical research are nocturnal rodents; thus, testing during the light phase (i.e. animals' rest period) may alter the results and introduce variability across studies. Time-of-day is rarely considered in analyses or reported in publications; the majority of publications fail to include temporal details when describing their experimental methods, and those few that report testing during the dark rarely report whether measures are in place to protect from exposure to extraneous light. We propose that failing to account for time-of-day may compromise replication of findings across behavioral studies and reduce their value when extrapolating results to diurnal humans.

Inhibition of casein kinase 1 δ/ε improves cognitive performance in adult C57BL/6J mice

Time-of-day effects have been noted in a wide variety of cognitive behavioral tests, and perturbation of the circadian system, either at the level of the master clock in the SCN or downstream, impairs hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. A number of kinases, including the serine-threonine casein kinase 1 (CK1) isoforms CK1δ/ε, regulate the timing of the circadian period through post-translational modification of clock proteins. Modulation of these circadian kinases presents a novel treatment direction for cognitive deficits through circadian modulation. Here, we tested the potential for PF-670462, a small molecule inhibitor of CK1δ/ε, to improve cognitive performance in C57BL/6J mice in an array of behavioral tests. Compared to vehicle-treated mice tested at the same time of the circadian day, mice treated with PF-670462 displayed better recall of contextual fear conditioning, made fewer working memory errors in the radial arm water maze, and trained more efficiently in the Morris Water Maze. These benefits were accompanied by increased expression of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) in the amygdala in response to an acute learning paradigm. Our results suggest the potential utility of CK1δ/ε inhibition in improving time-of-day cognitive performance.

The diurnal variation of open-field habituation in rats

The present study aimed to establish the effect of time of the day on habituation in the open-field test, one of the most elementary forms of non-associative hippocampal-dependent learning. Open-field test was performed in young adult male Wistar rats at the beginning (08:30-10:00 h; defined as Zeitgeber time (ZT) ZT0.5-2), mid-time (13:00-14:30 h, ZT5-6.5) and at the end (18:30-20:00 h, ZT10.5-12) of the light period. Our results revealed that in the acquisition trial there were no significant differences among the six parameters recorded through tested periods. In contrast, the level of habituation in the ambulation and rearing rose as followed: ZT0.5-2 < ZT10.5-12 < ZT5-6.5. In both trials, the principal component analysis highlights two components: component 1 was mainly loaded by ambulation in the outer and inner area, rearing and freezing behaviors, whereas component 2 was mostly loaded on grooming activity and defecation. The correlation between parameters varied across the period of day and trial. Animals that expressed a higher level of grooming, defecation (ZT5-6.5) and freezing behavior (ZT0.5-2 and ZT5-6.5) at acquisition trial habituated better on those parameters on the retention trial. In conclusion, habituation outcomes to the open-field test and correlation between tested parameters highly depend on daytime.

Interaction Between Circadian Rhythms, Energy Metabolism, and Cognitive Function

The interaction between meal timing and light regulates circadian rhythms in mammals and not only determines the sleep-wake pattern but also the activity of the endocrine system. Related with that, the necessity to fulfill energy needs is a driving force that requires the participation of cognitive skills whose performance has been shown to undergo circadian variations. These facts have led to the concept that cognition and feeding behaviour can be analysed from a chronobiological perspective. In this context, research carried out during the last two decades has evidenced the link between feeding behaviour/nutritional habits and cognitive processes, and has highlighted the impact of circadian disorders on cognitive decline. All that has allowed hypothesizing a tight relationship between nutritional factors, chronobiology, and cognition. In this connection, experimental diets containing elevated amounts of fat and sugar (high-fat diets; HFDs) have been shown to alter in rodents the circadian distribution of meals, and to have a negative impact on cognition and motivational aspects of behaviour that disappear when animals are forced to adhere to a standard temporal eating pattern. In this review, we will present relevant studies focussing on the effect of HFDs on cognitive aspects of behaviour, paying particular attention to the influence that chronobiological alterations caused by these diets may have on hippocampaldependent cognition.

Circadian and Ultradian Variations in Corticosterone Level Influence Functioning of the Male Mouse Basolateral Amygdala

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis involves timed signaling between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands and back to the brain, causing an inherently oscillating system. Corticosteroids such as corticosterone (CORT) are secreted in a circadian rhythm, characterized by low and high levels at the start of the inactive and active phases, respectively. The circadian rhythm overarches ultradian CORT pulses, with approximate 1-hour interpulse intervals. We examined the physiological relevance of pulsatile CORT exposure for neurons of the basolateral amygdala (BLA), an area important for fear learning. We first applied four pulses of equal, high CORT concentration and measured the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) reflecting spontaneous glutamate signaling. BLA neurons responded differently to each pulse, showing "metaplasticity," extending earlier studies. Next, we mimicked the progression of the inactive and active phases by four CORT pulses of increasing and decreasing concentrations, respectively. CORT pulses of increasing concentration were necessary and sufficient to gradually increase baseline (between-pulse) mEPSC frequency during the mimicked inactive phase, whereas the opposite was seen with decreasing CORT levels during the mimicked active phase. To study the relevance of changed glutamate transmission on behavior, mice were tested in tone-cued fear conditioning during the active or inactive phase. Animals tested at the inactive compared with the active phase showed efficient fear learning; this was also observed when animals tested during the active phase were treated with the CORT synthesis blocker metyrapone. This suggests that natural CORT rhythms influence electrical activity in the BLA, possibly contributing to altered behavioral function.

Time-of-Day and Age Impact on Memory in Elevated Plus-Maze Test in Rats

The purpose of the present study was to establish the effect of daytime and aging on memory in rats in the Elevated Plus-Maze (EPM) test. Young (2-months) and aged (18-months) male Wistar rats were exposed to the EPM test, at the beginning, mid-time or at the end of the light period. On the acquisition trial, the animals were placed individually at the end of one of the open arms of the EPM and the latency to enter in the enclosed arms was registered (cut-off time 60 s). The test was repeated 24 h later on. A longer latency period to reach the enclosed arm indicated poor retention compared to significantly shorter latencies. There were no significant differences between groups on the acquisition trial. In all tested periods, the latency time on the 24 h retention trial was significantly shorter in the young rats compared to the old ones. Furthermore, in the early and mid-time period of the light period, the young rats showed significantly decreased transfer latency (TL) time on the 24 h retention trial in comparison with the acquisition trial. In the aged rats, the TL time on the 24 h retention trial was significantly longer at the end of the light period, in comparison to the two other testing periods. In conclusion, aging significantly affects memory and the more critical period for memory process in both young and old animals, particularly at the end of the light period of the circadian cycle.

miR-132 couples the circadian clock to daily rhythms of neuronal plasticity and cognition

The microRNA miR-132 serves as a key regulator of a wide range of plasticity-associated processes in the central nervous system. Interestingly, miR-132 expression has also been shown to be under the control of the circadian timing system. This finding, coupled with work showing that miR-132 is expressed in the hippocampus, where it influences neuronal morphology and memory, led us to test the idea that daily rhythms in miR-132 within the forebrain modulate cognition as a function of circadian time. Here, we show that hippocampal miR-132 expression is gated by the time-of-day, with peak levels occurring during the circadian night. Further, in miR-132 knockout mice and in transgenic mice, where miR-132 is constitutively expressed under the control of the tetracycline regulator system, we found that time-of-day dependent memory recall (as assessed via novel object location and contextual fear conditioning paradigms) was suppressed. Given that miRNAs exert their functional effects via the suppression of target gene expression, we examined the effects that transgenic miR-132 manipulations have on MeCP2 and Sirt1-two miR-132 targets that are associated with neuronal plasticity and cognition. In mice where miR-132 was either knocked out, or transgenically expressed, rhythmic expression of MeCP2 and Sirt1 was suppressed. Taken together, these results raise the prospect that miR-132 serves as a key route through which the circadian timing system imparts a daily rhythm on cognitive capacity.

Clocking In Time to Gate Memory Processes: The Circadian Clock Is Part of the Ins and Outs of Memory

Learning, memory consolidation, and retrieval are processes known to be modulated by the circadian (circa: about; dies: day) system. The circadian regulation of memory performance is evolutionarily conserved, independent of the type and complexity of the learning paradigm tested, and not specific to crepuscular, nocturnal, or diurnal organisms. In mammals, long-term memory (LTM) formation is tightly coupled to de novo gene expression of plasticity-related proteins and posttranslational modifications and relies on intact cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA)/protein kinase C (PKC)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CREB) signaling. These memory-essential signaling components cycle rhythmically in the hippocampus across the day and night and are clearly molded by an intricate interplay between the circadian system and memory. Important components of the circadian timing mechanism and its plasticity are members of the Period clock gene family (Per1, Per2). Interestingly, Per1 is rhythmically expressed in mouse hippocampus. Observations suggest important and largely unexplored roles of the clock gene protein PER1 in synaptic plasticity and in the daytime-dependent modulation of learning and memory. Here, we review the latest findings on the role of the clock gene Period 1 (Per1) as a candidate molecular and mechanistic blueprint for gating the daytime dependency of memory processing.

Circadian Regulation of Hippocampal-Dependent Memory: Circuits, Synapses, and Molecular Mechanisms

Circadian modulation of learning and memory efficiency is an evolutionarily conserved phenomenon, occurring in organisms ranging from invertebrates to higher mammalian species, including humans. While the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus functions as the master mammalian pacemaker, recent evidence suggests that forebrain regions, including the hippocampus, exhibit oscillatory capacity. This finding, as well as work on the cellular signaling events that underlie learning and memory, has opened promising new avenues of investigation into the precise cellular, molecular, and circuit-based mechanisms by which clock timing impacts plasticity and cognition. In this review, we examine the complex molecular relationship between clock timing and memory, with a focus on hippocampal-dependent tasks. We evaluate how the dysregulation of circadian timing, both at the level of the SCN and at the level of ancillary forebrain clocks, affects learning and memory. Further, we discuss experimentally validated intracellular signaling pathways (e.g., ERK/MAPK and GSK3β) and potential cellular signaling mechanisms by which the clock affects learning and memory formation. Finally, we examine how long-term potentiation (LTP), a synaptic process critical to the establishment of several forms of memory, is regulated by clock-gated processes.

An earlier time of scan is associated with greater threat-related amygdala reactivity

Time-dependent variability in mood and anxiety suggest that related neural phenotypes, such as threat-related amygdala reactivity, may also follow a diurnal pattern. Here, using data from 1,043 young adult volunteers, we found that threat-related amygdala reactivity was negatively coupled with time of day, an effect which was stronger in the left hemisphere (β = -0.1083, p-fdr = 0.0012). This effect was moderated by subjective sleep quality (β = -0.0715, p-fdr = 0.0387); participants who reported average and poor sleep quality had relatively increased left amygdala reactivity in the morning. Bootstrapped simulations suggest that similar cross-sectional samples with at least 300 participants would be able to detect associations between amygdala reactivity and time of scan. In control analyses, we found no associations between time and V1 activation. Our results provide initial evidence that threat-related amygdala reactivity may vary diurnally, and that this effect is potentiated among individuals with average to low sleep quality. More broadly, our results suggest that considering time of scan in study design or modeling time of scan in analyses, as well as collecting additional measures of circadian variation, may be useful for understanding threat-related neural phenotypes and their associations with behavior, such as fear conditioning, mood and anxiety symptoms, and related phenotypes.

SCOP/PHLPP1β mediates circadian regulation of long-term recognition memory

Learning and memory depend on the time of day in various organisms, but it is not clear whether and how the circadian clock regulates memory performance. Here we show that consolidation of long-term recognition memory is a circadian-regulated process, which is blunted by disruption of the hippocampal clock. We focused on SCOP, a key molecule regulating hippocampus-dependent long-term memory for objects. The amounts of SCOP and its binding partner K-Ras in the hippocampal membrane rafts exhibit robust circadian changes, and SCOP knockdown in the hippocampal CA1 impairs long-term memory at night. Circadian changes in stimulus-dependent activation of ERK in the hippocampal neurons are dependent on the SCOP levels in the membrane rafts, while Scop knockout abrogates the activation rhythm. We conclude that long-term memory formation is regulated by the circadian clock through SCOP dynamics in the membrane rafts of the hippocampal CA1.

Learning and memory are subject to circadian variation, though the molecular mechanisms behind this are unclear. Here, the authors show SCOP, a regulator of hippocampal memory, undergoes circadian changes in CA1 membrane raft dynamics and contributes to time-dependent changes in long-term memory.

Effect of Circadian Phase on Performance of Rats in the Morris Water Maze Task

The authors examined spatial working memory in the Morris water maze during the activity and rest periods ofWistar rats. Wheel-running activity was measured continuously as a marker of circadian phase. To minimize possible masking effects on performance, animals were placed in constant dim light the day before testing and tested in similar light conditions. Three experiments were run, each of them using animals varying in their previous experience in the water maze. Half of the animals of each experiment were tested 2 to 3 h after activity onset (active group), and the other half were tested 14 to 15 h after activity onset (inactive group). In the three experiments, a significant phase effect was observed in the animals’ performance in the water maze; animals tested in the active phase showed steeper acquisition curves. These phase effects on performance are due to the animals’ search pattern and not to a better acquisition and maintenance of spatial information; rats tested in the inactive phase found the platform faster on the first trial of the test, when the information on the location of the platform had not been presented to the animals. This effect vanished as the amount of training in the pool increased. Finally, swimming speed also showed a temporal effect, suggesting the existence of a phase effect for motivation to escape from the water; rats tested during their inactive phase tended to swim faster. All together, the data suggest a modulating effect of the biological clock on performance in the water maze, particularly when the animals are less experienced.

Maternal sleep deprivation at different stages of pregnancy impairs the emotional and cognitive functions, and suppresses hippocampal long-term potentiation in the offspring rats

Background

Sleep deprivation during pregnancy is a serious public health problem as it can affect the health of pregnant women and newborns. However, it is not well studied whether sleep deprivation at different stages of pregnancy has similar effects on emotional and cognitive functions of the offspring, and if so, the potential cellular mechanisms also remain poorly understood.

Methods

In the present study, the pregnant rats were subjected to sleep deprivation for 6 h per day by gentle handling during the first (gestational days 1–7), second (gestational days 8–14) and third trimester (gestational days 15–21) of pregnancy, respectively. The emotional and cognitive functions as well as hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) were tested in the offspring rats (postnatal days 42-56).

Results

The offspring displayed impaired hippocampal-dependent spatial learning and memory, and increased depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors. Quantification of BrdU-positive cells revealed that adult hippocampal neurogenesis was significantly reduced compared to control. Electrophysiological recording showed that maternal sleep deprivation impaired hippocampal CA1 LTP and reduced basal synaptic transmission, as reflected by a decrease in the frequency and amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic current in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results suggest that maternal sleep deprivation at different stages of pregnancy disrupts the emotional and cognitive functions of the offspring that might be attributable to the suppression of hippocampal LTP and basal synaptic transmission.

The Optic Lobes Regulate Circadian Rhythms of Olfactory Learning and Memory in the Cockroach

The cockroach, Leucophaea maderae, can be trained in an associative olfactory memory task by either classical or operant conditioning. When trained by classical conditioning, memory formation is regulated by a circadian clock, but once the memory is formed, it can be recalled at any circadian time. In contrast, when trained via operant conditioning, animals can learn the task at any circadian phase, but the ability to recall the long-term memory is tied to the phase of training. The optic lobes of the cockroach contain a circadian clock that drives circadian rhythms of locomotor activity, mating behavior, sensitivity of the compound eye to light, and the sensitivity of olfactory receptors in the antennae. To evaluate the role of the optic lobes in regulating learning and memory processes, the authors examined the effects of surgical ablation of the optic lobes on memory formation in classical conditioning and memory recall following operant conditioning. The effect of optic lobe ablation was to "rescue" the deficit in memory acquisition at a time the animals normally cannot learn and "rescue" the animal's ability to recall a memory formed by operant conditioning at a phase where memory was not normally expressed. The results suggested that the optic lobe pacemaker regulates these processes through inhibition at "inappropriate" times of day. As a pharmacological test of this hypothesis, the authors showed that injections of fipronil, an antagonist of GABA and glutamate-activated chloride channels, had the same effects as optic lobe ablation on memory formation and recall. The data suggest that the optic lobes contain the circadian clock(s) that regulate learning and memory processes via inhibition of neural processes in the brain.

Synchrony and desynchrony in circadian clocks: impacts on learning and memory

Circadian clocks evolved under conditions of environmental variation, primarily alternating light dark cycles, to enable organisms to anticipate daily environmental events and coordinate metabolic, physiological, and behavioral activities. However, modern lifestyle and advances in technology have increased the percentage of individuals working in phases misaligned with natural circadian activity rhythms. Endogenous circadian oscillators modulate alertness, the acquisition of learning, memory formation, and the recall of memory with examples of circadian modulation of memory observed across phyla from invertebrates to humans. Cognitive performance and memory are significantly diminished when occurring out of phase with natural circadian rhythms. Disruptions in circadian regulation can lead to impairment in the formation of memories and manifestation of other cognitive deficits. This review explores the types of interactions through which the circadian clock modulates cognition, highlights recent progress in identifying mechanistic interactions between the circadian system and the processes involved in memory formation, and outlines methods used to remediate circadian perturbations and reinforce circadian adaptation.

Variations in Phase and Amplitude of Rhythmic Clock Gene Expression across Prefrontal Cortex, Hippocampus, Amygdala, and Hypothalamic Paraventricular and Suprachiasmatic Nuclei of Male and Female Rats

The molecular circadian clock is a self-regulating transcription/translation cycle of positive (Bmal1, Clock/Npas2) and negative (Per1,2,3, Cry1,2) regulatory components. While the molecular clock has been well characterized in the body's master circadian pacemaker, the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), only a few studies have examined both the positive and negative clock components in extra-SCN brain tissue. Furthermore, there has yet to be a direct comparison of male and female clock gene expression in the brain. This comparison is warranted, as there are sex differences in circadian functioning and disorders associated with disrupted clock gene expression. This study examined basal clock gene expression (Per1, Per2, Bmal1 mRNA) in the SCN, prefrontal cortex (PFC), rostral agranular insula, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), amygdala, and hippocampus of male and female rats at 4-h intervals throughout a 12:12 h light:dark cycle. There was a significant rhythm of Per1, Per2, and Bmal1 in the SCN, PFC, insula, PVN, subregions of the hippocampus, and amygdala with a 24-h period, suggesting the importance of an oscillating molecular clock in extra-SCN brain regions. There were 3 distinct clock gene expression profiles across the brain regions, indicative of diversity among brain clocks. Although, generally, the clock gene expression profiles were similar between male and female rats, there were some sex differences in the robustness of clock gene expression (e.g., females had fewer robust rhythms in the medial PFC, more robust rhythms in the hippocampus, and a greater mesor in the medial amygdala). Furthermore, females with a regular estrous cycle had attenuated aggregate rhythms in clock gene expression in the PFC compared with noncycling females. This suggests that gonadal hormones may modulate the expression of the molecular clock.

Effect of circadian phase on memory acquisition and recall: operant conditioning vs. classical conditioning

There have been several studies on the role of circadian clocks in the regulation of associative learning and memory processes in both vertebrate and invertebrate species. The results have been quite variable and at present it is unclear to what extent the variability observed reflects species differences or differences in methodology. Previous results have shown that following differential classical conditioning in the cockroach, Rhyparobia maderae, in an olfactory discrimination task, formation of the short-term and long-term memory is under strict circadian control. In contrast, there appeared to be no circadian regulation of the ability to recall established memories. In the present study, we show that following operant conditioning of the same species in a very similar olfactory discrimination task, there is no impact of the circadian system on either short-term or long-term memory formation. On the other hand, ability to recall established memories is strongly tied to the circadian phase of training. On the basis of these data and those previously reported for phylogenetically diverse species, it is suggested that there may be fundamental differences in the way the circadian system regulates learning and memory in classical and operant conditioning.

Light enhances learned fear

The ability to learn, remember, and respond to emotional events is a powerful survival strategy. However, dysregulated behavioral and physiological responses to these memories are maladaptive. To fully understand learned fear and the pathologies that arise during response malfunction we must reveal the environmental variables that influence learned fear responses. Light, a ubiquitous environmental feature, modulates cognition and anxiety. We hypothesized that light modulates responses to learned fear. Using tone-cued fear conditioning, we found that light enhances behavioral responses to learned fear in C57BL/6J mice. Mice in light freeze more in response to a conditioned cue than mice in darkness. The absence of significant freezing during a 2-wk habituation period and during intertrial intervals indicated that light specifically modulates freezing to the learned acoustic cue rather than the context of the experimental chamber. Repeating our assay in two photoreceptor mutant models, Pde6b(rd1/rd1) and Opn4(-/-) mice, revealed that light-dependent enhancement of conditioned fear is driven primarily by the rods and/or cones. By repeating our protocol with an altered lighting regimen, we found that lighting conditions acutely modulate responses when altered between conditioning and testing. This is manifested either as an enhancement of freezing when light is added during testing or as a depression of freezing when light is removed during testing. Acute enhancement, but not depression, requires both rod/cone- and melanopsin-dependent photoreception. Our results demonstrate a modulation by light of behavioral responses to learned fear.

Inhibition of hippocampal neurogenesis by sleep deprivation is independent of circadian disruption and melatonin suppression

Procedures that restrict or fragment sleep can inhibit neurogenesis in the hippocampus of adult rodents, although the underlying mechanism is unknown. We showed that rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep deprivation (RSD) by the platform-over-water method inhibits hippocampal cell proliferation in adrenalectomized rats with low-dose corticosterone clamp. This procedure also greatly disrupts daily behavioral rhythms. Given recent evidence for circadian clock regulation of cell proliferation, we asked whether disruption of circadian rhythms might play a role in the anti-neurogenic effects of sleep loss. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a 4-day RSD procedure or were exposed to constant bright light (LL) for 4 days or 10 weeks, a non-invasive procedure for eliminating circadian rhythms of behavior and physiology in this species. Proliferating cells in the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus were identified by immunolabeling for the thymidine analogue 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine. Consistent with our previous results, the RSD procedure suppressed cell proliferation by ∼50%. By contrast, although LL attenuated or eliminated daily rhythms of activity and sleep-wake without affecting daily amounts of REM sleep, cell proliferation was not affected. Melatonin, a nocturnally secreted neurohormone that is inhibited by light, has been shown to promote survival of new neurons. We found that 3-weeks of LL eliminated daily rhythms and decreased plasma melatonin by 88% but did not significantly affect either total cell survival or survival of new neurons (doublecortin+). Finally, we measured cell proliferation rates at the beginning and near the end of the daily light period in rats entrained to a 12:12 light/lark (LD) cycle, but did not detect a daily rhythm. These results indicate that the antineurogenic effect of RSD is not secondary to disruption of circadian rhythms, and provide no evidence that hippocampal cell proliferation and survival are regulated by the circadian system or by nocturnal secretion of pineal melatonin.

Rapid changes in the light/dark cycle disrupt memory of conditioned fear in mice

Background

Circadian rhythms govern many aspects of physiology and behavior including cognitive processes. Components of neural circuits involved in learning and memory, e.g., the amygdala and the hippocampus, exhibit circadian rhythms in gene expression and signaling pathways. The functional significance of these rhythms is still not understood. In the present study, we sought to determine the impact of transiently disrupting the circadian system by shifting the light/dark (LD) cycle. Such “jet lag” treatments alter daily rhythms of gene expression that underlie circadian oscillations as well as disrupt the synchrony between the multiple oscillators found within the body.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We subjected adult male C57Bl/6 mice to a contextual fear conditioning protocol either before or after acute phase shifts of the LD cycle. As part of this study, we examined the impact of phase advances and phase delays, and the effects of different magnitudes of phase shifts. Under all conditions tested, we found that recall of fear conditioned behavior was specifically affected by the jet lag. We found that phase shifts potentiated the stress-evoked corticosterone response without altering baseline levels of this hormone. The jet lag treatment did not result in overall sleep deprivation, but altered the temporal distribution of sleep. Finally, we found that prior experience of jet lag helps to compensate for the reduced recall due to acute phase shifts.

Conclusions/Significance

Acute changes to the LD cycle affect the recall of fear-conditioned behavior. This suggests that a synchronized circadian system may be broadly important for normal cognition and that the consolidation of memories may be particularly sensitive to disruptions of circadian timing.

Intermediate-term memory is modulated by the circadian clock

Sensitization of the tail-siphon withdrawal reflex in Aplysia, a nonassociative form of learning, affords a superb opportunity to investigate the regulation of learning and memory by the circadian clock. The circadian clock has been shown to modulate long-term but not short-term sensitization. However, no previous studies have examined the role of the circadian clock in intermediate-term memory. Noxious stimulation delivered to the side of the animal using a spaced training protocol resulted in canonical intermediate-term sensitization dependent upon both MAPK signaling and protein synthesis. The authors found that intermediate-term sensitization exhibited strong rhythms in expression in both light-dark cycles and constant darkness. Animals trained during the (subjective) day demonstrated significantly more intermediate-term memory than animals trained at night. Baseline responses prior to training were not modulated by the circadian clock. Thus, these results indicate that the circadian clock strongly modulates intermediate as well as long-term memory.

Circadian modulation of short-term memory in Drosophila

Endogenous biological clocks are widespread regulators of behavior and physiology, allowing for a more efficient allocation of efforts and resources over the course of a day. The extent that different processes are regulated by circadian oscillators, however, is not fully understood. We investigated the role of the circadian clock on short-term associative memory formation using a negatively reinforced olfactory-learning paradigm in Drosophila melanogaster. We found that memory formation was regulated in a circadian manner. The peak performance in short-term memory (STM) occurred during the early subjective night with a twofold performance amplitude after a single pairing of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. This rhythm in memory is eliminated in both timeless and period mutants and is absent during constant light conditions. Circadian gating of sensory perception does not appear to underlie the rhythm in short-term memory as evidenced by the nonrhythmic shock avoidance and olfactory avoidance behaviors. Moreover, central brain oscillators appear to be responsible for the modulation as cryptochrome mutants, in which the antennal circadian oscillators are nonfunctional, demonstrate robust circadian rhythms in short-term memory. Together these data suggest that central, rather than peripheral, circadian oscillators modulate the formation of short-term associative memory and not the perception of the stimuli.

Circadian regulation of insect olfactory learning

Olfactory learning in insects has been used extensively for studies on the neurobiology, genetics, and molecular biology of learning and memory. We show here that the ability of the cockroach Leucophaea maderae to acquire olfactory memories is regulated by the circadian system. We investigated the effect of training and testing at different circadian phases on performance in an odor-discrimination test administered 30 min after training (short-term memory) or 48 h after training (long-term memory). When odor preference was tested by allowing animals to choose between two odors (peppermint and vanilla), untrained cockroaches showed a clear preference for vanilla at all circadian phases, indicating that there was no circadian modulation of initial odor preference or ability to discriminate between odors. After differential conditioning, in which peppermint odor was associated with a positive unconditioned stimulus of sucrose solution and vanilla odor was associated with a negative unconditioned stimulus of saline solution, cockroaches conditioned in the early subjective night showed a strong preference for peppermint and retained the memory for at least 2 days. Animals trained and tested at other circadian phases showed significant deficits in performance for both short- and long-term memory. Performance depended on the circadian time (CT) of training, not the CT of testing, and results indicate that memory acquisition rather than retention or recall is modulated by the circadian system. The data suggest that the circadian system can have profound effects on olfactory learning in insects.

Non-ocular circadian oscillators and photoreceptors modulate long term memory formation in Aplysia

In Aplysia californica, memory formation for long-term sensitization (LTS) and for a more complex type of associative learning, learning that food is inedible (LFI), is modulated by a circadian clock. For both types of learning, formation of long-term memory occurs during the day and significantly less during the night. Aplysia eyes contain a well-characterized circadian oscillator that is strongly coupled to the locomotor activity rhythm. Thus, the authors hypothesized that the ocular circadian oscillator was responsible for the circadian modulation of LFI and LTS. To test this hypothesis, they investigated whether the eyes were necessary for circadian modulation of LFI and LTS. Eyeless animals trained during the subjective day and tested 24 h later demonstrated robust long-term memory for both LFI and LTS, while eyeless animals trained and tested during the subjective night showed little or no memory for LFI or LTS. The amplitude of the rhythm of modulation in eyeless animals was similar to that of intact Aplysia, suggesting that extraocular circadian oscillators were mainly responsible for the circadian rhythms in long-term memory formation. Next, the authors investigated whether the eyes played a role in photic entrainment for circadian regulation of long-term memory formation. Eyeless animals were exposed to a reversed LD cycle for 7 days and then trained and tested for long-term memory using the LFI paradigm. Eyeless Aplysia formed significant long-term memory when trained during the projected shifted day but not during the projected shifted night. Thus, the extraocular circadian oscillator responsible for the rhythmic modulation of long-term memory formation can be entrained by extraocular photoreceptors.

Circadian modulation of complex learning in diurnal and nocturnal Aplysia

Understanding modulation of memory, as well as the mechanisms underlying memory formation, has become a key issue in neuroscience research. Previously, we found that the formation of long-term, but not short-term, memory for a nonassociative form of learning, sensitization, was modulated by the circadian clock in the diurnal Aplysia californica. To define the scope of circadian modulation of memory, we examined an associative operant learning paradigm, learning that food is inedible (LFI). Significantly greater long-term memory of LFI occurred when A. californica were trained and tested during the subjective day, compared with animals trained and tested in the subjective night. In contrast, animals displayed similar levels of short-term memory for LFI when trained in either the subjective day or night. Circadian modulation of long-term memory for LFI was dependent on the time of training, rather than the time of testing. To broaden our investigation of circadian modulation of memory, we extended our studies to a nocturnal species, Aplysia fasciata. Contrary to the significant memory observed during the day with the diurnal A. californica, A. fasciata showed no long-term memory for LFI when trained during the day. However, A. fasciata demonstrated significant long-term memory when trained and tested during the night. Thus, the circadian clock modulates memory formation in phase with the animals' activity period. The results from our studies of circadian modulation of long-term sensitization and LFI suggest that circadian modulation of memory formation may be a general phenomenon with potentially widespread implications for many types of long-term learning.

Circadian regulation of hippocampal long-term potentiation

The goal of this study is to investigate the possible circadian regulation of hippocampal excitability and long-term potentiation (LTP) measured by stimulating the Schaffer collaterals (SC) and recording the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) from the CA1 dendritic layer or the population spike (PS) from the soma in brain slices of C3H and C57 mice. These 2 strains of mice were of interest because the C3H mice secrete melatonin rhythmically while the C57 mice do not. The authors found that the magnitude of the enhancement of the PS was significantly greater in LTP recorded from night slices compared to day slices of both C3H and C57 mice. They also found significant diurnal variation in the decay of LTP measured with fEPSPs, with the decay slower during the night in both strains of mice. There was evidence for a diurnal rhythm in the input/output function of pyramidal neurons measured at the soma in C57 but not C3H mice. Furthermore, LTP in the PS, measured in slices prepared during the day but recorded during the night, had a profile remarkably similar to the night group. Finally, PS recordings were carried out in slices from C3H mice maintained in constant darkness prior to experimentation. Again, the authors found that the magnitude of the enhancement of the PS was significantly greater in LTP recorded from subjective night slices compared to subjective day slices. These results provide the 1st evidence that an endogenous circadian oscillator modulates synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus.

Habituation to a test apparatus during associative learning is sufficient to enhance muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-immunoreactivity in rat suprachiasmatic nucleus

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is engaged in modulation of memory retention after (fear) conditioning, but it is unknown which pathways and neurotransmitter system(s) play a role in this action. Here we examine immunocytochemically whether muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs), mediating cholinergic signal transduction in the SCN, are involved. For this purpose, mAChR immunoreactivity (mAChR-ir) was studied in the SCN after various stages of passive shock avoidance (PSA) and active shock avoidance (ASA) training and, for ASA, at various posttraining time points. mAChR-ir was significantly enhanced in SCN neurons as a result of the training procedure, and the number of mAChR-positive glial cells in the SCN increased significantly. The increase in mAChR-ir as a result of PSA and ASA training was not due to fear conditioning or the number of correct avoidances (in case of ASA training) but rather to behavioral arousal as a consequence of (brief) exposure to a novel environment (the test apparatus). This finding was confirmed by a cage-change experiment in which the rats were allowed to stay in a novel cage for 15 min or 24 hr. Only the brief exposure to the fresh cage triggered alterations for SCN mAChRs 24 hr later. These results shed new light on a possible function of the cholinergic system in the SCN mediated by mAChRs in relation to modulation of memory processes and demonstrate that behavioral arousal during (the habituation stage of) a learning task is sufficient to alter the mAChR system in the SCN.

Circadian modulation of long-term sensitization in Aplysia

As the mechanisms for learning and memory are elucidated, modulation of learning and memory becomes a central issue. We studied the modulation of learning and memory by investigating the circadian regulation of short- and long-term sensitization of the siphon withdrawal reflex in Aplysia. We found that Aplysia exhibited diurnal and circadian rhythms of long-term sensitization (LTS) with significantly greater LTS occurring when animals were trained and tested during the day relative to those trained and tested at night. In contrast to the modulation of LTS, short-term sensitization was not regulated by the circadian clock. Time of training rather than time of testing determined the circadian rhythm of LTS. Animals trained during the subjective day demonstrated LTS when tested during either the day or the night. Conversely, when animals were trained during the night, LTS was not observed when animals were tested either at night or during the day. Thus, the circadian rhythm of LTS is a rhythm in learning rather than a rhythm in recall. The threshold required to elicit siphon withdrawal and the duration of siphon withdrawal were not regulated by the circadian clock. These results indicate that the circadian oscillator exerts strong modulatory influences on one form of long-term memory in Aplysia.

Sleep deprivation selectively impairs memory consolidation for contextual fear conditioning

Many behavioral and electrophysiological studies in animals and humans have suggested that sleep and circadian rhythms influence memory consolidation. In rodents, hippocampus-dependent memory may be particularly sensitive to sleep deprivation after training, as spatial memory in the Morris water maze is impaired by rapid eye movement sleep deprivation following training. Spatial learning in the Morris water maze, however, requires multiple training trials and performance, as measured by time to reach the hidden platform is influenced by not only spatial learning but also procedural learning. To determine if sleep is important for the consolidation of a single-trial, hippocampus-dependent task, we sleep deprived animals for 0-5 and 5-10 h after training for contextual and cued fear conditioning. We found that sleep deprivation from 0-5 h after training for this task impaired memory consolidation for contextual fear conditioning whereas sleep deprivation from 5-10 h after training had no effect. Sleep deprivation at either time point had no effect on cued fear conditioning, a hippocampus-independent task. Previous studies have determined that memory consolidation for fear conditioning is impaired when protein kinase A and protein synthesis inhibitors are administered at the same time as when sleep deprivation is effective, suggesting that sleep deprivation may act by modifying these molecular mechanisms of memory storage.