Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Margarete Diaz-Cuadros, Teemu P. Miettinen, Owen S. Skinner, Dylan Sheedy, Carlos Manlio Diaz-Garcia, Svetlana Gapon, Alexis Hubaud, Gary Yellen, Scott R. Manalis, William M. Oldham, Olivier Pourquie
Summary: Animals display inter-species variation in embryonic development rates, with differences in biochemical reaction rates being thought responsible for species-specific rates. This study establishes an in vitro system using pluripotent stem cells to simulate the twofold difference in developmental rates between mouse and human embryos. The mass-specific metabolic rates were found to scale with developmental rate, higher in mouse cells than in human cells. Manipulating metabolic rates could control developmental rate and have translational applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dusan Kolarski, Simon Miller, Tsuyoshi Oshima, Yoshiko Nagai, Yugo Aoki, Piermichele Kobauri, Ashutosh Srivastava, Akiko Sugiyama, Kazuma Amaike, Ayato Sato, Florence Tama, Wiktor Szymanski, Ben L. Feringa, Kenichiro Itami, Tsuyoshi Hirota
Summary: CRY1 and CRY2 proteins are essential components of the circadian clock. Developing CRY1-selective compounds that can be manipulated through light-dependent mechanisms allows for a better understanding of the specific functions of CRY1 and CRY2. By utilizing benzophenone derivatives to interact with the photo lyase region of CRY1, researchers were able to activate CRY1 without affecting CRY2, demonstrating a potential for spatiotemporal regulation of CRY1 activity for health and disease research.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yoshihiko Furuike, Atsushi Mukaiyama, Shin-Ichi Koda, Damien Simon, Dongyan Ouyang, Kumiko Ito-Miwa, Shinji Saito, Eiki Yamashita, Taeko Nishiwaki-Ohkawa, Kazuki Terauchi, Takao Kondo, Shuji Akiyama
Summary: KaiC is a dual ATPase that drives the circadian clock system of cyanobacteria through the coordination of its N-terminal and C-terminal active sites. The activities of these two sites are regulated differently and their delicate interactions drive the assembly and disassembly cycle of KaiA and KaiB.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Onur Ozcan, Seref Gul, Ibrahim Halil Kavakli
Summary: In this study, molecular dynamic simulations were performed on eight CRY mutants to investigate their effect on the dynamic behavior of the serine loop and the availability of the secondary pocket in CRY1 and CRY2. The results showed that mutations in CRY1, but not in CRY2, affected these properties. Further analysis revealed that the differential flexibility of the serine loop led to changes in the volume of the secondary pocket. The interaction between S44, S45, and E382 in CRY1 was found to play a crucial role in the dynamic behavior of the serine loop.
JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE & DYNAMICS
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Zainab Taleb, Phillip Karpowicz
Summary: The circadian clock is a molecular timekeeper that regulates 24-hour rhythms in animals, impacting behavior and physiology, including metabolic and digestive systems. Animal models targeting circadian clock genes have shown their role in regulating liver diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and obesity. Thus, the circadian clock plays a crucial role in maintaining metabolic and digestive health.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Carmen Birchmeier
Summary: In this study, Lazaro et al. use iPSC-derived cells to examine the oscillatory expression of somitic clock genes. Their findings show a strong correlation between the speed of biochemical reactions and the tempo of the clock in various species, highlighting the importance of understanding this relationship.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Akihiko Sakamoto, Yusuke Terui, Takeshi Uemura, Kazuei Igarashi, Keiko Kashiwagi
Summary: Polyamines stimulate the synthesis of specific proteins at the level of translation, impacting the circadian rhythm. When polyamines are reduced, the circadian period lengthens and the synthesis of BMAL1 and REV-ERB alpha is significantly reduced. By enhancing ribosomal shunting, polyamines promote the synthesis of these proteins within the circadian clock.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
T. Chase Francis, Alessandra Porcu
Summary: Circadian rhythms are self-sustained oscillations that enable organisms to anticipate environmental changes and regulate physiological processes. Disruptions of circadian rhythms have been associated with mood and anxiety disorders. The role of circadian clocks in different neuronal subtypes and brain systems is being explored, as well as their impact on mood-related behavior. This review discusses the effects of circadian disruptions on cellular communication, neuronal circuit dysfunction, and provides insights on chronotherapies for mood and anxiety disorders.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalie E. van Dis, Judith E. Risse, Agata S. Pijl, Roelof A. Hut, Marcel E. Visser, Bregje Wertheim
Summary: Climate change has a strong impact on the developmental timing of insects, particularly their development rate which is influenced by ambient temperature. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying the temperature sensitivity of embryonic development in insects remain poorly understood. This study investigated the genetic regulation of embryonic development rate in response to temperature in a species of moth, and identified several candidate genes involved in histone modification, hormonal signalling, nervous system development, and circadian clock genes. The findings suggest that there are multiple potential targets for selection to change the temperature sensitivity of embryonic development rate in insects.
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Lauren N. Woodie, Kaan T. Oral, Brianna M. Krusen, Mitchell A. Lazar
Summary: Obesity and metabolic diseases are common in industrialized societies due to circadian disruption caused by shift work, jet lag, and social obligations. The circadian rhythm of the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) plays a critical role in regulating physiological, metabolic, and behavioral processes. However, disruptions in external cues or metabolic flexibility can lead to the development of obesity and metabolic disease. This review explores the circadian rhythm of nutrient metabolism and discusses obesity as a circadian disease.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shir Confino, Talya Dor, Adi Tovin, Yair Wexler, Zohar Ben-Moshe Livne, Michaela Kolker, Odelia Pisanty, Sohyun Kathy Park, Nathalie Geyer, Joel Reiter, Shimon Edvardson, Hagar Mor-Shaked, Orly Elpeleg, Daniela Vallone, Lior Appelbaum, Nicholas S. Foulkes, Yoav Gothilf
Summary: The circadian clock is a mechanism that regulates various physiological rhythms with a period of approximately 24 hours. A mutation in FBXL3 has been found in patients with syndromic developmental delay, morphological abnormalities, and intellectual disability. Using zebrafish as a model, it was discovered that loss of fbxl3a function disrupts the circadian rhythms, locomotor activity, and sleep-wake cycles, but does not cause morphological effects. These findings suggest a conserved role for FBXL3 in the circadian clock system across vertebrates and its acquisition of developmental roles in humans.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Eunju Kwon, Deepak Pathak, Pawan Dahal, Sudarshan Tandukar, Hyun Suk Jung, Woe-Yeon Kim, Dong Young Kim
Summary: This study reports the purification of GI monomer and the crystal structure of the GI/LKP2 complex. The crystal structure reveals that the C-terminal of GI possesses a rigid structure formed by stacking hydrophobic α-helices, and the LOV domain of LKP2 binds to the middle region of GI. The results provide structural insights into the regulation of the circadian clock and photoperiodic flowering by GI and ZTL/LKP2/FKF1.
Review
Biology
Yool Lee, Jonathan P. Wisor
Summary: The circadian clock is a fundamental biological timing mechanism that generates rhythms of physiology and behaviors. Mismatches between internal body clock and environmental cycles can increase the risk of diseases. Functional circadian oscillators at multiple levels play a critical role in modulating physiological and metabolic responses.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liping Wang, Anqi Zhou, Jing Li, Mingkang Yang, Fan Bu, Liangfa Ge, Liang Chen, Wei Huang
Summary: Plants have a hierarchical structure of circadian rhythms, with different tissue-specific oscillators regulating sets of genes in various organs. The research on Medicago truncatula shows that light-dark cycles strongly influence the transcriptome oscillation in roots, while many clock genes only oscillate in shoots. The study also reveals that the root clock runs faster than the shoot clock, contrary to the prevailing model of a slow-paced root clock in Arabidopsis thaliana.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jia Luo, Zheng Yan, Manyun Dai, Liping Xu, Haoyue Zhang, Yang Xi, Julin Yang, Aiming Liu
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the role of PPAR alpha in modifying the circadian clock and its relevance to NAFLD. The authors used a mouse model and hepatocyte experiments to verify the effects of PPAR alpha on CLOCK regulation and lipid accumulation. They found that high-fat diet led to the down-regulation of CLOCK in the liver, and this down-regulation was dependent on PPAR alpha activity. Furthermore, they observed that down-regulation of hepatic CLOCK by basal PPAR alpha contributed to the inhibition of NAFLD development, while inhibition of CLOCK by activated PPAR alpha was involved in the inhibition of NAFLD by PPAR alpha agonists.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rosa Maria Ceinos, Elena Frigato, Cristina Pagano, Nadine Froehlich, Pietro Negrini, Nicola Cavallari, Daniela Vallone, Silvia Fuselli, Cristiano Bertolucci, Nicholas S. Foulkes
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2018)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cristina Pagano, Rima Siauciunaite, Maria L. Idda, Gennaro Ruggiero, Rosa M. Ceinos, Martina Pagano, Elena Frigato, Cristiano Bertolucci, Nicholas S. Foulkes, Daniela Vallone
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2018)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrea Maria Guarino, Giuseppe Di Mauro, Gennaro Ruggiero, Nathalie Geyer, Antonella Delicato, Nicholas S. Foulkes, Daniela Vallone, Viola Calabro
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Nathalie Geyer, Sabrina Kaminsky, Shir Confino, Zohar Ben-Moshe Livne, Yoav Gothilf, Nicholas S. Foulkes, Daniela Vallone
Summary: With the increasing use of fish as model species, cell cultures derived from caudal fin explants and pre-hatching embryos have become valuable in vitro tools for research and can serve as an ethical alternative to live animal experiments. However, existing protocols require homogeneous pools of embryos or viable adult fish, limiting the use of fish lines with adverse phenotypes or high early-stage mortality. This study presents a simple protocol to generate large-scale cell lines from individual early embryos, enabling genotyping by polymerase chain reaction and promoting the routine use of fish cell culture models for functional genetic studies.
LABORATORY ANIMALS
(2023)