Clock gene functions in the development of circadian system and effects of environmental factors

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24390055
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental physiology (including Physical medicine and Nutritional physiology)
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Honma Sato 北海道大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 特任教授 (20142713)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HIRATA Yoshihiro 北海道大学, 大学院医学研究科, 特任助教 (90399824) ; NAKAMURA Tomoko (YOSHIKAWA Tomoko) 北海道大学, 大学院医学研究科, 特任助教 (30451397) ; TOKUDA Isao 立命館大学, 理工学部, 教授 (00261389)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 生体リズム / 視交叉上核 / 時計遺伝子 / イメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The hypothalamic suprachiasamtic nucleus (SCN), the site of the central circadian clock of mammals, exhibits circadian rhythms in clock gene expression and neuronal activities from the late fetal period through the end of life. We found that the neonatal SCN is clock gene Cry independent while Cry is indispensable for circadian rhythm expression in the adolescent SCN. Molecular and cellular mechanisms for coherent circadian rhythm expression in the SCN was examined using molecular and pharmacological techniques such as multiple bioluminescent reporters, co-culture of knockout and wild type SCNs. We found that peptidergic signals are critically involved in the CRY independent integration of cellular circadian rhythms, and continuous light exposure during postnatal development compensates the disorganization of behavior rhythms due to CRY deficiency.

Free Research Field

環境生理学