title: Differential control of peripheral circadian rhythms by suprachiasmatic-dependent neural signals.
abstract: Although dependent on the integrity of a central pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus (SCN), endogenous daily (circadian) rhythms are expressed in a wide variety of peripheral organs. The pathways by which the pacemaker controls the periphery are unclear. Here, we used parabiosis between intact and SCN-lesioned mice to show that nonneural (behavioral or bloodborne) signals are adequate to maintain circadian rhythms of clock gene expression in liver and kidney, but not in heart, spleen, or skeletal muscle. These results indicate that the SCN regulates expression of circadian oscillations in different peripheral organs by diverse pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
authors.forename: Hongnian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Judy McKinley
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: Ameya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Champhekar
authors.forename: Ruth B S
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Bittman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010227:Parabiosis; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*