Astrocytes Regulate Daily Rhythms in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus and Behavior.
Astrocytes are active partners in neural information processing [1, 2]. However, the roles of astrocytes in regulating behavior remain unclear [3, 4]. Because astrocytes have persistent circadian clock gene expression and ATP release in vitro [5-8], we hypothesized that they regulate daily rhythms in neurons and behavior. Here, we demonstrated that daily rhythms in astrocytes within the mammalian master circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), determine the period of wheel-running activity. Ablating the essential clock gene Bmal1 specifically in SCN astrocytes lengthened the circadian period of clock gene expression in the SCN and in locomotor behavior. Similarly, excision of the short-period CK1ε tau mutation specifically from SCN astrocytes resulted in lengthened rhythms in the SCN and behavior. These results indicate that astrocytes within the SCN communicate to neurons to determine circadian rhythms in physiology and in rest activity.
Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
Chak Foon
CF
Tso
Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
Tatiana
T
Simon
Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
Alison C
AC
Greenlaw
Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
Tanvi
T
Puri
Department of Molecular Neuroscience and Integrative Physiology, Kanazawa University, 920-1192 Ishikawa, Japan.
Michihiro
M
Mieda
Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA. Electronic address: herzog@wustl.edu.
Erik D
ED
Herzog
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D056926:CLOCK Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*
D056926:CLOCK Proteins
Aldh1l1; Bmal1; GABA; GFAP; Per2; SCN; astroglia; casein kinase 1; circadian oscillator; glia