Zebrafish arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase genes – targets for regulation of the circadian clock

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Appelbaum ◽  
D Vallone ◽  
A Anzulovich ◽  
L Ziv ◽  
M Tom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythm ◽  
Pineal Gland ◽  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Transgenic Fish ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Rhythmic Expression ◽  
E Box

Daily rhythms of melatonin production are controlled by changes in the activity of arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase (AANAT). Zebrafish possess two aanats, aanat1 and aanat2; the former is expressed only in the retina and the latter is expressed in both the retina and the pineal gland. Here, their differential expression and regulation were studied using transcript quantification and transient and stable in vivo and in vitro transfection assays. In the pineal gland, the aanat2 promoter exhibited circadian clock-controlled activity, as indicated by circadian rhythms of Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) mRNA in AANAT2:EGFP transgenic fish. In vivo transient expression analyses of the aanat2 promoter indicated that E-box and photoreceptor conserved elements (PCE) are required for expression in the pineal gland. In the retina, the expression of both genes was characterized by a robust circadian rhythm of their transcript levels. In constant darkness, the rhythmic expression of retinal aanat2 persisted while the aanat1 rhythm disappeared; indicating that the former is controlled by a circadian clock and the latter is also light driven. In the light-entrainable clock-containing PAC-2 zebrafish cell line, both stably transfected aanat1 and aanat2 promoters exhibited a clock-controlled circadian rhythm, characteristic for an E-box-driven expression. Transient co-transfection experiments in NIH-3T3 cells revealed that the two, E-box- and PCE-containing, promoters are driven by the synergistic action of BMAL/CLOCK and orthehodenticle homeobox 5. This study has revealed a shared mechanism for the regulation of two related genes, yet describes their differential phases and photic responses which may be driven by other gene-specific regulatory mechanisms and tissue-specific transcription factor profiles.

scholarly journals Efficient and Stable Delivery of Multiple Genes to Fish Cells by a Modified Recombinant Baculovirus System

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 3767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Wang ◽  
Jian Fang ◽  
Qihua Pan ◽  
Yizhou Wang ◽  
Ting Xue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Recombinant Baculovirus ◽  
Transgenic Fish ◽  
Early Gene ◽  
Drug Selection ◽  
Baculovirus System ◽  
Fish Cells

The recombinant baculovirus has been widely used as an efficient tool to mediate gene delivery into mammalian cells but has barely been used in fish cells. In the present study, we constructed a recombinant baculovirus containing the dual-promoter cytomegalovirus (CMV) and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) immediate-early gene 1 (ie1) (WSSV ie1), followed by a puromycin–green fluorescent protein (Puro-GFP, pf) or puromycin–red fluorescent protein (Puro-RFP, pr) cassette, which simultaneously allowed for easy observation, rapid titer determination, drug selection, and exogenous gene expression. This recombinant baculovirus was successfully transduced into fish cells, including Mylopharyngodon piceus bladder (MPB), fin (MPF), and kidney (MPK); Oryzias latipes spermatogonia (SG3); and Danio rerio embryonic fibroblast (ZF4) cells. Stable transgenic cell lines were generated after drug selection, which was further verified by Western blot. A cell monoclonal formation assay proved the stable heredity of transgenic MPB cells. In addition, a recombinant baculovirus containing a pr cassette and four transcription factors for induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) was constructed and transduced into ZF4 cells, and these exogenous genes were simultaneously delivered and transcribed efficiently in drug-selected ZF4 cells, proving the practicability of this modified recombinant baculovirus system. We also proved that the WSSV ie1 promoter had robust activity in fish cells in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, this modified recombinant baculovirus can be a favorable transgenic tool to obtain transient or stable transgenic fish cells.

scholarly journals Identification of PCBP1 as a Novel Modulator of Mammalian Circadian Clock

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaling Wu ◽  
Haijiao Zhao ◽  
Eric Erquan Zhang ◽  
Na Liu
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Mechanistic Study ◽  
Daily Cycle ◽  
Rhythmic Expression ◽  
Circadian Expression ◽  
E Box ◽  
Cryptochrome 1

The circadian clock governs our daily cycle of behavior and physiology. Previous studies have identified a handful of core clock components and hundreds of circadian modifiers. Here, we report the discovery that poly(C)-binding protein 1 (PCBP1), displaying a circadian expression pattern, was a novel circadian clock regulator. We found that knocking down PCBP1 resulted in period shortening in human U2OS cells, and that manipulations of PCBP1 expression altered the activity of CLOCK/BMAL1 in an E-box-based reporter assay. Further mechanistic study demonstrated that this clock function of PCBP1 appears to work by enhancing the association of Cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) with the CLOCK/BMAL1 complex, thereby negatively regulating the latter’s activation. Co-immunoprecipitation of PCBP1 and core clock molecules confirmed the interactions between PCBP1 and CRY1, and a time-course qPCR assay revealed the rhythmic expression of PCBP1 in mouse hearts in vivo. Given that the RNA interference of mushroom-body expressed (mub), the poly(rC) binding protein (PCBP) homolog of Drosophila, in the clock neurons also led to a circadian phenotype in the locomotor assay, our study deemed PCBP1 a novel clock modifier whose circadian regulatory mechanism is conserved during evolution.

scholarly journals Transcriptional Profiling of the Chick Pineal Gland, a Photoreceptive Circadian Oscillator and Pacemaker

2003 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 2084-2095 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Bailey ◽  
Phillip D. Beremand ◽  
Rick Hammer ◽  
Deborah Bell-Pedersen ◽  
Terry L. Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pineal Gland ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Clock Genes ◽  
Transcriptional Profiling ◽  
Complex Form ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Immune Stress

Abstract The avian pineal gland contains both circadian oscillators and photoreceptors to produce rhythms in biosynthesis of the hormone melatonin in vivo and in vitro. The molecular mechanisms for melatonin biosynthesis are largely understood, but the mechanisms driving the rhythm itself or the photoreceptive processes that entrain the rhythm are unknown. We have produced cDNA microarrays of pineal gland transcripts under light-dark and constant darkness conditions. Rhythmic transcripts were classified according to function, representing diverse functional groups, including phototransduction pathways, transcription/translation factors, ion channel proteins, cell signaling molecules, and immune function genes. These were also organized relative to time of day mRNA abundance in light-dark and constant darkness. The transcriptional profile of the chick pineal gland reveals a more complex form of gene regulation than one might expect from a gland whose sole apparent function is the rhythmic biosynthesis of melatonin. The mRNAs encoding melatonin biosynthesis are rhythmic as are many orthologs of mammalian “clock genes.” However, the oscillation of phototransductive, immune, stress response, hormone binding, and other important processes in the transcriptome of the pineal gland, raises new questions regarding the role of the pineal gland in circadian rhythm generation, organization, and avian physiology.

Development of the Molecular Circadian Clock and Its Light Sensitivity in Drosophila Melanogaster

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Zhao ◽  
Guy Robert Warman ◽  
Ralf Stanewsky ◽  
James Frederick Cheeseman
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Pupal Stage ◽  
Light Sensitivity ◽  
Embryonic Stage ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Peripheral Tissues ◽  
Rhythmic Expression ◽  
Central Clock

The importance of the circadian clock for the control of behavior and physiology is well established but how and when it develops is not fully understood. Here the initial expression pattern of the key clock gene period was recorded in Drosophila from embryos in vivo, using transgenic luciferase reporters. PERIOD expression in the presumptive central-clock dorsal neurons started to oscillate in the embryo in constant darkness. In behavioral experiments, a single 12-h light pulse given during the embryonic stage synchronized adult activity rhythms, implying the early development of entrainment mechanisms. These findings suggest that the central clock is functional already during embryogenesis. In contrast to central brain expression, PERIOD in the peripheral cells or their precursors increased during the embryonic stage and peaked during the pupal stage without showing circadian oscillations. Its rhythmic expression only initiated in the adult. We conclude that cyclic expression of PERIOD in the central-clock neurons starts in the embryo, presumably in the dorsal neurons or their precursors. It is not until shortly after eclosion when cyclic and synchronized expression of PERIOD in peripheral tissues commences throughout the animal.

scholarly journals A CLOCK-binding small molecule disrupts the interaction between CLOCK and BMAL1 and enhances circadian rhythm amplitude

2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (11) ◽  
pp. 3518-3531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yagmur Umay Doruk ◽  
Darya Yarparvar ◽  
Yasemin Kubra Akyel ◽  
Seref Gul ◽  
Ali Cihan Taskin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythm ◽  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Nuclear Translocation ◽  
Accelerated Aging ◽  
Proper Function ◽  
Potential Candidate

Proper function of many physiological processes requires a robust circadian clock. Disruptions of the circadian clock can result in metabolic diseases, mood disorders, and accelerated aging. Therefore, identifying small molecules that specifically modulate regulatory core clock proteins may potentially enable better management of these disorders. In this study, we applied a structure-based molecular-docking approach to find small molecules that specifically bind to the core circadian regulator, the transcription factor circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK). We identified 100 candidate molecules by virtual screening of ∼2 million small molecules for those predicted to bind closely to the interface in CLOCK that interacts with its transcriptional co-regulator, Brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (BMAL1). Using a mammalian two-hybrid system, real-time monitoring of circadian rhythm in U2OS cells, and various biochemical assays, we tested these compounds experimentally and found one, named CLK8, that specifically bound to and interfered with CLOCK activity. We show that CLK8 disrupts the interaction between CLOCK and BMAL1 and interferes with nuclear translocation of CLOCK both in vivo and in vitro. Results from further experiments indicated that CLK8 enhances the amplitude of the cellular circadian rhythm by stabilizing the negative arm of the transcription/translation feedback loop without affecting period length. Our results reveal CLK8 as a tool for further studies of CLOCK's role in circadian rhythm amplitude regulation and as a potential candidate for therapeutic development to manage disorders associated with dampened circadian rhythms.

scholarly journals Circadian regulation of hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase mRNA in the chicken pineal gland in vivo and in vitro

1996 ◽  
Vol 319 (3) ◽  
pp. 761-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre GRÈVE ◽  
Pierre VOISIN ◽  
Aline GRECHEZ-CASSIAU ◽  
Marianne BERNARD ◽  
Jean-Pierre COLLIN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pineal Gland ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Dark Phase ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Circadian Oscillators ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Daily Changes ◽  
Effect Of Light

The production of the pineal hormone melatonin displays circadian variations with high levels at night. The last enzyme involved in melatonin biosynthesis is hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT, EC 2.1.1.4). The expression of the mRNA encoding chicken HIOMT was investigated in vivo and in vitro throughout the light/dark cycle, in constant darkness and with light interruption of the dark phase. The stability of HIOMT mRNA was also examined. A day/night rhythm of HIOMT mRNA levels, with a peak at the midlight phase, was observed in vivo as well as in vitro. Constant darkness did not abolish this rhythm in vivo. One cycle of the HIOMT mRNA rhythm could be observed in constant darkness in vitro. In addition, a stimulatory effect of light on HIOMT mRNA levels during the dark phase could be observed in vivo as well as in vitro. HIOMT mRNA stability was not affected by light or dark conditions, as demonstrated by chase experiments with actinomycin D. The results indicate that the daily changes in HIOMT mRNA concentration reflect transcriptional regulation by circadian oscillators and photosensory mechanisms that are endogenous to the pineal gland.

scholarly journals Single-cell in vivo imaging reveals light-initiated circadian oscillators in zebrafish

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haifang Wang ◽  
Zeyong Yang ◽  
Xingxing Li ◽  
Dengfeng Huang ◽  
Shuguang Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pineal Gland ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Circadian Oscillation ◽  
Constant Darkness ◽  
Transgenic Zebrafish ◽  
Developmental Trend

AbstractCircadian clock is a cell-autonomous time-keeping mechanism established gradually during embryonic development. Here we generated a transgenic zebrafish line carrying a destabilized fluorescent protein driven by the promoter of a core clock gene, nr1d1, to report in vivo circadian rhythm at the single-cell level. By time-lapse imaging of this fish line, we observed the sequential initiation of the reporter expression starting at photoreceptors in pineal gland then spreading to cells in other brain regions. Even within pineal gland, we found heterogeneous onset of nr1d1 expression in which each cell undergoes circadian oscillation superimposed over cell-type specific developmental trajectory. Furthermore, we found that single-cell expression of nr1d1 showed synchronous circadian oscillation under light-dark cycle. Remarkably, single-cell oscillations were lost in animals raised under constant darkness while developmental trend still persists. It suggests that light exposure in early clock development initializes cellular clocks rather than synchronizes existing individual oscillators as previously believed.

scholarly journals Molecular mechanism of the repressive phase of the mammalian circadian clock

2020 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. e2021174118
Author(s):  
Xuemei Cao ◽  
Yanyan Yang ◽  
Christopher P. Selby ◽  
Zhenxing Liu ◽  
Aziz Sancar
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Local Concentration ◽  
Transcriptional Repressors ◽  
In Vivo Experiments ◽  
E Box ◽  
Vitro Data ◽  
In Vitro Data

The mammalian circadian clock consists of a transcription–translation feedback loop (TTFL) composed of CLOCK–BMAL1 transcriptional activators and CRY–PER transcriptional repressors. Previous work showed that CRY inhibits CLOCK–BMAL1-activated transcription by a “blocking”-type mechanism and that CRY–PER inhibits CLOCK–BMAL1 by a “displacement”-type mechanism. While the mechanism of CRY-mediated repression was explained by both in vitro and in vivo experiments, the CRY–PER-mediated repression in vivo seemed in conflict with the in vitro data demonstrating PER removes CRY from the CLOCK–BMAL1–E-box complex. Here, we show that CRY–PER participates in the displacement-type repression by recruiting CK1δ to the nucleus and mediating an increased local concentration of CK1δ at CLOCK–BMAL1-bound promoters/enhancers and thus promoting the phosphorylation of CLOCK and dissociation of CLOCK–BMAL1 along with CRY from the E-box. Our findings bring clarity to the role of PER in the dynamic nature of the repressive phase of the TTFL.

scholarly journals Development of a Fluorescent Tool for Studying Legionella bozemanae Intracellular Infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 379
Author(s):  
Breanne M. Head ◽  
Christopher I. Graham ◽  
Teassa MacMartin ◽  
Yoav Keynan ◽  
Ann Karen C. Brassinga
Keyword(s):  
Growth Kinetics ◽  
Legionella Pneumophila ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Acanthamoeba Castellanii ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Intracellular Infection ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Legionnaires’ disease incidence is on the rise, with the majority of cases attributed to the intracellular pathogen, Legionella pneumophila. Nominally a parasite of protozoa, L. pneumophila can also infect alveolar macrophages when bacteria-laden aerosols enter the lungs of immunocompromised individuals. L. pneumophila pathogenesis has been well characterized; however, little is known about the >25 different Legionella spp. that can cause disease in humans. Here, we report for the first time a study demonstrating the intracellular infection of an L. bozemanae clinical isolate using approaches previously established for L. pneumophila investigations. Specifically, we report on the modification and use of a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing plasmid as a tool to monitor the L. bozemanae presence in the Acanthamoeba castellanii protozoan infection model. As comparative controls, L. pneumophila strains were also transformed with the GFP-expressing plasmid. In vitro and in vivo growth kinetics of the Legionella parental and GFP-expressing strains were conducted followed by confocal microscopy. Results suggest that the metabolic burden imposed by GFP expression did not impact cell viability, as growth kinetics were similar between the GFP-expressing Legionella spp. and their parental strains. This study demonstrates that the use of a GFP-expressing plasmid can serve as a viable approach for investigating Legionella non-pneumophila spp. in real time.

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