The human PER1 gene is inducible by interleukin-6

The mammalian period (Per) genes which are components of the circadian clock are mainly regulated via an autoregulatory feedback loop. Here we show that a human PER1 (hPER1) reporter gene activity is stimulated by interleukin-6 (IL-6), a member of the large cytokine gene family and an inducer of the acute phase reaction, in human hepatoma (HuH-7) cells. Our results confirm and extend the view that the hPER1 promoter acts as a sensor for multiple signaling molecules thereby integrating different physiological parameters.