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Published on: November 11, 2016
Effects of fasting and re-feeding on the expression of Dec1, Per1, and other clock-related genes
Takeshi Kawamoto1, Mitsuhide Noshiro, Masae Furukawa
1Department of Dental and Medical Biochemistry and Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima 734-8553.
Abstract:
To elucidate the food-entrainable oscillatory mechanism of peripheral clock systems, we examined the effect of fasting on circadian expression of clock genes including Dec1 and Dec2 in mice. Withholding of food for 2 days had these effects: the expression level of Dec1 mRNA decreased in all tissues examined, although Per1 mRNA level markedly increased; Per2 expression was reduced in the liver and heart only 42-46 h after the start of fasting; and expression profiles of Dec2 and Bmal1 were altered only in the heart and in the liver, respectively, whereas Rev-erbalpha mRNA levels did not change significantly. Re-feeding after 36-h starvation erased, at least in part, the effect of fasting on Dec1, Dec2, Per1, Per2, and Bmal1 within several hours, and restriction feeding shifted the phase of expression profiles of all examined clock genes including Dec1 and Dec2. These findings indicate that short-term fasting and re-feeding modulate the circadian rhythms of clock genes to different extents in peripheral tissues, and suggest that the expression of Dec1, Per1, and some other clock genes was closely linked with the metabolic activity of these tissues.
Insights
Fasting and re-feeding alter circadian rhythms of clock genes in mouse peripheral tissues. These changes, including Dec1 and Per1 expression, link to metabolic activity, revealing food
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Molecular Biology
- Metabolic Regulation
Background:
- Peripheral clock systems regulate tissue-specific circadian rhythms.
- Food availability is a key environmental cue influencing these rhythms.
- Understanding clock gene regulation by feeding is crucial for metabolic health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of fasting and re-feeding on circadian clock gene expression in mouse peripheral tissues.
- To elucidate the role of Dec1 and Dec2 in the food-entrainable oscillator mechanism.
- To determine the relationship between clock gene expression and tissue metabolic activity.
Main Methods:
- Mice were subjected to 2-day fasting, followed by re-feeding or restriction feeding.
- Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure mRNA levels of clock genes (Dec1, Dec2, Per1, Per2, Bmal1, Rev-erbalpha).
- Gene expression profiles were analyzed across various tissues (liver, heart, etc.) at different time points.
Main Results:
- Fasting decreased Dec1 mRNA in all examined tissues, while Per1 mRNA increased.
- Per2 expression was reduced in liver and heart after prolonged fasting.
- Re-feeding partially reversed fasting effects, and restriction feeding shifted gene expression phases.
Conclusions:
- Short-term fasting and re-feeding differentially modulate peripheral circadian clock gene rhythms.
- Dec1, Per1, and other clock genes are closely linked to tissue metabolic activity.
- These findings highlight the intricate interplay between metabolism and circadian timing in peripheral organs.
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