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Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
Cycles in spatial and temporal chromosomal organization driven by the circadian clock
Lorena Aguilar-Arnal1, Ofir Hakim, Vishal R Patel
1Department of Biological Chemistry, Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
|September 24, 2013
Summary
The circadian clock influences nuclear organization by controlling long-range genomic interactions involving the Dbp gene. This clock-dependent nuclear shaping is disrupted when the Bmal1 (Arntl) gene is absent.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Epigenetics
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Dynamic epigenomic transitions correlate with nuclear organization patterns.
- Chromatin remodeling is increasingly linked to circadian rhythm regulation.
- The potential control of nuclear architecture by the circadian clock remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether the circadian clock regulates nuclear architecture.
- To identify circadian-dependent genomic interactions.
- To explore the role of the Dbp gene in clock-controlled nuclear organization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized chromosome conformation capture on chip (4C-seq) technology.
- Employed mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) for experimental analysis.
- Used the clock-controlled Dbp gene as a specific bait for interaction mapping.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the existence of circadian long-range genomic interactions centered around the Dbp gene.
- These Dbp-associated circadian interactions were highly specific.
- Circadian interactions were absent in MEFs lacking the Bmal1 (Arntl) gene, indicating clock dependency.
Conclusions:
- The circadian clock actively shapes the nuclear landscape through specific, long-range genomic interactions.
- The Dbp circadian interactome encompasses diverse genes and clock-related DNA elements.
- These findings reveal a novel layer of circadian control over nuclear organization.
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