Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 27, 2025
06:53
Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
8.5K
Intercellular coupling between peripheral circadian oscillators by TGF-β signaling.
Anna-Marie Finger1,2, Sebastian Jäschke3,2, Marta Del Olmo4
1Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute for Medical Immunology, Laboratory of Chronobiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. achim.kramer@charite.de anna-marie.finger@charite.de.
Science Advances
|July 24, 2021
Summary
Peripheral circadian clocks synchronize through paracrine signaling, with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) identified as a key factor. This discovery sheds light on maintaining rhythmic organ functions and circadian health.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Molecular Biology
- Cellular Physiology
Background:
- Cell-autonomous circadian oscillators require coupling to prevent desynchronization and maintain tissue function.
- Intercellular coupling is established in the central nervous system's suprachiasmatic nucleus, but mechanisms in peripheral tissues remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms of coupling between peripheral circadian oscillators.
- To identify molecular factors mediating this peripheral coupling.
Main Methods:
- Utilized in vitro (mammalian cell cultures, U-2 OS cells) and ex vivo models.
- Investigated paracrine signaling pathways.
- Analyzed the role of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) in regulating core-clock genes.
Main Results:
- Peripheral oscillators are coupled via paracrine pathways.
- Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) acts as a peripheral coupling factor, adjusting molecular clock phases.
- TGF-β mediates clock synchrony through transcriptional regulation of core-clock genes.
- Disruption of TGF-β signaling leads to oscillator desynchronization, reduced amplitude, and increased sensitivity to external cues.
Conclusions:
- Peripheral circadian clocks synchronize through TGF-β-mediated paracrine signaling.
- This mechanism is essential for maintaining rhythmic organ function and overall circadian health.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
4.2K
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent...
4.2K
01:16TGF - β Signaling Pathway
8.1K
The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors...
8.1K
01:07Cell Signaling Feedback Loops
6.8K
Positive and negative feedback loops are crucial for regulating biological signaling systems. These feedback loops are processes that connect output signals to their inputs.
Negative feedback loops
Most signaling systems have negative feedback loops that can perform different functions such as output limiter, and adaptation.
Output limiter
Upon receiving an input signal, the cellular response rapidly increases until a threshold is reached. Beyond this threshold, a negative feedback loop...
Negative feedback loops
Most signaling systems have negative feedback loops that can perform different functions such as output limiter, and adaptation.
Output limiter
Upon receiving an input signal, the cellular response rapidly increases until a threshold is reached. Beyond this threshold, a negative feedback loop...
6.8K
01:01Autocrine Signaling
49.5K
Autocrine signaling is one of the many signaling mechanisms that function inside multicellular organisms to carry out intercellular communication. In this type of signaling mechanism, the same cell that secretes an extracellular signaling molecule also expresses the receptors to bind and respond to that signaling molecule.
Autocrine Signaling in Macrophages
Under normal physiological conditions, autocrine signaling is essential for maintaining homeostasis. This process is well characterized in...
Autocrine Signaling in Macrophages
Under normal physiological conditions, autocrine signaling is essential for maintaining homeostasis. This process is well characterized in...
49.5K
01:23Overview of Cell Signaling
22.3K
Despite the protective membrane that separates a cell from the environment, cells need the ability to detect and respond to environmental changes. Additionally, cells often need to communicate with one another. Unicellular and multicellular organisms use a variety of cell signaling mechanisms to communicate with the environment.
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...
22.3K