Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2025

In Vitro Bioluminescence Assay to Characterize Circadian Rhythm in Mammary Epithelial Cells
Published on: September 28, 2017
Dysfunctional circadian clock accelerates cancer metastasis by intestinal microbiota triggering accumulation of
Jing-Lin Liu1, Xu Xu2, Youlutuziayi Rixiati2
1Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Abstract:
Circadian homeostasis in mammals is a key intrinsic mechanism for responding to the external environment. However, the interplay between circadian rhythms and the tumor microenvironment (TME) and its influence on metastasis are still unclear. Here, in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), disturbances of circadian rhythm and the accumulation of monocytes and granulocytes were closely related to metastasis. Moreover, dysregulation of circadian rhythm promoted lung metastasis of CRC by inducing the accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and dysfunctional CD8+ T cells in the lungs of mice. Also, gut microbiota and its derived metabolite taurocholic acid (TCA) contributed to lung metastasis of CRC by triggering the accumulation of MDSCs in mice. Mechanistically, TCA promoted glycolysis of MDSCs epigenetically by enhancing mono-methylation of H3K4 of target genes and inhibited CHIP-mediated ubiquitination of PDL1. Our study links the biological clock with MDSCs in the TME through gut microbiota/metabolites in controlling the metastatic spread of CRC, uncovering a systemic mechanism for cancer metastasis.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
Metastasis
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
The Tumor Microenvironment
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...

