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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

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The Use of Mouse Splenocytes to Assess Pathogen-associated Molecular Pattern Influence on Clock Gene Expression
Published on: July 24, 2018
Circadian Control of Host-Microbiome Symbioses.
Talia Akoh-Arrey1, Urbashi Basu1, John F Brooks1
1Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA;
Annual Review of Microbiology
|July 1, 2026
Summary
Life
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Microbiome research
- Host-microbe symbiosis
Background:
- Organisms possess intrinsic biological clocks synchronized with the 24-hour day-night cycle.
- These circadian systems regulate metabolism, immunity, and cellular processes for optimal function.
- Emerging research highlights the role of the gut microbiota in host circadian rhythms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the intricate temporal coordination between host circadian rhythms and the gut microbiota.
- To understand how this symbiosis influences health and disease outcomes.
- To investigate the consequences of disrupted temporal order in host-microbe interactions.
Main Methods:
- Review of current scientific literature on circadian biology and microbiome research.
- Analysis of studies investigating the impact of disrupted circadian rhythms on host-microbe dynamics.
- Synthesis of evidence linking temporal coordination to metabolic and immune health.
Main Results:
- Host feeding and immune rhythms impose temporal structure on the microbiota.
- Microbial metabolites and signals reciprocally influence host circadian oscillations.
- Disruption of this temporal coordination leads to metabolic syndrome, obesity, and impaired detoxification.
Conclusions:
- Temporal order is a coevolved characteristic of host-microbe symbiosis, crucial for health.
- This interconnectedness links planetary cycles to cellular physiology across species.
- Understanding chronobiology is fundamental to addressing diseases linked to disrupted host-microbe rhythms.
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