The circadian system provides organisms with a temporal organization that optimizes their adaptation to environmental fluctuations on a 24-hr basis. In mammals, the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) develops during the perinatal period. The rhythmicity first appears at the level of individual SCN neurons during the fetal stage, and this step is often misinterpreted as the time of complete SCN clock development. However, the process is only finalized when the SCN begin to play a role of the central clock in the body, that is, when they are able to generate robust rhythmicity at the cell population level, entrain the rhythmic signal with external light-dark cycles and convey this signal to the rest of the body. The development is gradual and correlates with morphological maturation of the SCN structural complexity, which is based on intercellular network formation. The aim of this review is to summarize events related to the first emergence of circadian oscillations in the fetal SCN clock. Although a large amount of data on ontogenesis of the circadian system have been accumulated, how exactly the immature SCN converts into a functional central clock has still remained rather elusive. In this review, the hypothesis of how the SCN attains its rhythmicity at the tissue level is discussed in context with the recent advances in the field. For an extensive summary of the complete ontogenetic development of the circadian system, the readers are referred to other previously published reviews.

• Klíčová slova
• circadian clock, clock gene, fetal development, mPer2luc mouse, rat,
• MeSH
• cirkadiánní hodiny * MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus * MeSH
• fotoperioda MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nucleus suprachiasmaticus MeSH
• plod MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

The adult circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus is resilient to glucocorticoids (GCs). The fetal rodent SCN resembles that of the adult in its organization of GC-sensitive peripheral tissues. We tested the hypothesis that the fetal SCN clock is sensitive to changes in GC levels. Maternal GCs must pass through the placenta to reach the fetal SCN. We show that the maternal but not the fetal part of the placenta harbors the autonomous circadian clock, which is reset by dexamethasone (DEX) and rhythmically expresses Hsd11b2. The results suggest the presence of a mechanism for rhythmic GC passage through the placental barrier, which is adjusted according to actual GC levels. GC receptors are expressed rhythmically in the laser-dissected fetal SCN samples. We demonstrate that hypothalamic explants containing the SCN of the mPer2 Luc mouse prepared at embryonic day (E)15 spontaneously develop rhythmicity within several days of culture, with dynamics varying among fetuses from the same litter. Culturing these explants in media enriched with DEX accelerates the development. At E17, treatment of the explants with DEX induces phase advances and phase delays of the rhythms depending on the timing of treatments, and the shifts are completely blocked by the GC receptor antagonist, mifepristone. The DEX-induced phase-response curve differs from that induced by the vehicle. The fetal SCN is sensitive to GCs in vivo because DEX administration to pregnant rats acutely downregulates c-fos expression specifically in the laser-dissected fetal SCN. Our results provide evidence that the rodent fetal SCN clock may respond to changes in GC levels.

• Klíčová slova
• circadian clock, entrainment, glucocorticoids, mPer2 mouse, ontogenesis, suprachiasmatic nuclei,
• MeSH
• cirkadiánní hodiny účinky léků   genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• cirkadiánní proteiny Period genetika   MeSH
• dexamethason farmakologie   MeSH
• glukokortikoidy farmakologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• hypothalamus fyziologie   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• myši MeSH
• nucleus suprachiasmaticus účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• placenta fyziologie   MeSH
• plod fyziologie   MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• vývoj plodu * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cirkadiánní proteiny Period MeSH
• dexamethason MeSH
• glukokortikoidy MeSH
• Per2 protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč

The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus harbor the central clock of the circadian system, which gradually matures during the perinatal period. In this study, time-resolved transcriptomic and proteomic approaches were used to describe fetal SCN tissue-level rhythms before rhythms in clock gene expression develop. Pregnant rats were maintained in constant darkness and had intact SCN, or their SCN were lesioned and behavioral rhythm was imposed by temporal restriction of food availability. Model-selecting tools dryR and CompareRhythms identified sets of genes in the fetal SCN that were rhythmic in the absence of the fetal canonical clock. Subsets of rhythmically expressed genes were assigned to groups of fetuses from mothers with either intact or lesioned SCN, or both groups. Enrichment analysis for GO terms and signaling pathways revealed that neurodevelopment and cell-to-cell signaling were significantly enriched within the subsets of genes that were rhythmic in response to distinct maternal signals. The findings discovered a previously unexpected breadth of rhythmicity in the fetal SCN at a developmental stage when the canonical clock has not yet developed at the tissue level and thus likely represents responses to rhythmic maternal signals.

• MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus * genetika   MeSH
• hypothalamus MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• nucleus suprachiasmaticus metabolismus   MeSH
• plod fyziologie   MeSH
• proteomika * MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Circadian regulation of behavior worsens with age, however, the mechanism behind this phenomenon is still poorly understood. Specifically, it is not clear to what extend the ability of the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) to generate the rhythm is affected by aging. This study aimed to ascertain the effect of aging on the functioning of the SCN of mPer2Luciferase mice under unnatural lighting conditions, such as constant light (LL). Under LL, which worsened the age-induced effect on behavioral rhythms, a marginal age-dependent effect on in vitro rhythmicity in explants containing the middle, but not the rostral/caudal, regions of the SCN was apparent; the proportion of mice in which middle-region SCN explants were completely arrhythmic or had an extremely long period (>30 h) was 47% in aged mice and 27% in adults. The results suggest that in some of the aged animals, LL may weaken the coupling among oscillators in specific sub-regions of the SCN, leaving other sub-regions better synchronized. In the standard light/dark cycle and in constant darkness, the SCN ability to produce bioluminescence rhythms in vitro was not compromised in aged mice although aging significantly affected their SCN-driven locomotor activity rhythms. Therefore, our results demonstrate that although age worsened the SCN output rhythm, the SCN molecular core clock mechanism itself was relatively resilient to aging in these same animals. The results suggest the involvement of pathways downstream of the core clock mechanism which are responsible for this phenomenon.

• Klíčová slova
• Aging, circadian clock, constant light, mPer2Luc mice, suprachiasmatic nuclei,
• MeSH
• chování zvířat fyziologie   MeSH
• cirkadiánní proteiny Period genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus fyziologie   MeSH
• fotoperioda * MeSH
• luciferasy MeSH
• myši knockoutované MeSH
• myši MeSH
• nucleus suprachiasmaticus fyziologie   MeSH
• pohybová aktivita MeSH
• regulace genové exprese fyziologie   MeSH
• stárnutí fyziologie   MeSH
• světlo * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cirkadiánní proteiny Period MeSH
• luciferasy MeSH
• Per2 protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč

The mammalian suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and their intrinsic rhythmicity develop gradually during ontogenesis. In the rat, the SCN forms between embryonic day (E) 14 and E17, with gestation terminating at E21-22. Overt SCN rhythmicity is already present in the late embryonic stage. The aim of the present study was to determine when the fetal SCN clock develops in vivo and whether overt rhythmicity results from a functional fetal clock. To achieve this goal, the prenatal development of rhythmic expression of clock genes was measured with a more sensitive method for detection of the clock gene expression than previously. Fetal SCN were collected at 3 h intervals during the 24 h period on E19 and E21 by laser dissection and expression of clock genes (Per2, Nr1d1 and Bmal1) and genes related to cellular activity (c-fos, Avp and Vip) was measured by qRT PCR. At E19, the expression of canonical clock genes Per2 and Bmal1 was not rhythmic; however, the expression of all other studied genes followed clear circadian rhythms. At E21, Per2 and Bmal1 expression exhibited low amplitude but significant rhythmicity. From E19 to E21, the levels of the non-rhythmic transcripts (Per2 and Bmal1) decreased; however, the levels of the rhythmic transcripts (Nr1d1, c-fos, Avp and Vip) increased. In summary, these data demonstrate that at E19, rhythms in Per2 and Bmal1 expression were absent in the fetal SCN; however, the expression of Nr1d1 and other genes related to cellular activity was driven rhythmically. Therefore, at the early stage in vivo, the developing fetal SCN clock could theoretically be entrained by oscillation of Nr1d1 which may be driven by the maternal rather than fetal circadian system.

• MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus - signální peptidy a proteiny genetika   MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus genetika   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• nucleus suprachiasmaticus metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• plod metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• transkriptom * MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cirkadiánní rytmus - signální peptidy a proteiny MeSH

In vivo melatonin serves as a feedback signal to the circadian pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and in vitro it phase advances the circadian rhythm of electrical activity in pacemaker cells. However, the occurrence and nature of phase shifting in secretion by cultured SCN neurons has not yet been established. Here we studied the effects of melatonin on the pattern of spontaneous arginine vasopressin (AVP) release in organotypic SCN slices. This culture mimicked the in vivo circadian AVP secretory rhythm, with low release during the subjective night and with peaks in secretion during the middle of subjective day. The endogenous period of the AVP secretory rhythm in organotypic culture ranged between 23 and 26 h, with the mean period of 24.1 +/- 0.3 h. Melatonin (10 nM) had variable effects on the pattern of AVP secretion depending on time of its application directly to the medium with organotypic SCN slices. When introduced at circadian time 22, 2 and 6 (the times corresponding to the late night and early day), melatonin delayed the AVP secretory rhythm by 1-4 h. When applied at circadian time 10 (late day), however, melatonin advanced the AVP secretory rhythm by about 2 h. At other circadian times, melatonin was ineffective. These results indicate that melatonin exhibits the bidirectional phase-shifting effects on circadian secretory rhythm clock, which depends on the time-window of its application.

• MeSH
• arginin vasopresin metabolismus   MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus účinky léků   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• melatonin farmakologie   MeSH
• neurony účinky léků   MeSH
• novorozená zvířata MeSH
• nucleus suprachiasmaticus účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• orgánové kultury - kultivační techniky MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• radioimunoanalýza MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• arginin vasopresin MeSH
• melatonin MeSH

Daily rhythm of arginine vasopressin (AVP) mRNA levels in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of rats maintained under a short, LD 8:16 photoperiod differed from that of rats maintained under a long, LD 16:8 photoperiod: under the short photoperiod the morning AVP rise occurred significantly later than under the long one. Daily profiles of AVP mRNA in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei were not rhythmic and AVP mRNA levels under LD 8:16 did not differ from those under LD 16:8. The data indicate that photoperiod affects selectively the clock driven AVP gene expression in the SCN.

• MeSH
• arginin vasopresin genetika   MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus genetika   MeSH
• fotoperioda * MeSH
• genetická transkripce * MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• messenger RNA analýza   MeSH
• nucleus paraventricularis hypothalami metabolismus   MeSH
• nucleus suprachiasmaticus metabolismus   MeSH
• nucleus supraopticus metabolismus   MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• arginin vasopresin MeSH
• messenger RNA MeSH

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant epitranscriptomic mark that regulates the fate of RNA molecules. Recent studies have revealed a bidirectional interaction between m6A modification and the circadian clock. However, the precise temporal dynamics of m6A global enrichment in the central circadian pacemaker have not been fully elucidated. Our study investigates the relationship between FTO demethylase and molecular clocks in primary cells of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). In addition, we examined the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on Fto expression and the role of FTO in LPS-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in primary SCN cell culture. We observed circadian rhythmicity in the global m6A levels, which mirrored the rhythmic expression of the Fto demethylase. Silencing FTO using siRNA reduced the mesor of Per2 rhythmicity in SCN primary cells and extended the period of the PER2 rhythm in SCN primary cell cultures from PER2::LUC mice. When examining the immune response, we discovered that exposure to LPS upregulated global m6A levels while downregulating Fto expression in SCN primary cell cultures. Interestingly, we found a loss of circadian rhythmicity in Fto expression following LPS treatment, indicating that the decrease of FTO levels may contribute to m6A upregulation without directly regulating its circadian rhythm. To explore potential protective mechanisms against neurotoxic inflammation, we examined ROS production following LPS treatment in SCN primary cell cultures pretreated with FTO siRNA. We observed a time-dependent pattern of ROS induction, with significant peak at 32 h but not at 20 h after synchronization. Silencing the FTO demethylase abolished ROS induction following LPS exposure, supporting the hypothesis that FTO downregulation serves as a protective mechanism during LPS-induced neuroinflammation in SCN primary cell cultures.

• Klíčová slova
• Fto demethylase, circadian rhythms, lipopolysaccharide, m6A RNA methylation, rodents, suprachiasmatic nucleus,
• MeSH
• adenosin * analogy a deriváty   metabolismus   MeSH
• cirkadiánní hodiny * účinky léků   fyziologie   genetika   MeSH
• cirkadiánní proteiny Period metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• gen pro FTO * metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• lipopolysacharidy * farmakologie   MeSH
• methylace RNA MeSH
• metylace účinky léků   MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši MeSH
• neurozánětlivé nemoci metabolismus   MeSH
• nucleus suprachiasmaticus * metabolismus   účinky léků   MeSH
• reaktivní formy kyslíku metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• adenosin * MeSH
• cirkadiánní proteiny Period MeSH
• FTO protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč
• gen pro FTO * MeSH
• lipopolysacharidy * MeSH
• N-methyladenosine MeSH Prohlížeč
• Per2 protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč
• reaktivní formy kyslíku MeSH
• RNA MeSH

The hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the circadian master clock in mammals, releases ATP in a rhythm, but the role of extracellular ATP in the SCN is still unknown. In this study, we examined the expression and function of ATP-gated P2X receptors (P2XRs) in the SCN neurons of slices isolated from the brain of 16- to 20-day-old rats. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that the SCN contains mRNA for P2X 1-7 receptors and several G-protein-coupled P2Y receptors. Among the P2XR subunits, the P2X2 > P2X7 > P2X4 mRNAs were the most abundant. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from SCN neurons revealed that extracellular ATP application increased the frequency of spontaneous GABAergic IPSCs without changes in their amplitudes. The effect of ATP appears to be mediated by presynaptic P2X2Rs because ATPγS and 2MeS-ATP mimics, while the P2XR antagonist PPADS blocks, the observed enhancement of the frequency of GABA currents. There were significant differences between two SCN regions in that the effect of ATP was higher in the ventrolateral subdivision, which is densely innervated from outside the SCN. Little evidence was found for the presence of P2XR channels in somata of SCN neurons as P2X2R immunoreactivity colocalized with synapsin and ATP-induced current was observed in only 7% of cells. In fura-2 AM-loaded slices, BzATP as well as ADP stimulated intracellular Ca(2+) increase, indicating that the SCN cells express functional P2X7 and P2Y receptors. Our data suggest that ATP activates presynaptic P2X2Rs to regulate inhibitory synaptic transmission within the SCN and that this effect varies between regions.

• MeSH
• adenosintrifosfát farmakologie   MeSH
• antagonisté excitačních aminokyselin farmakologie   MeSH
• biofyzikální jevy účinky léků   MeSH
• blokátory sodíkových kanálů farmakologie   MeSH
• GABA farmakologie   MeSH
• inhibitory agregace trombocytů farmakologie   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• messenger RNA metabolismus   MeSH
• metoda terčíkového zámku MeSH
• nervový přenos účinky léků   MeSH
• nervový útlum účinky léků   MeSH
• neurony účinky léků   MeSH
• novorozená zvířata MeSH
• nucleus suprachiasmaticus cytologie   MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• purinergní látky farmakologie   MeSH
• purinergní receptory P2X genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese účinky léků   MeSH
• synaptické potenciály účinky léků   MeSH
• techniky in vitro MeSH
• tetrodotoxin farmakologie   MeSH
• vápník metabolismus   MeSH
• vztah mezi dávkou a účinkem léčiva MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• adenosintrifosfát MeSH
• antagonisté excitačních aminokyselin MeSH
• blokátory sodíkových kanálů MeSH
• GABA MeSH
• inhibitory agregace trombocytů MeSH
• messenger RNA MeSH
• purinergní látky MeSH
• purinergní receptory P2X MeSH
• tetrodotoxin MeSH
• vápník MeSH

Choroid plexus (ChP), the brain structure primarily responsible for cerebrospinal fluid production, contains a robust circadian clock, whose role remains to be elucidated. The aim of our study was to [1] identify rhythmically controlled cellular processes in the mouse ChP and [2] assess the role and nature of signals derived from the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) that control ChP rhythms. To accomplish this goal, we used various mouse models (WT, mPer2Luc, ChP-specific Bmal1 knockout) and combined multiple experimental approaches, including surgical lesion of the SCN (SCNx), time-resolved transcriptomics, and single cell luminescence microscopy. In ChP of control (Ctrl) mice collected every 4 h over 2 circadian cycles in darkness, we found that the ChP clock regulates many processes, including the cerebrospinal fluid circadian secretome, precisely times endoplasmic reticulum stress response, and controls genes involved in neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and frontotemporal dementia). In ChP of SCNx mice, the rhythmicity detected in vivo and ex vivo was severely dampened to a comparable extent as in mice with ChP-specific Bmal1 knockout, and the dampened cellular rhythms were restored by daily injections of dexamethasone in mice. Our data demonstrate that the ChP clock controls tissue-specific gene expression and is strongly dependent on the presence of a functional connection with the SCN. The results may contribute to the search for a novel link between ChP clock disruption and impaired brain health.

• Klíčová slova
• mPer2 Luc mouse, Choroid plexus, Circadian clock, Circadian transcriptome, Glucocorticoid, Mouse, Suprachiasmatic nuclei,
• MeSH
• cirkadiánní hodiny * fyziologie   MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus fyziologie   MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši knockoutované MeSH
• myši MeSH
• nucleus suprachiasmaticus * metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• plexus chorioideus * metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• transkripční faktory ARNTL metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• Bmal1 protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč
• transkripční faktory ARNTL MeSH