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Constant light desynchronizes mammalian clock neurons

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Abstract

Circadian organization can be disrupted by constant light, resulting in behavioral arrhythmicity or 'splitting' of rhythms of activity and rest. By imaging molecular rhythms of individual clock neurons in explanted mouse clock nuclei, we now find that constant light desynchronizes clock neurons but does not compromise their ability to generate circadian rhythms. Cellular synchrony within clock nuclei is disrupted during arrhythmicity, whereas neurons in the left and right clock nuclei cycle in antiphase during 'splitting.'

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Figure 1: Behavioral and SCN rhythms from an arrhythmic constant light–treated mouse.
Figure 2: Behavioral and SCN rhythms from a rhythmic constant light–treated mouse.
Figure 3: Behavioral and SCN rhythms from a 'split' rhythmic constant light–treated mouse.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank T. Page and C. Johnson for thoughtful comments and discussion of the manuscript. Supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01 MH63341 to D.G.M.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B, Box 35-1634, Nashville, 37235-1634, Tennessee, USA

    Hidenobu Ohta, Shin Yamazaki & Douglas G McMahon

Authors
  1. Hidenobu Ohta
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  2. Shin Yamazaki
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  3. Douglas G McMahon
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Douglas G McMahon.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Video 1

Time-lapse video of Per1::GFP activity in SCN from an arrhythmic LL mouse. (MOV 2978 kb)

Supplementary Video 2

Time-lapse video of Per1::GFP activity in SCN from a rhythmic LL mouse. (MOV 3866 kb)

Supplementary Video 3

Time-lapse video of Per1::GFP activity in SCN from a 'split' LL mouse. (MOV 2425 kb)

Supplementary Methods (PDF 40 kb)

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Ohta, H., Yamazaki, S. & McMahon, D. Constant light desynchronizes mammalian clock neurons. Nat Neurosci 8, 267–269 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1395

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1395

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