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Fos expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus during photic entrainment of circadian rhythms in retinally damaged rats

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Abstract

The protein product of the immediate-early gene c-fos is expressed rhythmically in the shell region of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the mammalian circadian clock. Recently, we found that exposure to an entraining light pulse caused a suppression of Fos expression in the SCN shell in rats. To study the hypothesis that suppression of Fos in the shell is a correlate of photic entrainment, we used rats that were treated with the retinal neurotoxin monosodium glutamate (MSG) during the neonatal period. In spite of retinal degeneration, MSG-treated rats entrained normally and displayed light-induced suppression of Fos within the SCN shell. These results support the view that light-induced suppression of Fos within the SCN shell is a cellular correlate of photic entrainment.

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Author notes

  1. Christian Beaulé

    Present address: Department of Cell and Structural Biology, B107 Chemical and Life Sciences Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 61801, Urbana, IL

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, H4B 1R6, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Christian Beaulé, Jane Barry-Shaw & Shimon Amir

Authors
  1. Christian Beaulé
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  2. Jane Barry-Shaw
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  3. Shimon Amir
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Correspondence to Shimon Amir.

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Beaulé, C., Barry-Shaw, J. & Amir, S. Fos expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus during photic entrainment of circadian rhythms in retinally damaged rats. J Mol Neurosci 22, 223–229 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1385/JMN:22:3:223

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/JMN:22:3:223

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