The circadian (∼24 h) clock is continuously entrained (reset) by ambient light so that endogenous rhythms are synchronized with daily changes in the environment. Light-induced gene expression is thought to be the molecular mechanism underlying clock entrainment. mRNA translation is a key step of gene expression, but the manner in which clock entrainment is controlled at the level of mRNA translation is not well understood. We found that a light- and circadian clock-regulated MAPK/MNK pathway led to phosphorylation of the cap-binding protein eIF4E in the mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, the locus of the master circadian clock in mammals. Phosphorylation of eIF4E specifically promoted translation of Period 1 (Per1) and Period 2 (Per2) mRNAs and increased the abundance of basal and inducible PER proteins, which facilitated circadian clock resetting and precise timekeeping. Together, these results highlight a critical role for light-regulated translational control in the physiology of the circadian clock.
Pubmed ID: 25915475 RIS Download
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Point and click program used to quickly analyse circadian activity data using algorithms and embedded controls to make every graph interactive and useful for data analysis. The analysis program has been used for a variety of species including mice, hamsters, rats, sheep, Drosophila, and humans. This program has three separate applications: one for data collection, one for analysis, and a chamber control program.
View all literature mentionsMus musculus with name C57BL/6J from IMSR.
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