Transcriptional programming of lipid and amino acid metabolism by the skeletal muscle circadian clock

Circadian influences on feeding behavior

Feeding, like many other biological functions, displays a daily rhythm. This daily rhythmicity is controlled by the circadian timing system of which the central master clock is located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Other brain areas and tissues throughout the body also display rhythmic functions and contain the molecular clock mechanism known as peripheral oscillators. To generate the daily feeding rhythm, the SCN signals to different hypothalamic areas with the lateral hypothalamus, paraventricular nucleus and arcuate nucleus being the most prominent. With respect to the rewarding aspects of feeding behavior, the dopaminergic system is also under circadian influence. However the SCN projects only indirectly to the different reward regions, such as the ventral tegmental area where dopamine neurons are located. In addition, high palatable, high caloric diets have the potential to disturb the normal daily rhythms of physiology and have been shown to alter for example meal patterns. Around a meal several hormones and peptides are released that are also under circadian influence. For example, the release of postprandial insulin and glucagon-like peptide following a meal depend on the time of the day. Finally, we review the effect of deletion of different clock genes on feeding behavior. The most prominent effect on feeding behavior has been observed in Clock mutants, whereas deletion of Bmal1 and Per1/2 only disrupts the day-night rhythm, but not overall intake. Data presented here focus on the rodent literature as only limited data are available on the mechanisms underlying daily rhythms in human eating behavior.

Regulation of metabolism by circadian rhythms: Support from time-restricted eating, intestinal microbiota & omics analysis

Circadian oscillatory system plays a key role in coordinating the metabolism of most organisms. Perturbation of genetic effects and misalignment of circadian rhythms result in circadian dysfunction and signs of metabolic disorders. The eating-fasting cycle can act on the peripheral circadian clocks, bypassing the photoperiod. Therefore, time-restricted eating (TRE) can improve metabolic health by adjusting eating rhythms, a process achieved through reprogramming of circadian genomes and metabolic programs at different tissue levels or remodeling of the intestinal microbiota, with omics technology allowing visualization of the regulatory processes. Here, we review recent advances in circadian regulation of metabolism, focus on the potential application of TRE for rescuing circadian dysfunction and metabolic disorders with the contribution of intestinal microbiota in between, and summarize the significance of omics technology.

More than the clock: distinct regulation of muscle function and metabolism by PER2 and RORα

Circadian rhythms, governed by the dominant central clock, in addition to various peripheral clocks, regulate almost all biological processes, including sleep-wake cycles, hormone secretion and metabolism. In certain contexts, the regulation and function of the peripheral oscillations can be decoupled from the central clock. However, the specific mechanisms underlying muscle-intrinsic clock-dependent modulation of muscle function and metabolism remain unclear. We investigated the outcome of perturbations of the primary and secondary feedback loops of the molecular clock in skeletal muscle by specific gene ablation of Period circadian regulator 2 (Per2) and RAR-related orphan receptor alpha (Rorα), respectively. In both models, a dampening of core clock gene oscillation was observed, while the phase was preserved. Moreover, both loops seem to be involved in the homeostasis of amine groups. Highly divergent outcomes were seen for overall muscle gene expression, primarily affecting circadian rhythmicity in the PER2 knockouts and non-oscillating genes in the RORα knockouts, leading to distinct outcomes in terms of metabolome and phenotype. These results highlight the entanglement of the molecular clock and muscle plasticity and allude to specific functions of different clock components, i.e. the primary and secondary feedback loops, in this context. The reciprocal interaction between muscle contractility and circadian clocks might therefore be instrumental to determining a finely tuned adaptation of muscle tissue to perturbations in health and disease. KEY POINTS: Specific perturbations of the primary and secondary feedback loop of the molecular clock result in specific outcomes on muscle metabolism and function. Ablation of Per2 (primary loop) or Rorα (secondary loop) blunts the amplitude of core clock genes, in absence of a shift in phase. Perturbation of the primary feedback loop by deletion of PER2 primarily affects muscle gene oscillation. Knockout of RORα and the ensuing modulation of the secondary loop results in the aberrant expression of a large number of non-clock genes and proteins. The deletion of PER2 and RORα affects muscle metabolism and contractile function in a circadian manner, highlighting the central role of the molecular clock in modulating muscle plasticity.

Skeletal muscle BMAL1 is necessary for transcriptional adaptation of local and peripheral tissues in response to endurance exercise training

Objectives

In this investigation, we addressed the contribution of the core circadian clock factor, BMAL1, in skeletal muscle to both acute transcriptional responses to exercise and transcriptional remodelling in response to exercise training. Additionally, we adopted a systems biology approach to investigate how loss of skeletal muscle BMAL1 altered peripheral tissue homeostasis as well as exercise training adaptations in iWAT, liver, heart, and lung of male mice.

Methods

Combining inducible skeletal muscle specific BMAL1 knockout mice, physiological testing and standardized exercise protocols, we performed a multi-omic analysis (transcriptomics, chromatin accessibility and metabolomics) to explore loss of muscle BMAL1 on muscle and peripheral tissue responses to exercise.

Results

Muscle-specific BMAL1 knockout mice demonstrated a blunted transcriptional response to acute exercise, characterized by the lack of upregulation of well-established exercise responsive transcription factors including Nr4a3 and Ppargc1a. Six weeks of exercise training in muscle-specific BMAL1 knockout mice induced significantly greater and divergent transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in muscle. Surprisingly, liver, lung, inguinal white adipose and heart showed divergent exercise training transcriptomes with less than 5% of 'exercise-training' responsive genes shared for each tissue between genotypes.

Conclusion

Our investigation has uncovered the critical role that BMAL1 plays in skeletal muscle as a key regulator of gene expression programs for both acute exercise and training adaptations. In addition, our work has uncovered the significant impact that altered exercise response in muscle plays in the peripheral tissue adaptation to exercise training. We also note that the transcriptome adaptations to steady state training suggest that without BMAL1, skeletal muscle does not achieve the expected homeostatic program. Our work also demonstrates that if the muscle adaptations diverge to a more maladaptive state this is linked to increased inflammation across many tissues. Understanding the molecular targets and pathways contributing to health vs. maladaptive exercise adaptations will be critical for the next stage of therapeutic design for exercise mimetics.

Program with last minute abstracts of the Padua Days on Muscle and Mobility Medicine, 27 February - 2 March, 2024 (2024Pdm3)

During the 2023 Padua Days on Muscle and Mobility Medicine the 2024 meeting was scheduled from 28 February to 2 March 2024 (2024Pdm3). During autumn 2023 the program was expanded with Scientific Sessions which will take place over five days (in 2024 this includes February 29), starting from the afternoon of 27 February 2024 in the Conference Rooms of the Hotel Petrarca, Thermae of Euganean Hills (Padua), Italy. As per consolidated tradition, the second day will take place in Padua, for the occasion in the Sala San Luca of the Monastery of Santa Giustina in Prato della Valle, Padua, Italy. Confirming the attractiveness of the Padua Days on Muscle and Mobility Medicine, over 100 titles were accepted until 15 December 2023 (many more than expected), forcing the organization of parallel sessions on both 1 and 2 March 2024. The five days will include lectures and oral presentations of scientists and clinicians from Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland, UK and USA. Only Australia, China, India and Japan are missing from this edition. But we are confident that authors from those countries who publish articles in the PAGEpress: European Journal of Translational Myology (EJTM: 2022 ESCI Clarivate's Impact Factor: 2.2; SCOPUS Cite Score: 3.2) will decide to join us in the coming years. Together with the program established by 31 January 2024, the abstracts will circulate during the meeting only in the electronic version of the EJTM Issue 34 (1) 2024. See you soon in person at the Hotel Petrarca in Montegrotto Terme, Padua, for the inauguration scheduled the afternoon of 27 February 2024 or on-line for free via Zoom. Send us your email address if you are not traditional participants listed in Pdm3 and EJTM address books.

Integrated Amino Acids and Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Arginine Transporter SLC7A2 Is a Novel Regulator of Myogenic Differentiation

Skeletal muscle differentiation is a precisely coordinated process. While many of the molecular details of myogenesis have been investigated extensively, the dynamic changes and functions of amino acids and related transporters remain unknown. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of amino acid levels during different time points of C2C12 myoblast differentiation using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Our findings revealed that the levels of most amino acids exhibited an initial increase at the onset of differentiation, reaching their peak typically on the fourth or sixth day, followed by a decline on the eighth day. Particularly, arginine and branched-chain amino acids showed a prominent increase during this period. Furthermore, we used RNA-seq analysis to show that the gene encoding the arginine transporter, Slc7a2, is significantly upregulated during differentiation. Knockdown of Slc7a2 gene expression resulted in a significant decrease in myoblast proliferation and led to a reduction in the expression levels of crucial myogenic regulatory factors, hindering the process of myoblast differentiation, fusion, and subsequent myotube formation. Lastly, we assessed the expression level of Slc7a2 during aging in humans and mice and found an upregulation of Slc7a2 expression during the aging process. These findings collectively suggest that the arginine transporter SLC7A2 plays a critical role in facilitating skeletal muscle differentiation and may hold potential as a therapeutic target for sarcopenia.

Isorhynchophylline improves lipid metabolism disorder by mediating a circadian rhythm gene Bmal1 in spontaneously hypertensive rat

Hypertension is a progressive metabolic disease characterized by circadian regulation of lipid metabolism disorder. Identifying specific lipid components and maintaining circadian homeostasis of lipid metabolism might be a promising therapeutic strategy for hypertension. Isorhynchophylline (IRP) can regulate lipid metabolism; however, the underlying mechanism of IRP in improving lipid metabolism rhythm disorder is still unclear. The lipid circadian biomarkers and abnormal metabolic pathways intervened by IRP were investigated using diurnal lipidomic research methods. The 24-h circadian changes in mRNA and protein expression levels of circadian genes, including Bmal1, Clock, Cry1, Cry2, Per1, and Per2, and lipid metabolism-related factors (PPARα and LPL) were determined using RT-PCR and western blot analyses, respectively. The underlying mechanisms were intensively investigated by inhibiting Bmal1. Molecular docking and drug affinity responsive target stability analyses were performed to assess the binding affinity of IRP and Bmal1. IRP treatment could effectively improve 24-h blood pressure, ameliorate the lipid metabolic rhythm disorder, reverse the expression levels of circadian rhythm genes, and regulate lipid metabolism-related genes (PPARα and LPL) by mediating Bmal1. This study highlighted the potential effects of IRP in maintaining the circadian homeostasis of lipid metabolism and the treatment of hypertension.

Melatonin Alleviates the Impairment of Muscle Bioenergetics and Protein Quality Control Systems in Leptin-Deficiency-Induced Obesity

Leptin is critically compromised in the major common forms of obesity. Skeletal muscle is the main effector tissue for energy modification that occurs as a result of the effect of endocrine axes, such as leptin signaling. Our study was carried out using skeletal muscle from a leptin-deficient animal model, in order to ascertain the importance of this hormone and to identify the major skeletal muscle mechanisms affected. We also examined the therapeutic role of melatonin against leptin-induced muscle wasting. Here, we report that leptin deficiency stimulates fatty acid β-oxidation, which results in mitochondrial uncoupling and the suppression of mitochondrial oxidative damage; however, it increases cytosolic oxidative damage. Thus, different nutrient-sensing pathways are disrupted, impairing proteostasis and promoting lipid anabolism, which induces myofiber degeneration and drives oxidative type I fiber conversion. Melatonin treatment plays a significant role in reducing cellular oxidative damage and regulating energy homeostasis and fuel utilization. Melatonin is able to improve both glucose and mitochondrial metabolism and partially restore proteostasis. Taken together, our study demonstrates melatonin to be a decisive mitochondrial function-fate regulator in skeletal muscle, with implications for resembling physiological energy requirements and targeting glycolytic type II fiber recovery.

Temporal dynamics of muscle mitochondrial uncoupling-induced integrated stress response and ferroptosis defense

Mitochondria play multifaceted roles in cellular function, and impairments across domains of mitochondrial biology are known to promote cellular integrated stress response (ISR) pathways as well as systemic metabolic adaptations. However, the temporal dynamics of specific mitochondrial ISR related to physiological variations in tissue-specific energy demands remains unknown. Here, we conducted a comprehensive 24-hour muscle and plasma profiling of male and female mice with ectopic mitochondrial respiratory uncoupling in skeletal muscle (mUcp1-transgenic, TG). TG mice are characterized by increased muscle ISR, elevated oxidative stress defense, and increased secretion of FGF21 and GDF15 as ISR-induced myokines. We observed a temporal signature of both cell-autonomous and systemic ISR in the context of endocrine myokine signaling and cellular redox balance, but not of ferroptotic signature which was also increased in TG muscle. We show a progressive increase of muscle ISR on transcriptional level during the active phase (night time), with a subsequent peak in circulating FGF21 and GDF15 in the early resting phase. Moreover, we found highest levels of muscle oxidative defense (GPX and NQO1 activity) between the late active to early resting phase, which could aim to counteract excessive iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis in muscle of TG mice. These findings highlight the temporal dynamics of cell-autonomous and endocrine ISR signaling under skeletal muscle mitochondrial uncoupling, emphasizing the importance of considering such dissociation in translational strategies and sample collection for diagnostic biomarker analysis.

Exercise metabolism and adaptation in skeletal muscle

Viewing metabolism through the lens of exercise biology has proven an accessible and practical strategy to gain new insights into local and systemic metabolic regulation. Recent methodological developments have advanced understanding of the central role of skeletal muscle in many exercise-associated health benefits and have uncovered the molecular underpinnings driving adaptive responses to training regimens. In this Review, we provide a contemporary view of the metabolic flexibility and functional plasticity of skeletal muscle in response to exercise. First, we provide background on the macrostructure and ultrastructure of skeletal muscle fibres, highlighting the current understanding of sarcomeric networks and mitochondrial subpopulations. Next, we discuss acute exercise skeletal muscle metabolism and the signalling, transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of adaptations to exercise training. We address knowledge gaps throughout and propose future directions for the field. This Review contextualizes recent research of skeletal muscle exercise metabolism, framing further advances and translation into practice.

Acute Deletion of the Glucocorticoid Receptor in Hepatocytes Disrupts Postprandial Lipid Metabolism in Male Mice

Hepatic lipid metabolism is highly dynamic, and disruption of several circadian transcriptional regulators results in hepatic steatosis. This includes genetic disruption of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) as the liver develops. To address the functional role of GR in the adult liver, we used an acute hepatocyte-specific GR knockout model to study temporal hepatic lipid metabolism governed by GR at several preprandial and postprandial circadian timepoints. Lipidomics analysis revealed significant temporal lipid metabolism, where GR disruption results in impaired regulation of specific triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids, and sphingolipids. This correlates with increased number and size of lipid droplets and mildly reduced mitochondrial respiration, most noticeably in the postprandial phase. Proteomics and transcriptomics analyses suggest that dysregulated lipid metabolism originates from pronounced induced expression of enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis, β-oxidation, and sphingolipid metabolism. Integration of GR cistromic data suggests that induced gene expression is a result of regulatory actions secondary to direct GR effects on gene transcription.

Class 3 PI3K coactivates the circadian clock to promote rhythmic de novo purine synthesis

Metabolic demands fluctuate rhythmically and rely on coordination between the circadian clock and nutrient-sensing signalling pathways, yet mechanisms of their interaction remain not fully understood. Surprisingly, we find that class 3 phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), known best for its essential role as a lipid kinase in endocytosis and lysosomal degradation by autophagy, has an overlooked nuclear function in gene transcription as a coactivator of the heterodimeric transcription factor and circadian driver Bmal1-Clock. Canonical pro-catabolic functions of class 3 PI3K in trafficking rely on the indispensable complex between the lipid kinase Vps34 and regulatory subunit Vps15. We demonstrate that although both subunits of class 3 PI3K interact with RNA polymerase II and co-localize with active transcription sites, exclusive loss of Vps15 in cells blunts the transcriptional activity of Bmal1-Clock. Thus, we establish non-redundancy between nuclear Vps34 and Vps15, reflected by the persistent nuclear pool of Vps15 in Vps34-depleted cells and the ability of Vps15 to coactivate Bmal1-Clock independently of its complex with Vps34. In physiology we find that Vps15 is required for metabolic rhythmicity in liver and, unexpectedly, it promotes pro-anabolic de novo purine nucleotide synthesis. We show that Vps15 activates the transcription of Ppat, a key enzyme for the production of inosine monophosphate, a central metabolic intermediate for purine synthesis. Finally, we demonstrate that in fasting, which represses clock transcriptional activity, Vps15 levels are decreased on the promoters of Bmal1 targets, Nr1d1 and Ppat. Our findings open avenues for establishing the complexity for nuclear class 3 PI3K signalling for temporal regulation of energy homeostasis.

Liver and muscle circadian clocks cooperate to support glucose tolerance in mice

Physiology is regulated by interconnected cell and tissue circadian clocks. Disruption of the rhythms generated by the concerted activity of these clocks is associated with metabolic disease. Here we tested the interactions between clocks in two critical components of organismal metabolism, liver and skeletal muscle, by rescuing clock function either in each organ separately or in both organs simultaneously in otherwise clock-less mice. Experiments showed that individual clocks are partially sufficient for tissue glucose metabolism, yet the connections between both tissue clocks coupled to daily feeding rhythms support systemic glucose tolerance. This synergy relies in part on local transcriptional control of the glucose machinery, feeding-responsive signals such as insulin, and metabolic cycles that connect the muscle and liver. We posit that spatiotemporal mechanisms of muscle and liver play an essential role in the maintenance of systemic glucose homeostasis and that disrupting this diurnal coordination can contribute to metabolic disease.

"Diet for the prevention and management of sarcopenia"

Sarcopenia is a geriatric condition characterized by a progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes (e.g., falls, disability, institutionalization, reduced quality of life, mortality). Pharmacological remedies are currently unavailable for preventing the development of sarcopenia, halting its progression, or impeding its negative health outcomes. The most effective strategies to contrast sarcopenia rely on the adoption of healthier lifestyle behaviors, including adherence to high-quality diets and regular physical activity. In this review, the role of nutrition in the prevention and management of sarcopenia is summarized. Special attention is given to current "blockbuster" dietary regimes and agents used to counteract age-related muscle wasting, together with their putative mechanisms of action. Issues related to the design and implementation of effective nutritional strategies are discussed, with a focus on unanswered questions on the most appropriate timing of nutritional interventions to preserve muscle health and function into old age. A brief description is also provided on new technologies that can facilitate the development and implementation of personalized nutrition plans to contrast sarcopenia.

Molecular clocks, satellite cells, and skeletal muscle regeneration

Skeletal muscle comprises approximately 50% of individual body mass and plays vital roles in locomotion, heat production, and whole body metabolic homeostasis. This tissue exhibits a robust diurnal rhythm that is under control of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) region of the hypothalamus. The SCN acts as a "central" coordinator of circadian rhythms, while cell-autonomous "peripheral" clocks are located within almost all other tissues/organs in the body. Synchronization of the peripheral clocks in muscles (and other tissues) together with the central clock is crucial to ensure temporally coordinated physiology across all organ systems. By virtue of its mass, human skeletal muscle contains the largest collection of peripheral clocks, but within muscle resides a local stem cell population, satellite cells (SCs), which have their own functional molecular clock, independent of the numerous muscle clocks. Skeletal muscle has a daily turnover rate of 1%-2%, so the regenerative capacity of this tissue is important for whole body homeostasis/repair and depends on successful SC myogenic progression (i.e., proliferation, differentiation, and fusion). Emerging evidence suggests that SC-mediated muscle regeneration may, in part, be regulated by molecular clocks involved in SC-specific diurnal transcription. Here we provide insights on molecular clock regulation of muscle regeneration/repair and provide a novel perspective on the interplay between SC-specific molecular clocks, myogenic programs, and cell cycle kinetics that underpin myogenic progression.

Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Switch Induced by Traditional Cigarette Smoke Condensate: A Holistic Overview

Cigarette smoke (CS) is a risk factor for inflammatory diseases, such as atherosclerosis. CS condensate (CSC) contains lipophilic components that may represent a systemic cardiac risk factor. To better understand CSC effects, we incubated mouse and human aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) with CSC. We evaluated specific markers for contractile [i.e., actin, aortic smooth muscle (ACTA2), calponin-1 (CNN1), the Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), and myocardin (MYOCD) genes] and inflammatory [i.e., IL-1β, and IL-6, IL-8, and galectin-3 (LGALS-3) genes] phenotypes. CSC increased the expression of inflammatory markers and reduced the contractile ones in both cell types, with KLF4 modulating the SMC phenotypic switch. Next, we performed a mass spectrometry-based differential proteomic approach on human SMCs and could show 11 proteins were significantly affected by exposition to CSC (FC ≥ 2.7, p ≤ 0.05). These proteins are active in signaling pathways related to expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and IFN, inflammasome assembly and activation, cytoskeleton regulation and SMC contraction, mitochondrial integrity and cellular response to oxidative stress, proteostasis control via ubiquitination, and cell proliferation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Through specific bioinformatics resources, we showed their tight functional correlation in a close interaction niche mainly orchestrated by the interferon-induced double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (alternative name: protein kinase RNA-activated; PKR) (EIF2AK2/PKR). Finally, by combining gene expression and protein abundance data we obtained a hybrid network showing reciprocal integration of the CSC-deregulated factors and indicating KLF4 and PKR as the most relevant factors.

Astrocytic circadian clock control of energy expenditure by transcriptional stress responses in the ventromedial hypothalamus

Hypothalamic circuits compute systemic information to control metabolism. Astrocytes residing within the hypothalamus directly sense nutrients and hormones, integrating metabolic information, and modulating neuronal responses. Nevertheless, the role of the astrocytic circadian clock on the control of energy balance remains unclear. We used mice with a targeted ablation of the core-clock gene Bmal1 within Gfap-expressing astrocytes to gain insight on the role played by this transcription factor in astrocytes. While this mutation does not substantially affect the phenotype in mice fed normo-caloric diet, under high-fat diet we unmasked a thermogenic phenotype consisting of increased energy expenditure, and catabolism in brown adipose and overall metabolic improvement consisting of better glycemia control, and body composition. Transcriptomic analysis in the ventromedial hypothalamus revealed an enhanced response to moderate cellular stress, including ER-stress response, unfolded protein response and autophagy. We identified Xbp1 and Atf1 as two key transcription factors enhancing cellular stress responses. Therefore, we unveiled a previously unknown role of the astrocytic circadian clock modulating energy balance through the regulation of cellular stress responses within the VMH.

Effect of Circadian Rhythm Disturbance on the Human Musculoskeletal System and the Importance of Nutritional Strategies

The circadian system in the human body responds to daily environmental changes to optimise behaviour according to the biological clock and also influences various physiological processes. The suprachiasmatic nuclei are located in the anterior hypothalamus of the brain, and they synchronise to the 24 h light/dark cycle. Human physiological functions are highly dependent on the regulation of the internal circadian clock. Skeletal muscles comprise the largest collection of peripheral clocks in the human body. Both central and peripheral clocks regulate the interaction between the musculoskeletal system and energy metabolism. The skeletal muscle circadian clock plays a vital role in lipid and glucose metabolism. The pathogenesis of osteoporosis is related to an alteration in the circadian rhythm. In the present review, we discuss the disturbance of the circadian rhythm and its resultant effect on the musculoskeletal system. We also discuss the nutritional strategies that are potentially effective in maintaining the system's homeostasis. Active collaborations between nutritionists and physiologists in the field of chronobiological and chrononutrition will further clarify these interactions. This review may be necessary for successful interventions in reducing morbidity and mortality resulting from musculoskeletal disturbances.

The circadian E3 ligase FBXL21 regulates myoblast differentiation and sarcomere architecture via MYOZ1 ubiquitination and NFAT signaling

Numerous molecular and physiological processes in the skeletal muscle undergo circadian time-dependent oscillations in accordance with daily activity/rest cycles. The circadian regulatory mechanisms underlying these cyclic processes, especially at the post-transcriptional level, are not well defined. Previously, we reported that the circadian E3 ligase FBXL21 mediates rhythmic degradation of the sarcomere protein TCAP in conjunction with GSK-3β, and Psttm mice harboring an Fbxl21 hypomorph allele show reduced muscle fiber diameter and impaired muscle function. To further elucidate the regulatory function of FBXL21 in skeletal muscle, we investigated another sarcomere protein, Myozenin1 (MYOZ1), that we identified as an FBXL21-binding protein from yeast 2-hybrid screening. We show that FBXL21 binding to MYOZ1 led to ubiquitination-mediated proteasomal degradation. GSK-3β co-expression and inhibition were found to accelerate and decelerate FBXL21-mediated MYOZ1 degradation, respectively. Previously, MYOZ1 has been shown to inhibit calcineurin/NFAT signaling important for muscle differentiation. In accordance, Fbxl21 KO and MyoZ1 KO in C2C12 cells impaired and enhanced myogenic differentiation respectively compared with control C2C12 cells, concomitant with distinct effects on NFAT nuclear localization and NFAT target gene expression. Importantly, in Psttm mice, both the levels and diurnal rhythm of NFAT2 nuclear localization were significantly diminished relative to wild-type mice, and circadian expression of NFAT target genes associated with muscle differentiation was also markedly dampened. Furthermore, Psttm mice exhibited significant disruption of sarcomere structure with a considerable excess of MYOZ1 accumulation in the Z-line. Taken together, our study illustrates a pivotal role of FBXL21 in sarcomere structure and muscle differentiation by regulating MYOZ1 degradation and NFAT2 signaling.

Time for Exercise? Exercise and Its Influence on the Skeletal Muscle Clock

Circadian rhythms drive our daily behaviors to coincide with the earth's rotation on an approximate 24-h cycle. The circadian clock mechanism present in nearly every cell is responsible for our circadian rhythms and is comprised of a transcriptional-translational feedback loop in mammals. The central clock resides in the hypothalamus responding to external light cues, whereas peripheral clocks receive signals from the central clock and are also sensitive to cues from feeding and activity. Of the peripheral clocks, the skeletal muscle clock is particularly sensitive to exercise which has shown to be an important time-cue with the ability to influence and adjust the muscle clock phase in response to exercise timing. Since the skeletal muscle clock is also involved in the expression of tissue-specific gene expression-including glucoregulatory genes-this might suggest a role for exercise timing as a therapeutic strategy in metabolic diseases, like type 2 diabetes. Notably, those with type 2 diabetes have accompanied disruptions in their skeletal muscle clock mechanism which may also be related to the increased risk of type 2 diabetes seen among shift workers. Therefore, the direct influence of exercise on the skeletal muscle clock might support the use of exercise timing to provide disease-mitigating effects. Here, we highlight the potential use of time-of-day exercise as a chronotherapeutic tool within circadian medicine to improve the metabolic profile of type 2 diabetes and support long-term glycemic control, potentially working through the skeletal muscle clock and circadian physiology.

Effect of the Citrus Flavone Nobiletin on Circadian Rhythms and Metabolic Syndrome

The importance of the circadian clock in maintaining human health is now widely acknowledged. Dysregulated and dampened clocks may be a common cause of age-related diseases and metabolic syndrome Thus, circadian clocks should be considered as therapeutic targets to mitigate disease symptoms. This review highlights a number of dietary compounds that positively affect the maintenance of the circadian clock. Notably the polymethoxyflavone nobiletin has shown some encouraging results in pre-clinical experiments. Although many more experiments are needed to fully elucidate its exact mechanism of action, it is a promising candidate with potential as a chronotherapeutic agent.

Role of Circadian Transcription Factor Rev-Erb in Metabolism and Tissue Fibrosis

Circadian rhythms significantly affect metabolism, and their disruption leads to cardiometabolic diseases and fibrosis. The clock repressor Rev-Erb is mainly expressed in the liver, heart, lung, adipose tissue, skeletal muscles, and brain, recognized as a master regulator of metabolism, mitochondrial biogenesis, inflammatory response, and fibrosis. Fibrosis is the response of the body to injuries and chronic inflammation with the accumulation of extracellular matrix in tissues. Activation of myofibroblasts is a key factor in the development of organ fibrosis, initiated by hormones, growth factors, inflammatory cytokines, and mechanical stress. This review summarizes the importance of Rev-Erb in ECM remodeling and tissue fibrosis. In the heart, Rev-Erb activation has been shown to alleviate hypertrophy and increase exercise capacity. In the lung, Rev-Erb agonist reduced pulmonary fibrosis by suppressing fibroblast differentiation. In the liver, Rev-Erb inhibited inflammation and fibrosis by diminishing NF-κB activity. In adipose tissue, Rev- Erb agonists reduced fat mass. In summary, the results of multiple studies in preclinical models demonstrate that Rev-Erb is an attractive target for positively influencing dysregulated metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis, but more specific tools and studies would be needed to increase the information base for the therapeutic potential of these substances interfering with the molecular clock.

The Circadian Regulation of Nutrient Metabolism in Diet-Induced Obesity and Metabolic Disease

Obesity and other metabolic diseases are major public health issues that are particularly prevalent in industrialized societies where circadian rhythmicity is disturbed by shift work, jet lag, and/or social obligations. In mammals, daylight entrains the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) to a ≈24 h cycle by initiating a transcription/translation feedback loop (TTFL) of molecular clock genes. The downstream impacts of the TTFL on clock-controlled genes allow the SCN to set the rhythm for the majority of physiological, metabolic, and behavioral processes. The TTFL, however, is ubiquitous and oscillates in tissues throughout the body. Tissues outside of the SCN are entrained to other signals, such as fed/fasting state, rather than light input. This system requires a considerable amount of biological flexibility as it functions to maintain homeostasis across varying conditions contained within a 24 h day. In the face of either circadian disruption (e.g., jet lag and shift work) or an obesity-induced decrease in metabolic flexibility, this finely tuned mechanism breaks down. Indeed, both human and rodent studies have found that obesity and metabolic disease develop when endogenous circadian pacing is at odds with the external cues. In the following review, we will delve into what is known on the circadian rhythmicity of nutrient metabolism and discuss obesity as a circadian disease.

The central clock suffices to drive the majority of circulatory metabolic rhythms

Life on Earth anticipates recurring 24-hour environmental cycles via genetically encoded molecular clocks active in all mammalian organs. Communication between these clocks controls circadian homeostasis. Intertissue communication is mediated, in part, by temporal coordination of metabolism. Here, we characterize the extent to which clocks in different organs control systemic metabolic rhythms, an area that remains largely unexplored. We analyzed the metabolome of serum from mice with tissue-specific expression of the clock gene Bmal1. Having functional hepatic and muscle clocks can only drive a minority (13%) of systemic metabolic rhythms. Conversely, limiting Bmal1 expression to the central pacemaker in the brain restores rhythms to 57% of circulatory metabolites. Rhythmic feeding imposed on clockless mice resulted in a similar rescue, indicating that the central clock mainly regulates metabolic rhythms via behavior. These findings explicate the circadian communication between tissues and highlight the importance of the central clock in governing those signals.

DNA Methylation-Related circRNA_0116449 Is Involved in Lipid Peroxidation in Traumatic Brain Injury

Circular ribonucleic acid (circRNA) has a critical effect in central nervous diseases; however, the exact role of circRNAs in human traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains elusive. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, can modify the mRNA level of genes without changing their related DNA sequence in response to brain insults. We hypothesized that DNA methylation-related circRNAs may be implicated in the mechanisms of TBI. The methylation-related circ_0116449 was identified from differential methylation positions and shown to reduce the neuronal loss and lipid markers. Mechanical study indicated that circ_0116449 functions as a miR-142-3p sponge and increases the expression of its target gene: NR1D2, together with NR1D1 and RORA to suppress lipid peroxidation both in vitro and in vivo. Our study suggests that DNA methylation-related circ_0116449 may be a novel target for regulating lipid metabolism in TBI.

Circadian rhythm of lipid metabolism

Lipids comprise a diverse group of metabolites that are indispensable as energy storage molecules, cellular membrane components and mediators of inter- and intra-cellular signaling processes. Lipid homeostasis plays a crucial role in maintaining metabolic health in mammals including human beings. A growing body of evidence suggests that the circadian clock system ensures temporal orchestration of lipid homeostasis, and that perturbation of such diurnal regulation leads to the development of metabolic disorders comprising obesity and type 2 diabetes. In view of the emerging role of circadian regulation in maintaining lipid homeostasis, in this review, we summarize the current knowledge on lipid metabolic pathways controlled by the mammalian circadian system. Furthermore, we review the emerging connection between the development of human metabolic diseases and changes in lipid metabolites that belong to major classes of lipids. Finally, we highlight the mechanisms underlying circadian organization of lipid metabolic rhythms upon the physiological situation, and the consequences of circadian clock dysfunction for dysregulation of lipid metabolism.

Time to Train: The Involvement of the Molecular Clock in Exercise Adaptation of Skeletal Muscle

Circadian rhythms regulate a host of physiological processes in a time-dependent manner to maintain homeostasis in response to various environmental stimuli like day and night cycles, food intake, and physical activity. Disruptions in circadian rhythms due to genetic mutations, shift work, exposure to artificial light sources, aberrant eating habits, and abnormal sleep cycles can have dire consequences for health. Importantly, exercise training efficiently ameliorates many of these adverse effects and the role of skeletal muscle in mediating the benefits of exercise is a topic of great interest. However, the molecular and physiological interactions between the clock, skeletal muscle function and exercise are poorly understood, and are most likely a combination of molecular clock components directly acting in muscle as well as in concordance with other peripheral metabolic organ systems like the liver. This review aims to consolidate existing experimental evidence on the involvement of molecular clock factors in exercise adaptation of skeletal muscle and to highlight the existing gaps in knowledge that need to be investigated to develop therapeutic avenues for diseases that are associated with these systems.

Daily running enhances molecular and physiological circadian rhythms in skeletal muscle

Objective

Exercise is a critical component of a healthy lifestyle and a key strategy for the prevention and management of metabolic disease. Identifying molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation in response to chronic physical activity is of critical interest in metabolic physiology. Circadian rhythms broadly modulate metabolism, including muscle substrate utilization and exercise capacity. Here, we define the molecular and physiological changes induced across the daily cycle by voluntary low intensity daily exercise.

Methods

Wildtype C57BL6/J male and female mice were housed with or without access to a running wheel for six weeks. Maximum running speed was measured at four different zeitgeber times (ZTs, hours after lights on) using either electrical or manual stimulation to motivate continued running on a motorized treadmill. RNA isolated from plantaris muscles at six ZTs was sequenced to establish the impact of daily activity on genome-wide transcription. Patterns of gene expression were analyzed using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Detection of Differential Rhythmicity (DODR). Blood glucose, lactate, and ketones, and muscle and liver glycogen were measured before and after exercise.

Results

We demonstrate that the use of mild electrical shocks to motivate running negatively impacts maximum running speed in mice, and describe a manual method to motivate running in rodent exercise studies. Using this method, we show that time of day influences the increase in exercise capacity afforded by six weeks of voluntary wheel running: when maximum running speed is measured at the beginning of the nighttime active period in mice, there is no measurable benefit from a history of daily voluntary running, while maximum increase in performance occurs at the end of the night. We show that daily voluntary exercise dramatically remodels the murine muscle circadian transcriptome. Finally, we describe daily rhythms in carbohydrate metabolism associated with the time-dependent response to moderate daily exercise in mice.

Conclusions

Collectively, these data indicate that chronic nighttime physical activity dramatically remodels daily rhythms of murine muscle gene expression, which in turn support daily fluctuations in exercise performance.

•

Daily voluntary running dramatically remodels the mouse muscle circadian transcriptome.

•

Daily voluntary running maximally increases mouse running speed in the late active period.

•

Muscle and liver glycogen content exhibit robust daily rhythms in laboratory mice.

•

Use of mild electric shocks to motivate running in mice impairs maximum running speed.

Quantification of protein abundance and interaction defines a mechanism for operation of the circadian clock

The mammalian circadian clock exerts control of daily gene expression through cycles of DNA binding. Here, we develop a quantitative model of how a finite pool of BMAL1 protein can regulate thousands of target sites over daily time scales. We used quantitative imaging to track dynamic changes in endogenous labelled proteins across peripheral tissues and the SCN. We determine the contribution of multiple rhythmic processes coordinating BMAL1 DNA binding, including cycling molecular abundance, binding affinities, and repression. We find nuclear BMAL1 concentration determines corresponding CLOCK through heterodimerisation and define a DNA residence time of this complex. Repression of CLOCK:BMAL1 is achieved through rhythmic changes to BMAL1:CRY1 association and high-affinity interactions between PER2:CRY1 which mediates CLOCK:BMAL1 displacement from DNA. Finally, stochastic modelling reveals a dual role for PER:CRY complexes in which increasing concentrations of PER2:CRY1 promotes removal of BMAL1:CLOCK from genes consequently enhancing ability to move to new target sites.

Foundations of circadian medicine

The circadian clock is an evolutionarily highly conserved endogenous timing program that structures physiology and behavior according to the time of day. Disruption of circadian rhythms is associated with many common pathologies. The emerging field of circadian medicine aims to exploit the mechanisms of circadian physiology and clock-disease interaction for clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. In this Essay, we outline the principle approaches of circadian medicine, highlight the development of the field in selected areas, and point out open questions and challenges. Circadian medicine has unambiguous health benefits over standard care but is rarely utilized. It is time for clock biology to become an integrated part of translational research.

Match or mismatch between chronotype and sleep-wake cycle and their association with lean body mass gain among male high-school baseball players

For athletes, it is important to acquire lean body mass (LBM) involving the skeletal muscle mass during their growth periods; however, the influence of chronotype on LBM gain remains unclear. We therefore aimed to investigate whether chronotype, sleep-wake cycle on weekdays (SWC-W), and their interaction contribute to LBM gain among adolescent male athletes in a 4-month intervention study. The participants were 45 male high-school baseball players. The intervention, including exercise menu (running and muscle strength training) and nutritional education, was conducted during a 4-month period of season-off training. The chronotype, body composition, lifestyle, and dietary intake were investigated before intervention (baseline) and after 4 months. Among the participants [Morningness (n = 14), Eveningness (n = 15), Intermediate (n = 16); ME score based on the Morningness/Eveningness Scale for Children (MES-C)], the midpoint of sleep on weekdays (MSW) was calculated in the "Morningness" and "Eveningness" participants, respectively. They were divided into 4 groups based on a match/mismatch with the chronotype: Type M-match (n = 8), Type M-mismatch (n = 6), Type E-match (n = 7), and Type E-mismatch (n = 8) groups. The data were compared among the 4 groups. Moreover, multiple regression analysis was conducted using an increase (kg) LBM gain as a response variable. When comparing the data between the "Morningness" and "Eveningness" participants, there were no differences in nutrient intake, the duration of training, or each parameter of body composition (per body weight) at baseline or after 4 months. There were also no differences in the rates of change in the body weight or each parameter of body composition. In groups in which the chronotype was consistent with the SWC-W (the Type M-match and Type E-match groups), the LBM gain were slightly greater than in the Type M-mismatch and Type E-mismatch groups (Type M-match: 3.5 ± 2.0 kg, Type M-mismatch: 1.6 ± 1.7 kg, Type E-match: 3.4 ± 2.2 kg, and Type E-mismatch: 1.2 ± 1.8 kg, p = .057). Multiple regression analysis revealed that an extent of the LBM gain was associated with a match between the chronotype and SWC-W (ß = 0.37, p = .030), independent of a long duration of training (ß = 0.52, p = .004). The results suggested that training-related LBM gain is associated with interactions between the chronotype and SWC-W in adolescent male athletes.Abbreviations: LBM: Lean body mass; SWC-W: Sleep-wake cycle on weekdays; ME score: Morningness-eveningness score; MES-C: Morningness/Eveningness Scale for Children; MSW: Midpoint of sleep on weekdays; MSF: Midpoint of sleep on free days; MSFsc: Midpoint of sleep on free days corrected for sleep debt accumulated through weekdays.

Muscle mitochondrial remodeling by intermittent glucocorticoid drugs requires an intact circadian clock and muscle PGC1α

Exogenous glucocorticoids interact with the circadian clock, but little attention is paid to the timing of intake. We recently found that intermittent once-weekly prednisone improved nutrient oxidation in dystrophic muscle. Here, we investigated whether dosage time affected prednisone effects on muscle bioenergetics. In mice treated with once-weekly prednisone, drug dosing in the light-phase promoted nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels and mitochondrial function in wild-type muscle, while this response was lost with dark-phase dosing. These effects depended on a normal circadian clock since they were disrupted in muscle from [Brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (Bmal1)]-knockout mice. The light-phase prednisone pulse promoted BMAL1-dependent glucocorticoid receptor recruitment on noncanonical targets, including Nampt and Ppargc1a [peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α (PGC1α)]. In mice with muscle-restricted inducible PGC1α ablation, bioenergetic stimulation by light-phase prednisone required PGC1α. These results demonstrate that glucocorticoid "chronopharmacology" for muscle bioenergetics requires an intact clock and muscle PGC1α activity.

Atlas of exercise metabolism reveals time-dependent signatures of metabolic homeostasis

Tissue sensitivity and response to exercise vary according to the time of day and alignment of circadian clocks, but the optimal exercise time to elicit a desired metabolic outcome is not fully defined. To understand how tissues independently and collectively respond to timed exercise, we applied a systems biology approach. We mapped and compared global metabolite responses of seven different mouse tissues and serum after an acute exercise bout performed at different times of the day. Comparative analyses of intra- and inter-tissue metabolite dynamics, including temporal profiling and blood sampling across liver and hindlimb muscles, uncovered an unbiased view of local and systemic metabolic responses to exercise unique to time of day. This comprehensive atlas of exercise metabolism provides clarity and physiological context regarding the production and distribution of canonical and novel time-dependent exerkine metabolites, such as 2-hydroxybutyrate (2-HB), and reveals insight into the health-promoting benefits of exercise on metabolism.

Untargeted and Targeted Circadian Metabolomics Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and Flow Injection-Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (FIA-ESI-MS/MS)

A diverse array of 24-h oscillating hormones and metabolites direct and reflect circadian clock function. Circadian metabolomics uses advanced high-throughput analytical chemistry techniques to comprehensively profile these small molecules (<1.5 kDa) across 24 h in cells, media, body fluids, breath, tissues, and subcellular compartments. The goals of circadian metabolomics experiments are often multifaceted. These include identifying and tracking rhythmic metabolic inputs and outputs of central and peripheral circadian clocks, quantifying endogenous free-running period, monitoring relative phase alignment between clocks, and mapping pathophysiological consequences of clock disruption or misalignment. Depending on the particular experimental question, samples are collected under free-running or entrained conditions. Here we describe both untargeted and targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and flow injection-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (FIA-ESI-MS/MS) based assays we have used for circadian metabolomics studies. We discuss tissue homogenization, chemical derivatization, measurement, and tips for data processing, normalization, scaling, how to handle outliers, and imputation of missing values.

Emerging Insight Into the Role of Circadian Clock Gene BMAL1 in Cellular Senescence

Cell senescence is a crucial process in cell fate determination and is involved in an extensive array of aging-associated diseases. General perceptions and experimental evidence point out that the decline of physical function as well as aging-associated diseases are often initiated by cell senescence and organ ageing. Therefore, regulation of cell senescence process can be a promising way to handle aging-associated diseases such as osteoporosis. The circadian clock regulates a wide range of cellular and physiological activities, and many age-linked degenerative disorders are associated with the dysregulation of clock genes. BMAL1 is a core circadian transcription factor and governs downstream genes by binding to the E-box elements in their promoters. Compelling evidence has proposed the role of BMAL1 in cellular senescence and aging-associated diseases. In this review, we summarize the linkage between BMAL1 and factors of cell senescence including oxidative stress, metabolism, and the genotoxic stress response. Dysregulated and dampened BMAL1 may serve as a potential therapeutic target against aging- associated diseases.

The Circadian Clock and Obesity

The modern way of life has dramatically affected our biological rhythms. Circadian rhythms, which are generated by an endogenous circadian clock, are observed in a large number of physiological functions including metabolism. Proper peripheral clock synchronization by different signals including appropriate feeding/fasting cycles is essential to coordinate and temporally gate metabolic processes. In this chapter, we emphasize the importance of nutrient sensing by peripheral clocks and highlight the major role of peripheral and central clock communication to locally regulate metabolic processes and ensure optimal energy storage and expenditure. As a consequence, changes in eating behavior and/or bedtime, as occurs upon shift work and jet lag, have direct consequences on metabolism and participate in the increasing prevalence of obesity and associated metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In this setting, time-restricted feeding has been suggested as an efficient approach to ameliorate metabolic parameters and control body weight.

Multi-Modal Regulation of Circadian Physiology by Interactive Features of Biological Clocks

The circadian clock is a fundamental biological timing mechanism that generates nearly 24 h rhythms of physiology and behaviors, including sleep/wake cycles, hormone secretion, and metabolism. Evolutionarily, the endogenous clock is thought to confer living organisms, including humans, with survival benefits by adapting internal rhythms to the day and night cycles of the local environment. Mirroring the evolutionary fitness bestowed by the circadian clock, daily mismatches between the internal body clock and environmental cycles, such as irregular work (e.g., night shift work) and life schedules (e.g., jet lag, mistimed eating), have been recognized to increase the risk of cardiac, metabolic, and neurological diseases. Moreover, increasing numbers of studies with cellular and animal models have detected the presence of functional circadian oscillators at multiple levels, ranging from individual neurons and fibroblasts to brain and peripheral organs. These oscillators are tightly coupled to timely modulate cellular and bodily responses to physiological and metabolic cues. In this review, we will discuss the roles of central and peripheral clocks in physiology and diseases, highlighting the dynamic regulatory interactions between circadian timing systems and multiple metabolic factors.

Exercise as a Peripheral Circadian Clock Resynchronizer in Vascular and Skeletal Muscle Aging

Aging is characterized by several progressive physiological changes, including changes in the circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms influence behavior, physiology, and metabolic processes in order to maintain homeostasis; they also influence the function of endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and immune cells in the vessel wall. A clock misalignment could favor vascular damage and indirectly also affect skeletal muscle function. In this review, we focus on the dysregulation of circadian rhythm due to aging and its relationship with skeletal muscle changes and vascular health as possible risk factors for the development of sarcopenia, as well as the role of physical exercise as a potential modulator of these processes.

Maternal intake restriction programs the energy metabolism, clock circadian regulator and mTOR signals in the skeletal muscles of goat offspring probably via the protein kinase A-cAMP-responsive element-binding proteins pathway

The biological mechanism by which maternal undernutrition increases the metabolic disorder risk of skeletal muscles in offspring is not fully understood. We hypothesize that maternal intake restriction influences metabolic signals in the skeletal muscles of offspring via a glucagon-mediated pathway. Twenty-four pregnant goats were assigned to the control group (100% of the nutrients requirement, n = 12) and restricted group (60% of the control feed allowance from pregnant days 45 to 100, n = 12). Blood and L ongissimus thoracis muscle were sampled from dams (100 d of gestation), fetuses (100 d of gestation), and kids (90 d after birth) in each group. The data were analyzed using the linear MIXED model, with the multiple comparison method of SIDAK applied. Intake restriction reduced (P < 0.05) the total blood protein of dams and fetuses. Maternal restriction decreased (P < 0.05) the cAMP-responsive element-binding protein 1 (CREB1), CREB-binding protein (CREBBP), protein kinase A (PKA), aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (BMAL1), protein kinase B (AKT1), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and regulatory-associated protein of mTOR (RPTOR) mRNA expression in the fetuses, and reduced (P < 0.05) the CREBBP, nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H member 3 (NR1H3), D-box binding PAR bZIP transcription factor (DBP) and PKA mRNA levels in the kids, but increased (P < 0.05) the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1 A) and tuberous sclerosis 2 (TSC2) mRNA levels in the fetuses. The mRNA expression of clock circadian regulator (CLOCK) and TSC2 genes was increased (P < 0.05) in the restricted kids. The protein expression of total PKA and phosphorylated PKA in the restricted fetuses and kids were downregulated (P < 0.05), and the protein expression of total mTOR and phosphorylated mTOR were reduced (P < 0.05) in the restricted fetuses and kids. Maternal intake restriction regulated fat oxidation, protein synthesis, and circadian clock expression in the muscles of the offspring probably via the glucagon-mediated PKA-CREB pathway, which reveals a noteworthy molecular pathway that maternal undernutrition leads to metabolic adaptation of skeletal muscle in offspring.

Role of circadian rhythm and impact of circadian rhythm disturbance on the metabolism and disease

ABSTRACT

Molecular circadian clocks exist in almost all cells of the organism and operate for approximately 24 h, maintain the normal physiological and behavioral body processes and regulate metabolism of many cells related to a variety of disease states. Circadian rhythms regulate metabolism, mainly including neurotransmitters, hormones, amino acids and lipids. Circadian misalignment is related to metabolic syndromes, such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension, which have reached an alarming level in modern society. We reviewed the mechanism of the circadian clock and the interaction between circadian rhythm and metabolism, as well as circadian rhythm disturbance on the metabolism of hypertension, obesity and diabetes. Finally, we discuss how to use the circadian rhythm to prevent diseases. Thus, this review is a micro to macro discussion from the perspective of circadian rhythm and aims to provide basic ideas for circadian rhythm research and disease therapies.

Gut microbiota-a positive contributor in the process of intermittent fasting-mediated obesity control

Historically, intermittent fasting (IF) has been considered as an effective strategy for controlling the weight of athletes before competition. Along with excellent insight into its application in various spaces by numerous studies, increasing IF-mediated positive effects have been reported, including anti-aging, neuroprotection, especially obesity control. Recently, the gut microbiota has been considered as an essential manipulator for host energy metabolism and its structure has been reported to be sensitive to dietary structure and habits, indicating that there is a potential and strong association between IF and gut microbiota. In this paper, we focus on the crosstalk between these symbionts and energy metabolism during IF which hold the promise to optimize host energy metabolism at various physical positions, including adipose tissue, liver and intestines, and further improve milieu internal homeostasis. Moreover, this paper also discusses the positive function of a potential recommendatory strain (Akkermansia muciniphila) based on the observational data for IF-mediated alternated pattern of gut microbiota and a hopefully regulatory pathway (circadian rhythm) for gut microbiota in IF-involved improvement on host energy metabolism. Finally, this review addresses the limitation and perspective originating from these studies, such as the association with tissue-specific bio-clock and single strain research, which may continuously reveal novel viewpoints and mechanisms to understand the energy metabolism and develop new strategies for treating obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders.

Disrupted circadian oscillations in type 2 diabetes are linked to altered rhythmic mitochondrial metabolism in skeletal muscle

Circadian rhythms are generated by an autoregulatory feedback loop of transcriptional activators and repressors. Circadian rhythm disruption contributes to type 2 diabetes (T2D) pathogenesis. We elucidated whether altered circadian rhythmicity of clock genes is associated with metabolic dysfunction in T2D. Transcriptional cycling of core-clock genes BMAL1, CLOCK, and PER3 was altered in skeletal muscle from individuals with T2D, and this was coupled with reduced number and amplitude of cycling genes and disturbed circadian oxygen consumption. Inner mitochondria–associated genes were enriched for rhythmic peaks in normal glucose tolerance, but not T2D, and positively correlated with insulin sensitivity. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing identified CLOCK and BMAL1 binding to inner-mitochondrial genes associated with insulin sensitivity, implicating regulation by the core clock. Inner-mitochondria disruption altered core-clock gene expression and free-radical production, phenomena that were restored by resveratrol treatment. We identify bidirectional communication between mitochondrial function and rhythmic gene expression, processes that are disturbed in diabetes.

Circadian Clock Regulates Inflammation and the Development of Neurodegeneration

The circadian clock regulates numerous key physiological processes and maintains cellular, tissue, and systemic homeostasis. Disruption of circadian clock machinery influences key activities involved in immune response and brain function. Moreover, Immune activation has been closely linked to neurodegeneration. Here, we review the molecular clock machinery and the diurnal variation of immune activity. We summarize the circadian control of immunity in both central and peripheral immune cells, as well as the circadian regulation of brain cells that are implicated in neurodegeneration. We explore the important role of systemic inflammation on neurodegeneration. The circadian clock modulates cellular metabolism, which could be a mechanism underlying circadian control. We also discuss the circadian interventions implicated in inflammation and neurodegeneration. Targeting circadian clocks could be a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.

Circadian Clock-Controlled Checkpoints in the Pathogenesis of Complex Disease

The circadian clock coordinates physiology, metabolism, and behavior with the 24-h cycles of environmental light. Fundamental mechanisms of how the circadian clock regulates organ physiology and metabolism have been elucidated at a rapid speed in the past two decades. Here we review circadian networks in more than six organ systems associated with complex disease, which cluster around metabolic disorders, and seek to propose critical regulatory molecules controlled by the circadian clock (named clock-controlled checkpoints) in the pathogenesis of complex disease. These include clock-controlled checkpoints such as circadian nuclear receptors in liver and muscle tissues, chemokines and adhesion molecules in the vasculature. Although the progress is encouraging, many gaps in the mechanisms remain unaddressed. Future studies should focus on devising time-dependent strategies for drug delivery and engagement in well-characterized organs such as the liver, and elucidating fundamental circadian biology in so far less characterized organ systems, including the heart, blood, peripheral neurons, and reproductive systems.

Integration of feeding behavior by the liver circadian clock reveals network dependency of metabolic rhythms

The mammalian circadian clock, expressed throughout the brain and body, controls daily metabolic homeostasis. Clock function in peripheral tissues is required, but not sufficient, for this task. Because of the lack of specialized animal models, it is unclear how tissue clocks interact with extrinsic signals to drive molecular oscillations. Here, we isolated the interaction between feeding and the liver clock by reconstituting Bmal1 exclusively in hepatocytes (Liver-RE), in otherwise clock-less mice, and controlling timing of food intake. We found that the cooperative action of BMAL1 and the transcription factor CEBPB regulates daily liver metabolic transcriptional programs. Functionally, the liver clock and feeding rhythm are sufficient to drive temporal carbohydrate homeostasis. By contrast, liver rhythms tied to redox and lipid metabolism required communication with the skeletal muscle clock, demonstrating peripheral clock cross-talk. Our results highlight how the inner workings of the clock system rely on communicating signals to maintain daily metabolism.

Deficiency of intestinal Bmal1 prevents obesity induced by high-fat feeding

The role of intestine clock in energy homeostasis remains elusive. Here we show that mice with Bmal1 specifically deleted in the intestine (Bmal1iKO mice) have a normal phenotype on a chow diet. However, on a high-fat diet (HFD), Bmal1iKO mice are protected against development of obesity and related abnormalities such as hyperlipidemia and fatty livers. These metabolic phenotypes are attributed to impaired lipid resynthesis in the intestine and reduced fat secretion. Consistently, wild-type mice fed a HFD during nighttime (with a lower BMAL1 expression) show alleviated obesity compared to mice fed ad libitum. Mechanistic studies uncover that BMAL1 transactivates the Dgat2 gene (encoding the triacylglycerol synthesis enzyme DGAT2) via direct binding to an E-box in the promoter, thereby promoting dietary fat absorption. Supporting these findings, intestinal deficiency of Rev-erbα, a known BMAL1 repressor, enhances dietary fat absorption and exacerbates HFD-induced obesity and comorbidities. Moreover, small-molecule targeting of REV-ERBα/BMAL1 by SR9009 ameliorates HFD-induced obesity in mice. Altogether, intestine clock functions as an accelerator in dietary fat absorption and targeting intestinal BMAL1 may be a promising approach for management of metabolic diseases induced by excess fat intake.

Diurnal regulation of oxidative phosphorylation restricts hepatocyte proliferation and inflammation

The principles guiding the diurnal organization of biological pathways remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we perturb the hepatic transcriptome through nutrient regulators (high-fat diet and mTOR signaling components) to identify enduring properties of pathway organization. Temporal separation and counter-regulation between pathways of energy metabolism and inflammation/proliferation emerge as persistent transcriptome features across animal models, and network analysis identifies the G0s2 and Rgs16 genes as potential mediators at the metabolism-inflammation interface. Mechanistically, G0s2 and Rgs16 are sequentially induced during the light phase, promoting amino acid oxidation and suppressing overall mitochondrial respiration. In their absence, sphingolipids and diacylglycerides accumulate, accompanied by hepatic inflammation and hepatocyte proliferation. Notably, the expression of G0s2 and Rgs16 is further induced in obese mouse livers, and silencing of their expression accentuates hepatic fibrosis. Therefore, diurnal regulation of energy metabolism alleviates inflammatory and proliferative stresses under physiological and pathological conditions.

Clock proteins and training modify exercise capacity in a daytime-dependent manner

Exercise and circadian biology are closely intertwined with physiology and metabolism, yet the functional interaction between circadian clocks and exercise capacity is only partially characterized. Here, we tested different clock mutant mouse models to examine the effect of the circadian clock and clock proteins, namely PERIODs and BMAL1, on exercise capacity. We found that daytime variance in endurance exercise capacity is circadian clock controlled. Unlike wild-type mice, which outperform in the late compared with the early part of their active phase, PERIODs- and BMAL1-null mice do not show daytime variance in exercise capacity. It appears that BMAL1 impairs and PERIODs enhance exercise capacity in a daytime-dependent manner. An analysis of liver and muscle glycogen stores as well as muscle lipid utilization suggested that these daytime effects mostly relate to liver glycogen levels and correspond to the animals' feeding behavior. Furthermore, given that exercise capacity responds to training, we tested the effect of training at different times of the day and found that training in the late compared with the early part of the active phase improves exercise performance. Overall, our findings suggest that clock proteins shape exercise capacity in a daytime-dependent manner through changes in liver glycogen levels, likely due to their effect on animals' feeding behavior.

Inhibition of Rev-erbα ameliorates muscular dystrophy

Duchene muscular dystrophy leads to progressive muscle structural and functional decline due to chronic degenerative-regenerative cycles. Enhancing the regenerative capacity of dystrophic muscle provides potential therapeutic options. We previously demonstrated that the circadian clock repressor Rev-erbα inhibited myogenesis and Rev-erbα ablation enhanced muscle regeneration. Here we show that Rev-erbα deficiency in the dystrophin-deficient mdx mice promotes regenerative myogenic response to ameliorate muscle damage. Loss of Rev-erbα in mdx mice improved dystrophic pathology and muscle wasting. Rev-erbα-deficient dystrophic muscle exhibit augmented myogenic response, enhanced neo-myofiber formation and attenuated inflammatory response. In mdx myoblasts devoid of Rev-erbα, myogenic differentiation was augmented together with up-regulation of Wnt signaling and proliferative pathways, suggesting that loss of Rev-erbα inhibition of these processes contributed to the improvement in regenerative myogenesis. Collectively, our findings revealed that the loss of Rev-erbα function protects dystrophic muscle from injury by promoting myogenic repair, and inhibition of its activity may have therapeutic utilities for muscular dystrophy.