miR-132/212 Modulates Seasonal Adaptation and Dendritic Morphology of the Central Circadian Clock

• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.03.057
• Publication Date: 2017-04-19T13:17:27Z
• Authors: Lucia Mendoza-Viv...; Cheng-Kang Chiang; Jonathan L.K. Ong; Sara Hegazi; Arthur H. Cheng; Pascale Bouchard-...; Michael Fana; Christopher Lowden; Peng Zhang; Béatrice Bothorel; Matthew G. Michni...; Stephen T. Magill; Melissa M. Holmes; Richard H. Goodman; Valérie Simonneaux; Daniel Figeys; Hai-Ying M. Cheng
• Keywords: MeCP2

The central circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), encodes day length information by mechanisms that are not well understood. Here, we report genetic ablation of miR-132/212 alters entrainment to different lengths and non-24 hr day-night cycles, as photoperiodic regulation Period2 expression in SCN. SCN neurons from miR-132/212-deficient mice have significantly reduced dendritic spine density, along with altered methyl CpG-binding protein (MeCP2) rhythms. In Syrian hamsters, a model seasonal rodent, regulates density on melatonin-independent manner, miR-132, miR-212, their direct target, MeCP2. Genetic disruption Mecp2 fully restores level spines neurons. Our results reveal that, regulating structure through MeCP2-dependent mechanism, affects capacity encode time.