Light-induced changes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus transcriptome regulated by the ERK/MAPK pathway

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249430
• Publication Date: 2021-06-30T17:51:07Z
• Authors: Diego Alzate-Correa; Sydney Aten; Moray J. Campbell; Kari R. Hoyt; Karl Obrietan
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; Science; Q; R; Medicine; Research Article

The mammalian master circadian pacemaker within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) maintains tight entrainment to 24 hr light/dark cycle via a sophisticated clock-gated rhythm in responsiveness of oscillator light. A central event this light process appears be rapid induction gene expression ERK/MAPK pathway. Here, we used RNA array-based profiling combination with pharmacological disruption methods examine contribution signaling light-evoked expression. Transient photic stimulation during night, but not day, triggered marked changes expression, early-night predominately leading increased and late-night downregulation. Functional analysis revealed that light-regulated genes are involved diversity physiological processes, including DNA transcription, translation, mRNA processing, synaptic plasticity timing. MAPK led reduction regulation early night (32/52 genes) late (190/191 genes); further, was found gate across cycle. Together, these experiments reveal potentially important insights into transcriptional-based mechanisms by which pathway regulates clock timing entrainment.