Molecules and Cells

Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology (한국분자세포생물학회)
권호 표지

Circadian Expression of Clock Genes in the Rat Eye and Brain

  • Park, Kyungbae (Department of Genetic Engineering, Cheongju University) ;
  • Kang, Hae Mook (Department of Genetic Engineering, Cheongju University)
  • Received : 2006.07.06
  • Accepted : 2006.09.26
  • Published : 2006.12.31
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Abstract

The light sensing system in the eye directly affects the circadian oscillator in the mammalian suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). To investigate this relationship in the rat, we examined the circadian expression of clock genes in the SCN and eye tissue during a 24 h day/night cycle. In the SCN, rPer1 and rPer2 mRNAs were expressed in a clear circadian rhythm like rCry1 and rCry2 mRNAs, whereas the level of BMAL1 and CLOCK mRNAs decreased during the day and increased during the night with a relatively low amplitude. It seems that the clock genes of the SCN may function in response to a master clock oscillation in the rat. In the eye, the rCry1 and rCry2 were expressed in a circadian rhythm with an increase during subjective day and a decrease during subjective night. However, the expression of Opn4 mRNA did not exhibit a clear circadian pattern, although its expression was higher in daytime than at night. This suggests that cryptochromes located in the eye, rather than melanopsin, are the major photoreceptive system for synchronizing the circadian rhythm of the SCN in the rat.

Keywords

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