{"title":"Harnessing the circadian nature of the choroid plexus and cerebrospinal fluid.","authors":"Ryann M Fame","doi":"10.1038/s44323-025-00033-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44323-025-00033-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exchanges with the central nervous system's immediate environment and interfaces with systemic circulation at the blood-CSF barrier. CSF composition reflects brain states, contributes to brain health and disease, is modulated by circadian rhythms and behaviors, and turns over multiple times per day, enabling rapid signal relay. Mechanisms of how CSF elements change over circadian time and influence function can be harnessed for diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":501704,"journal":{"name":"npj Biological Timing and Sleep","volume":"2 1","pages":"19"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12106090/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144176465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Chronic circadian disruption alters cardiac function and glucose regulation in mice.","authors":"Jenna E J Gearey, Melinda Wang, Michael C Antle","doi":"10.1038/s44323-025-00032-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44323-025-00032-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cardiometabolic disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. One factor that may contribute to the risk, onset, and severity of symptoms is disrupted circadian rhythms. Our study uses two strains of mice to further elucidate this relationship: healthy controls, and a mouse model of insulin resistance with short freerunning periods (~ 22.75 h) and enlarged hearts, raised in either a 24-h or 22.75-h LD cycle. Through glucose and insulin tolerance tests, routine electrocardiograms from one to four months old, and histology, we reveal worse cardiometabolic health outcomes for mice gestated and housed in a mismatched LD cycle compared to those in an LD cycle that matches their endogenous rhythm. This was characterized by heightened blood glucose levels following a glucose or insulin bolus, altered electrophysiological parameters of the cardiac waveform, and increased cardiomyocyte size. Circadian disruption due to work/social schedules or circadian-related disorders in people is often confounded with other unhealthy lifestyles. The present study demonstrates that circadian disruption on its own can lead to adverse health states.</p>","PeriodicalId":501704,"journal":{"name":"npj Biological Timing and Sleep","volume":"2 1","pages":"18"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12074981/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144083083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matt Spick, Cheryl M Isherwood, Lee A Gethings, Christopher J Hughes, Matthew E Daly, Hana Hassanin, Daan R van der Veen, Debra J Skene, Jonathan D Johnston
{"title":"Challenges and opportunities for statistical power and biomarker identification arising from rhythmic variation in proteomics.","authors":"Matt Spick, Cheryl M Isherwood, Lee A Gethings, Christopher J Hughes, Matthew E Daly, Hana Hassanin, Daan R van der Veen, Debra J Skene, Jonathan D Johnston","doi":"10.1038/s44323-024-00020-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44323-024-00020-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Time-of-day variation in the molecular profile of biofluids and tissues is a well-described phenomenon, but-especially for proteomics-is rarely considered in terms of the challenges this presents to reproducible biomarker identification. We provide a case study analysis of human circadian and ultradian rhythmicity in proteins, including in the complement and coagulation cascades and apolipoproteins, with PLG, CFAH, ZA2G and ITIH2 demonstrated as rhythmic for the first time. We also show that rhythmicity increases the risk of Type II errors due to the reduction in statistical power from increased variance, and that controlling for rhythmic time-of-day variation improves statistical power and reduces the chances of Type II errors. We recommend that best practice in proteomics study design should account for temporal variation and that time of sampling be reported as part of study metadata. These simple steps can mitigate against both false and missed discoveries, as well as improving reproducibility.</p>","PeriodicalId":501704,"journal":{"name":"npj Biological Timing and Sleep","volume":"2 1","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11762406/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143054745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joshua B Benoit, Joy Bose, Oluwaseun M Ajayi, Ashley Webster, Karl Grieshop, David Lewis, Hailie Talbott, Michal Polak
{"title":"Shifted levels of sleep and activity during the night as mechanisms underlying ectoparasite resistance.","authors":"Joshua B Benoit, Joy Bose, Oluwaseun M Ajayi, Ashley Webster, Karl Grieshop, David Lewis, Hailie Talbott, Michal Polak","doi":"10.1038/s44323-025-00031-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44323-025-00031-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Parasites harm host fitness and are pervasive agents of natural selection capable of driving the evolution of host resistance traits. Previously we demonstrated evolutionary responses to artificial selection for increasing behavioral immunity to <i>Gamasodes queenslandicus</i> mites for <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>. Here, we report transcriptional shifts in metabolic processes due to selection for mite resistance. We also show decreased starvation resistance and increased use of nutrient reserves in flies from mite-resistant lines. Resistant lines exhibited increased activity, reduced sleep, and elevated oxygen consumption during the night. Using a panel of <i>D. melanogaster</i> lines exhibiting variable sleep durations, we found a positive correlation between mite resistance and reduced sleep. Restraining the activity of artificially selected mite-resistant flies during exposure to parasites reduced their resistance advantage relative to control flies. The results suggest that ectoparasite resistance in this system involves increased activity during the scotophase and metabolic gene expression at the expense of starvation resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":501704,"journal":{"name":"npj Biological Timing and Sleep","volume":"2 1","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11964914/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143797546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S M Ragsdale, J M Radovich, I I Coiduras, W V McCall, S C Grant, C Lee, A Wilber
{"title":"Dual orexin receptor antagonists as promising therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease.","authors":"S M Ragsdale, J M Radovich, I I Coiduras, W V McCall, S C Grant, C Lee, A Wilber","doi":"10.1038/s44323-025-00025-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44323-025-00025-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We examine the relationship between sleep, glymphatics and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and recent work questioning glymphatic clearance during sleep. We highlight a need for understanding glymphatic and/or other mechanism of clearance during sleep, and review glymphatic flow measurement methods. Further, we explore dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) potential to mitigate AD sleep disturbances and enhance clearance. Further research could elucidate a linkage between DORAs, improved sleep and reducing AD pathophysiology.</p>","PeriodicalId":501704,"journal":{"name":"npj Biological Timing and Sleep","volume":"2 1","pages":"11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11890173/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143597970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Beyond vision: effects of light on the circadian clock and mood-related behaviours.","authors":"Dean Stewart, Urs Albrecht","doi":"10.1038/s44323-025-00029-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44323-025-00029-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Light is a crucial environmental factor that influences various aspects of life, including physiological and psychological processes. While light is well-known for its role in enabling humans and other animals to perceive their surroundings, its influence extends beyond vision. Importantly, light affects our internal time-keeping system, the circadian clock, which regulates daily rhythms of biochemical and physiological processes, ultimately impacting mood and behaviour. The 24-h availability of light can have profound effects on our well-being, both physically and mentally, as seen in cases of jet lag and shift work. This review summarizes the intricate relationships between light, the circadian clock, and mood-related behaviours, exploring the underlying mechanisms and its implications for health.</p>","PeriodicalId":501704,"journal":{"name":"npj Biological Timing and Sleep","volume":"2 1","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11906358/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143653108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bertold Mariën, Kathryn M Robinson, Manuela Jurca, Ingrid H Michelson, Naoki Takata, Iwanka Kozarewa, Pierre A Pin, Pär K Ingvarsson, Thomas Moritz, Cristian Ibáñez, Ove Nilsson, Stefan Jansson, Steve Penfield, Jun Yu, Maria E Eriksson
{"title":"Nature's Master of Ceremony: The <i>Populus</i> Circadian Clock as Orchestratot of Tree Growth and Phenology.","authors":"Bertold Mariën, Kathryn M Robinson, Manuela Jurca, Ingrid H Michelson, Naoki Takata, Iwanka Kozarewa, Pierre A Pin, Pär K Ingvarsson, Thomas Moritz, Cristian Ibáñez, Ove Nilsson, Stefan Jansson, Steve Penfield, Jun Yu, Maria E Eriksson","doi":"10.1038/s44323-025-00034-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44323-025-00034-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding the timely regulation of plant growth and phenology is crucial for assessing a terrestrial ecosystem's productivity and carbon budget. The circadian clock, a system of genetic oscillators, acts as 'Master of Ceremony' during plant physiological processes. The mechanism is particularly elusive in trees despite its relevance. The primary and secondary tree growth, leaf senescence, bud set, and bud burst timing were investigated in 68 constructs transformed into <i>Populus</i> hybrids and compared with untransformed or transformed controls grown in natural or controlled conditions. The results were analyzed using generalized additive models with ordered-factor-smooth interaction smoothers. This meta-analysis shows that several genetic components are associated with the clock. Especially core clock-regulated genes affected tree growth and phenology in both controlled and field conditions. Our results highlight the importance of field trials and the potential of using the clock to generate trees with improved characteristics for sustainable silviculture (e.g., reprogrammed to new photoperiodic regimes and increased growth).</p>","PeriodicalId":501704,"journal":{"name":"npj Biological Timing and Sleep","volume":"2 1","pages":"16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11976295/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144056685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reassessing the involvement of the CREB pathway in the circadian clock of Drosophila melanogaster","authors":"Anna Katharina Eick, Maite Ogueta, Ralf Stanewsky","doi":"10.1038/s44323-024-00015-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44323-024-00015-z","url":null,"abstract":"Circadian clocks are ubiquitous in almost all organisms on Earth and many key genes are highly conserved among species. In the mammalian suprachiasmatic nucleus, the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) pathway is known to play a crucial role in conveying light-input to the transcription of clock genes. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster also expresses two Creb proteins, CrebA and CrebB, which have been associated with the circadian clock. For example, Drosophila Creb has been suggested to constitute a molecular link between neuronal excitability and clock gene transcription. In this study we subjected flies with clock cell specific CrebA or CrebB mutations to circadian behavioral and bioluminescence assays. Surprisingly, we found that neither loss of CrebA or CrebB did affect free-running locomotor behavior, rhythmic period oscillations in clock neurons, or light-dependent synchronization. In conclusion our findings question the conserved circadian role of the Creb pathway in Drosophila and encourage further studies to elucidate its potential function within insect circadian clocks.","PeriodicalId":501704,"journal":{"name":"npj Biological Timing and Sleep","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44323-024-00015-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Light exposure differs by sex in the US, with females receiving less bright light","authors":"Danielle A. Wallace","doi":"10.1038/s44323-024-00016-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44323-024-00016-y","url":null,"abstract":"Light is the primary entraining cue for the circadian system and has other, non-circadian, effects on health. Sex differences in light exposure patterns could drive sex differences in health outcomes. Real-world light exposure (measured with wrist-worn ActiGraph GT3X+) was investigated in the 2011–2014 U.S.-based National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with metrics reflecting duration in and timing of exposure at different light levels. Sex differences were tested using two-sample t-tests and linear regression models. Occupational and physical activity-related factors were also explored as contributing factors using linear regression models adjusted for age, season, and race/ethnicity. 11,314 NHANES participants (age range: 3–80+, 52.2% females) were included in the analysis. The results show males spending approximately 52% more time in bright light than females, with this sex difference beginning in childhood. While further research is needed, these findings may be due to sex differences in indoor vs. outdoor activities.","PeriodicalId":501704,"journal":{"name":"npj Biological Timing and Sleep","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44323-024-00016-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carlos C. Flores, Nickolas A. Pasetto, Hongyang Wang, Alexander G. Dimitrov, Jon F. Davis, Zhihua Jiang, Christopher J. Davis, Jason R. Gerstner
{"title":"Sleep and diurnal alternative polyadenylation sites associated with human APA-linked brain disorders","authors":"Carlos C. Flores, Nickolas A. Pasetto, Hongyang Wang, Alexander G. Dimitrov, Jon F. Davis, Zhihua Jiang, Christopher J. Davis, Jason R. Gerstner","doi":"10.1038/s44323-024-00012-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44323-024-00012-2","url":null,"abstract":"Disruption of sleep and circadian rhythms are a comorbid feature of many pathologies, and can negatively influence many health conditions, including neurodegenerative disease, metabolic illness, cancer, and various neurological disorders. Genetic association studies linking sleep and circadian disturbances with disease susceptibility have mainly focused on changes in gene expression due to mutations, such as single-nucleotide polymorphisms. The interaction between sleep and/or circadian rhythms with the use of Alternative Polyadenylation (APA) has been largely undescribed, particularly in the context of other disorders. APA generates transcript isoforms by utilizing various polyadenylation sites (PASs) from the same gene affecting its mRNA translation, stability, localization, and subsequent function. Here we identified unique APAs expressed in rat brain over time-of-day, immediately following sleep deprivation, and the subsequent recovery period. From these data, we performed a secondary analysis of these sleep- or time-of-day associated PASs with recently described APA-linked human brain disorder susceptibility genes.","PeriodicalId":501704,"journal":{"name":"npj Biological Timing and Sleep","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44323-024-00012-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142566005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}