Circadian clocks in behavior and physiology

Circadian clocks are cell-autonomous molecular oscillators that drive 24-hour rhythms of behavior and physiological processes. In the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus (SCN), the "master pacemaker" of the mammalian circadian system, neuronal oscillators are coupled into a robust network, and communication between SCN cells is necessary for normal circadian rhythms of locomotor activity. In Part I of this dissertation, I have identified a role for two canonical axon-guidance molecules, NEUROPILIN-2 and SEMAPHORIN-3F, in the control of circadian locomotor activity rhythms by the adult SCN. In addition to the circadian clocks in the SCN, cells of peripheral tissues and some brain regions have circadian clock function. Local clocks in peripheral tissues are thought to regulate physiology by producing circadian rhythms of transcript levels of genes important for the functions of that specific organ, though the physiological roles of many tissue clocks are poorly defined. Mice lacking circadian clock function in all tissues have metabolic defects, suggesting that at least some local clocks contribute to the regulation of metabolic physiology. In Part II of this dissertation, I have used conditional genetics to breed and analyze mice lacking BMAL1, a necessary component of the circadian clock, specifically in the pancreas, or in a separate project, in two important neuronal populations in the arcuate hypothalamus (ARC). Both the pancreas and the ARC have well-defined and important roles in the control of energy and glucose homeostasis. I did not identify a clear role for ARC clocks in metabolic physiology, but I found that a circadian clock in the pancreas is necessary for normal glucose homeostasis. In summary, I have shown a role for a peripheral circadian clock in metabolic regulation, and elucidated one mechanism by which the SCN controls circadian rhythms of locomotor activity. Taken together, the work of this dissertation addresses two topical questions in the field of circadian biology, and highlights the role of the circadian system in the control of behavior and physiology.