Projects per year
Abstract
The mammalian circadian timing system consists of a master pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and subordinate clocks that disseminate time information to various central and peripheral tissues. While the function of the SCN in circadian rhythm regulation has been extensively studied, we still have limited understanding of how peripheral tissue clock function contributes to the regulation of physiological processes. The adrenal gland plays a special role in this context as adrenal hormones show strong circadian secretion rhythms affecting downstream physiological processes. At the same time, they have been shown to affect clock gene expression in various other tissues, thus mediating systemic entrainment to external zeitgebers and promoting internal circadian alignment. In this review, we discuss the function of circadian clocks in the adrenal gland, how they are reset by the SCN and may further relay time-of-day information to other tissues. Focusing on glucocorticoids, we conclude by outlining the impact of adrenal rhythm disruption on neuropsychiatric, metabolic, immune, and malignant disorders.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Biological Rhythms |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Pages (from-to) | 20-34 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| ISSN | 0748-7304 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 01.01.2015 |
Funding
Adrenal clocks and adrenal-derived endocrine rhythms have important functions in the regulation of physiological processes, and adrenal circadian disruption may be an important step in the development of a number of heterogeneous diseases. While we have gained some insight into the regulation of adrenal rhythms by the SCN, it will be important to better describe the interaction of circadian and noncircadian factors in the control of adrenal activity. On the other hand, the role of the adrenal hormones as resetting signals for other tissues deserves further attention, particularly with regard to the development of complex pathologies such as major depression or various immune disorders. Furthermore, the better accessibility of peripheral clocks may actually make them more attractive targets for chronotherapeutic approaches than the SCN pacemaker itself. HO is a Lichtenberg fellow of the Volkswagen Foundation. This work was supported by a project grant of the German Research Foundation (DFG). VO is supported by a grant from the German Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF). Author Contributions AL performed experiments. AL & HO analysed the data. AL, RD, VO and HO wrote the manuscript. Conflict of Interest Statement The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Research Areas and Centers
- Academic Focus: Center for Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM)
Access to Document
Other files and links
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Adrenal clocks and the role of adrenal hormones in the regulation of circadian physiology'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
-
A role for the adrenal in the synchronization of circadian rhythms in the mouse
Oster, H. (Principal Investigator (PI))
01.01.13 → 31.12.18
Project: DFG Individual Projects