Pegoraro Mirko, Picot Emma, Hansen Celia N, Kyriacou Charalambos P, Rosato Ezio, Tauber Eran
Department of Genetics, University of Leicester , Leicester UK.
Front Neurol. 2015 May 8;6:100. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00100. eCollection 2015.
The circadian clock provides the temporal framework for rhythmic behavioral and metabolic functions. In the modern era of industrialization, work, and social pressures, clock function is jeopardized, and can result in adverse and chronic effects on health. Understanding circadian clock function, particularly individual variation in diurnal phase preference (chronotype), and the molecular mechanisms underlying such chronotypes may lead to interventions that could abrogate clock dysfunction and improve human (and animal) health and welfare. Our preliminary studies suggested that fruit-flies, like humans, can be classified as early rising "larks" or late rising "owls," providing a convenient model system for these types of studies. We have identified strains of flies showing increased preference for morning emergence (Early or E) from the pupal case, or more pronounced preference for evening emergence (Late or L). We have sampled pupae the day before eclosion (fourth day after pupariation) at 4 h intervals in the E and L strains, and examined differences in gene expression by RNA-seq. We have identified differentially expressed transcripts between the E and L strains, which provide candidate genes for subsequent studies of Drosophila chronotypes and their human orthologs.
昼夜节律时钟为有节奏的行为和代谢功能提供了时间框架。在工业化、工作和社会压力的现代时代，时钟功能受到损害，并可能对健康产生不良和慢性影响。了解昼夜节律时钟功能，特别是昼夜相位偏好（昼夜节律类型）的个体差异，以及这些昼夜节律类型背后的分子机制，可能会带来一些干预措施，从而消除时钟功能障碍，改善人类（和动物）的健康和福祉。我们的初步研究表明，果蝇与人类一样，可以分为早起的“云雀”或晚起的“猫头鹰”，为这类研究提供了一个便利的模型系统。我们已经鉴定出一些果蝇品系，它们对从蛹壳中早晨羽化（早期或E型）表现出更高的偏好，或者对傍晚羽化（晚期或L型）表现出更明显的偏好。我们在E型和L型品系羽化前一天（化蛹后第四天）每隔4小时采集蛹，并通过RNA测序检查基因表达的差异。我们已经确定了E型和L型品系之间差异表达的转录本，这些转录本为后续果蝇昼夜节律类型及其人类同源基因的研究提供了候选基因。
