Imbalance in Glucose Metabolism Regulates the Transition of Microglia from Homeostasis to Disease-Associated Microglia Stage 1.

Microglia undergo two-stage activation in neurodegenerative diseases, known as disease-associated microglia (DAM). TREM2 mediates the DAM2 stage transition, but what regulates the first DAM1 stage transition is unknown. We report that glucose dyshomeostasis inhibits DAM1 activation and PKM2 plays a role. As in tumors, PKM2 was aberrantly elevated in both male and female human AD brains, but unlike in tumors, it is expressed as active tetramers, as well as among TREM2+ microglia surrounding plaques in 5XFAD male and female mice. snRNAseq analyses of microglia without Pkm2 in 5XFAD mice revealed significant increases in DAM1 markers in a distinct metabolic cluster, which is enriched in genes for glucose metabolism, DAM1, and AD risk. 5XFAD mice incidentally exhibited a significant reduction in amyloid pathology without microglial Pkm2 Surprisingly, microglia in 5XFAD without Pkm2 exhibited increases in glycolysis and spare respiratory capacity, which correlated with restoration of mitochondrial cristae alterations. In addition, in situ spatial metabolomics of plaque-bearing microglia revealed an increase in respiratory activity. These results together suggest that it is not only glycolytic but also respiratory inputs that are critical to the development of DAM signatures in 5XFAD mice.

Intercellular Coupling of the Cell Cycle and Circadian Clock in Adult Stem Cell Culture.

Circadian clock-gated cell division cycles are observed from cyanobacteria to mammals via intracellular molecular connections between these two oscillators. Here we demonstrate WNT-mediated intercellular coupling between the cell cycle and circadian clock in 3D murine intestinal organoids (enteroids). The circadian clock gates a population of cells with heterogeneous cell-cycle times that emerge as 12-hr synchronized cell division cycles. Remarkably, we observe reduced-amplitude oscillations of circadian rhythms in intestinal stem cells and progenitor cells, indicating an intercellular signal arising from differentiated cells governing circadian clock-dependent synchronized cell division cycles. Stochastic simulations and experimental validations reveal Paneth cell-secreted WNT as the key intercellular coupling component linking the circadian clock and cell cycle in enteroids.

Paclitaxel chemotherapy disrupts behavioral and molecular circadian clocks in mice.

Cancer patients experience circadian rhythm disruptions in activity cycles and cortisol release that correlate with poor quality of life and decreased long-term survival rates. However, the extent to which chemotherapy contributes to altered circadian rhythms is poorly understood. In the present study, we examined the extent to which paclitaxel, a common chemotherapy drug, altered entrained and free-running circadian rhythms in wheel running behavior, circulating corticosterone, and circadian clock gene expression in the brain and adrenal glands of tumor-free mice. Paclitaxel injections delayed voluntary wheel running activity onset in a light-dark cycle (LD) and lengthened the free-running period of locomotion in constant darkness (DD), indicating an effect on inherent suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) pacemaker activity. Paclitaxel attenuated clock gene rhythms in multiple brain regions in LD and DD. Furthermore, paclitaxel disrupted circulating corticosterone rhythms in DD by elevating its levels across a 24-hour cycle, which correlated with blunted amplitudes of Arntl, Nr1d1, Per1, and Star rhythms in the adrenal glands. Paclitaxel also shortened SCN slice rhythms, increased the amplitude of adrenal gland oscillations in PER2::luciferase cultures, and increased the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines released from the SCN. These findings indicate that paclitaxel disrupts clock genes and behavior driven by the SCN, other brain regions, and adrenal glands, which were associated with chemotherapy-induced inflammation. Together, this preclinical work demonstrates that chemotherapy disrupts both central and peripheral circadian rhythms and supports the possibility that targeted circadian realignment therapies may be a novel and non-invasive way to improve patient outcomes after chemotherapy.

SynGAP is expressed in the murine suprachiasmatic nucleus and regulates circadian-gated locomotor activity and light-entrainment capacity.

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus functions as the master circadian clock. The phasing of the SCN oscillator is locked to the daily solar cycle, and an intracellular signaling cassette from the small GTPase Ras to the p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK/MAPK) pathway is central to this entrainment process. Here, we analyzed the expression and function of SynGAP-a GTPase-activating protein that serves as a negative regulator of Ras signaling-within the murine SCN. Using a combination of immunohistochemical and Western blotting approaches, we show that SynGAP is broadly expressed throughout the SCN. In addition, temporal profiling assays revealed that SynGAP expression is regulated over the circadian cycle, with peak expression occurring during the circadian night. Further, time-of-day-gated expression of SynGAP was not observed in clock arrhythmic BMAL1 null mice, indicating that the daily oscillation in SynGAP is driven by the inherent circadian timing mechanism. We also show that SynGAP phosphorylation at serine 1138-an event that has been found to modulate its functional efficacy-is regulated by clock time and is responsive to photic input. Finally, circadian phenotypic analysis of Syngap1 heterozygous mice revealed enhanced locomotor activity, increased sensitivity to light-evoked clock entrainment, and elevated levels of light-evoked MAPK activity, which is consistent with the role of SynGAP as a negative regulator of MAPK signaling. These findings reveal that SynGAP functions as a modulator of SCN clock entrainment, an effect that may contribute to sleep and circadian abnormalities observed in patients with SYNGAP1 gene mutations.

Mammary tumors compromise time-of-day differences in hypothalamic gene expression and circadian behavior and physiology in mice.

Circadian rhythms influence various aspects of biology, including hormonal, immunological, and behavioral processes. These 24-hour oscillations are necessary to optimize cellular functions and to synchronize these processes with the environment. Breast cancer patients and survivors frequently report disruptions in circadian oscillations that adversely affect quality-of-life, including fragmented sleep-wake cycles and flattened cortisol rhythms, which are associated with negative behavioral comorbidities (e.g., fatigue). However, the potential causal role of tumor biology in circadian dysregulation has not been investigated. Here, we examined the extent to which sham surgery, non-metastatic mammary tumors, or mammary tumor removal in mice disrupts circadian rhythms in brain clock gene expression, locomotor behavior (free-running and entrained), and physiological rhythms that have been associated with cancer behavioral comorbidities. Tumors and tumor resection altered time-of-day differences in hypothalamic expression of eight circadian-regulated genes. The onset of activity in entrained running behavior was advanced in tumor-bearing mice, and the amplitude of free-running rhythms was increased in tumor-resected mice. Tumors flattened rhythms in circulating corticosterone and Ly6cHi monocytes which were largely restored by surgical tumor resection. This work implies that tumors alone may directly impact central and/or peripheral circadian rhythmicity in breast cancer patients, and that these effects may persist in cancer survivors, potentially contributing to behavioral comorbidities.

A Symphony of Signals: Intercellular and Intracellular Signaling Mechanisms Underlying Circadian Timekeeping in Mice and Flies.

The central pacemakers of circadian timekeeping systems are highly robust yet adaptable, providing the temporal coordination of rhythms in behavior and physiological processes in accordance with the demands imposed by environmental cycles. These features of the central pacemaker are achieved by a multi-oscillator network in which individual cellular oscillators are tightly coupled to the environmental day-night cycle, and to one another via intercellular coupling. In this review, we will summarize the roles of various neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the regulation of circadian entrainment and synchrony within the mammalian and Drosophila central pacemakers. We will also describe the diverse functions of protein kinases in the relay of input signals to the core oscillator or the direct regulation of the molecular clock machinery.

miR-132 couples the circadian clock to daily rhythms of neuronal plasticity and cognition.

The microRNA miR-132 serves as a key regulator of a wide range of plasticity-associated processes in the central nervous system. Interestingly, miR-132 expression has also been shown to be under the control of the circadian timing system. This finding, coupled with work showing that miR-132 is expressed in the hippocampus, where it influences neuronal morphology and memory, led us to test the idea that daily rhythms in miR-132 within the forebrain modulate cognition as a function of circadian time. Here, we show that hippocampal miR-132 expression is gated by the time-of-day, with peak levels occurring during the circadian night. Further, in miR-132 knockout mice and in transgenic mice, where miR-132 is constitutively expressed under the control of the tetracycline regulator system, we found that time-of-day dependent memory recall (as assessed via novel object location and contextual fear conditioning paradigms) was suppressed. Given that miRNAs exert their functional effects via the suppression of target gene expression, we examined the effects that transgenic miR-132 manipulations have on MeCP2 and Sirt1-two miR-132 targets that are associated with neuronal plasticity and cognition. In mice where miR-132 was either knocked out, or transgenically expressed, rhythmic expression of MeCP2 and Sirt1 was suppressed. Taken together, these results raise the prospect that miR-132 serves as a key route through which the circadian timing system imparts a daily rhythm on cognitive capacity.

Circadian expression and functional characterization of PEA-15 within the mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus.

The circadian timing system influences the functional properties of most, if not all, physiological processes. Central to the mammalian timing system is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The SCN functions as a 'master clock' that sets the phasing of ancillary circadian oscillator populations found throughout the body. Further, via an entraining input from the retina, the SCN ensures that the clock oscillators are synchronized to the daily light/dark cycle. A critical component of the SCN timing and entrainment systems is the p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK/MAPK) pathway. Here, we examined the expression and function of phosphoprotein-enriched in astrocytes (PEA-15), an ERK scaffold protein that serves as a key regulator of MAPK signaling. A combination of immunolabeling and Western blotting approaches revealed high levels of PEA-15 within the SCN. PEA-15 expression was enriched in distinct subpopulations of SCN neurons, including arginine vasopressin (AVP)-positive neurons of the SCN shell region. Further, expression profiling detected a significant circadian oscillation in PEA-15 expression within the SCN. Brief photic stimulation during the early subjective night led to a significant increase in PEA-15 phosphorylation, an event that can trigger ERK/PEA-15 dissociation. Consistent with this, co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed that PEA-15 is directly bound to ERK in the SCN and that photic stimulation leads to their dissociation. Finally, we show that PEA-15 regulates ERK/MAPK-dependent activation of the core clock gene period1. Together, these data raise the prospect that PEA-15 functions as a key regulator of the SCN timing system.

Circadian Regulation of Hippocampal-Dependent Memory: Circuits, Synapses, and Molecular Mechanisms.

Circadian modulation of learning and memory efficiency is an evolutionarily conserved phenomenon, occurring in organisms ranging from invertebrates to higher mammalian species, including humans. While the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus functions as the master mammalian pacemaker, recent evidence suggests that forebrain regions, including the hippocampus, exhibit oscillatory capacity. This finding, as well as work on the cellular signaling events that underlie learning and memory, has opened promising new avenues of investigation into the precise cellular, molecular, and circuit-based mechanisms by which clock timing impacts plasticity and cognition. In this review, we examine the complex molecular relationship between clock timing and memory, with a focus on hippocampal-dependent tasks. We evaluate how the dysregulation of circadian timing, both at the level of the SCN and at the level of ancillary forebrain clocks, affects learning and memory. Further, we discuss experimentally validated intracellular signaling pathways (e.g., ERK/MAPK and GSK3ß) and potential cellular signaling mechanisms by which the clock affects learning and memory formation. Finally, we examine how long-term potentiation (LTP), a synaptic process critical to the establishment of several forms of memory, is regulated by clock-gated processes.

The circadian molecular clock creates epidermal stem cell heterogeneity.

Murine epidermal stem cells undergo alternate cycles of dormancy and activation, fuelling tissue renewal. However, only a subset of stem cells becomes active during each round of morphogenesis, indicating that stem cells coexist in heterogeneous responsive states. Using a circadian-clock reporter-mouse model, here we show that the dormant hair-follicle stem cell niche contains coexisting populations of cells at opposite phases of the clock, which are differentially predisposed to respond to homeostatic cues. The core clock protein Bmal1 modulates the expression of stem cell regulatory genes in an oscillatory manner, to create populations that are either predisposed, or less prone, to activation. Disrupting this clock equilibrium, through deletion of Bmal1 (also known as Arntl) or Per1/2, resulted in a progressive accumulation or depletion of dormant stem cells, respectively. Stem cell arrhythmia also led to premature epidermal ageing, and a reduction in the development of squamous tumours. Our results indicate that the circadian clock fine-tunes the temporal behaviour of epidermal stem cells, and that its perturbation affects homeostasis and the predisposition to tumorigenesis.

Targeted deletion of miR-132/-212 impairs memory and alters the hippocampal transcriptome.

miR-132 and miR-212 are structurally related microRNAs that have been found to exert powerful modulatory effects within the central nervous system (CNS). Notably, these microRNAs are tandomly processed from the same noncoding transcript, and share a common seed sequence: thus it has been difficult to assess the distinct contribution of each microRNA to gene expression within the CNS. Here, we employed a combination of conditional knockout and transgenic mouse models to examine the contribution of the miR-132/-212 gene locus to learning and memory, and then to assess the distinct effects that each microRNA has on hippocampal gene expression. Using a conditional deletion approach, we show that miR-132/-212 double-knockout mice exhibit significant cognitive deficits in spatial memory, recognition memory, and in tests of novel object recognition. Next, we utilized transgenic miR-132 and miR-212 overexpression mouse lines and the miR-132/-212 double-knockout line to explore the distinct effects of these two miRNAs on the transcriptional profile of the hippocampus. Illumina sequencing revealed that miR-132/-212 deletion increased the expression of 1138 genes; Venn analysis showed that 96 of these genes were also downregulated in mice overexpressing miR-132. Of the 58 genes that were decreased in animals overexpressing miR-212, only four of them were also increased in the knockout line. Functional gene ontology analysis of downregulated genes revealed significant enrichment of genes related to synaptic transmission, neuronal proliferation, and morphogenesis, processes known for their roles in learning, and memory formation. These data, coupled with previous studies, firmly establish a role for the miR-132/-212 gene locus as a key regulator of cognitive capacity. Further, although miR-132 and miR-212 share a seed sequence, these data indicate that these miRNAs do not exhibit strongly overlapping mRNA targeting profiles, thus indicating that these two genes may function in a complex, nonredundant manner to shape the transcriptional profile of the CNS. The dysregulation of miR-132/-212 expression could contribute to signaling mechanisms that are involved in an array of cognitive disorders.

Clock and light regulation of the CREB coactivator CRTC1 in the suprachiasmatic circadian clock.

The CREB/CRE transcriptional pathway has been implicated in circadian clock timing and light-evoked clock resetting. To date, much of the work on CREB in circadian physiology has focused on how changes in the phosphorylation state of CREB regulate the timing processes. However, beyond changes in phosphorylation, CREB-dependent transcription can also be regulated by the CREB coactivator CRTC (CREB-regulated transcription coactivator), also known as TORC (transducer of regulated CREB). Here we profiled both the rhythmic and light-evoked regulation of CRTC1 and CRTC2 in the murine suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the locus of the master mammalian clock. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed rhythmic expression of CRTC1 in the SCN. CRTC1 expression was detected throughout the dorsoventral extent of the SCN in the middle of the subjective day, with limited expression during early night, and late night expression levels intermediate between mid-day and early night levels. In contrast to CRTC1, robust expression of CRTC2 was detected during both the subjective day and night. During early and late subjective night, a brief light pulse induced strong nuclear accumulation of CRTC1 in the SCN. In contrast with CRTC1, photic stimulation did not affect the subcellular localization of CRTC2 in the SCN. Additionally, reporter gene profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis indicated that CRTC1 was associated with CREB in the 5' regulatory region of the period1 gene, and that overexpression of CRTC1 leads to a marked upregulation in period1 transcription. Together, these data raise the prospect that CRTC1 plays a role in fundamental aspects of SCN clock timing and entrainment.

The involvement of microRNAs in major depression, suicidal behavior, and related disorders: a focus on miR-185 and miR-491-3p.

Major depressive disorders are common and disabling conditions associated with significant psychosocial impairment and suicide risk. At least 3-4 % of all depressive individuals die by suicide. Evidence suggests that small non-coding RNAs, in particular microRNAs (miRNAs), play a critical role in major affective disorders as well as suicide. We performed a detailed review of the current literature on miRNAs and their targets in major depression and related disorders as well as suicidal behavior, with a specific focus on miR-185 and miR-491-3p, which have been suggested to participate in the pathogenesis of major depression and/or suicide. miRNAs play a fundamental role in the development of the brain. Several miRNAs are reported to influence neuronal and circuit formation by negatively regulating gene expression. Global miRNA reduced expression was found in the prefrontal cortex of depressed suicide completers when compared to that of nonpsychiatric controls who died of other causes. One particular miRNA, miR-185, was reported to regulate TrkB-T1, which has been associated with suicidal behavior upon truncation. Furthermore, cAMP response element-binding protein-brain-derived neurotrophic factor pathways may regulate, through miRNAs, the homeostasis of neural and synaptic pathways playing a crucial role in major depression. miRNAs have gained attention as key players involved in nervous system development, physiology, and disease. Further evidence is needed to clarify the exact role that miRNAs play in major depression and related disorders and suicidal behavior.

Mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 1 modulates photic entrainment of the suprachiasmatic circadian clock.

The master circadian clock in mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), is under the entraining influence of the external light cycle. At a mechanistic level, intracellular signaling via the p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway appears to play a central role in light-evoked clock entrainment; however, the precise downstream mechanisms by which this pathway influences clock timing are not known. Within this context, we have previously reported that light stimulates activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase effector mitogen-stress-activated kinase 1 (MSK1) in the SCN. In this study, we utilised MSK1(-/-) mice to further investigate the potential role of MSK1 in circadian clock timing and entrainment. Locomotor activity analysis revealed that MSK1 null mice entrained to a 12 h light/dark cycle and exhibited circadian free-running rhythms in constant darkness. Interestingly, the free-running period in MSK1 null mice was significantly longer than in wild-type control animals, and MSK1 null mice exhibited a significantly greater variance in activity onset. Further, MSK1 null mice exhibited a significant reduction in the phase-delaying response to an early night light pulse (100 lux, 15 min), and, using an 8 h phase-advancing 'jet-lag' experimental paradigm, MSK1 knockout animals exhibited a significantly delayed rate of re-entrainment. At the molecular level, early night light-evoked cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation, histone phosphorylation and Period1 gene expression were markedly attenuated in MSK1(-/-) animals relative to wild-type mice. Together, these data provide key new insights into the molecular mechanisms by which MSK1 affects the SCN clock.

MSK1 regulates environmental enrichment-induced hippocampal plasticity and cognitive enhancement.

Environmental enrichment (EE) has marked beneficial effects on cognitive capacity. Given the possibility that this form of neuronal plasticity could function via the actuation of the same cellular signaling pathways that underlie learning/memory formation, we examined whether the MAPK cascade effector, mitogen/stress-activated kinase 1 (MSK1), could play a role in this process. MSK1 functions as a key signaling intermediate that couples changes in neuronal activity into inducible gene expression, neuronal plasticity, and learning/memory. Here, we show that MSK1 is expressed in excitatory cell layers of the hippocampus, progenitor cells of the subgranular zone (SGZ), and adult-born immature neurons. MSK1(-/-) mice exhibit reduced spinogenesis and decreased dendritic branching complexity in hippocampal neurons, compared with WT mice. Further, in MSK1(-/-) mice, progenitor cell proliferation within the SGZ was significantly reduced and, correspondingly, the number of immature neurons within the dentate gyrus was significantly reduced. Consistent with prior work, MSK1(-/-) mice displayed deficits in both spatial and recognition memory tasks. Strikingly, cognitive enhancement resulting from a 40-d period of EE was markedly reduced in MSK1(-/-) animals. MSK1(-/-) mice exhibited reduced levels of EE-induced spinogenesis and SGZ progenitor proliferation. Taken together, these data reveal that MSK1 serves as a critical regulator of hippocampal physiology and function and that MSK1 serves as a key conduit by which enriching stimuli augment cellular plasticity and cognition.

Ribosomal S6 Kinase Regulates the Timing and Entrainment of the Mammalian Circadian Clock Located in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus.

Previous work in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the locus of the principal circadian clock, has shown that the activation state of the ERK/MAPK effector p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) is responsive to photic stimulation and is modulated across the circadian cycle. These data raise the prospect that RSK signaling contributes to both SCN clock timing and entrainment. Here, we found marked expression of the three main RSK isoforms (RSK1/2/3) within the SCN of C57/Bl6 mice. Further, using a combination of immunolabeling and proximity ligation assays, we show that photic stimulation led to the dissociation of RSK from ERK and the translocation of RSK from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. To test for RSK functionality following light treatment, animals received an intraventricular infusion of the selective RSK inhibitor, SL0101, 30 min prior to light (100 lux) exposure during the early circadian night (circadian time 15). Notably, the disruption of RSK signaling led to a significant reduction (∼45 min) in the phase delaying effects of light, relative to vehicle-infused mice. To test the potential contribution of RSK signaling to SCN pacemaker activity, slice cultures from a per1-Venus circadian reporter mouse line were chronically treated with SL0101. Suppression of RSK signaling led to a significant lengthening of the circadian period (∼40 min), relative to vehicle-treated slices. Together, these data reveal that RSK functions as a signaling intermediate that regulates light-evoked clock entrainment and the inherent time keeping properties of the SCN.

Mitogen- and stress-activated kinases regulate progenitor cell proliferation and neuron development in the adult dentate gyrus.

The neurogenic niche within the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus is a source of new neurons throughout life. Interestingly, SGZ proliferative capacity is regulated by both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. One outstanding question involves the molecular mechanisms that regulate both basal and inducible adult neurogenesis. Here, we examined the role of the MAPK-regulated kinases, mitogen- and stress-activated kinase (MSK)1 and MSK2. as regulators of dentate gyrus SGZ progenitor cell proliferation and neurogenesis. Under basal conditions, MSK1/2 null mice exhibited significantly reduced progenitor cell proliferation capacity and a corollary reduction in the number of doublecortin (DCX)-positive immature neurons. Strikingly, seizure-induced progenitor proliferation was totally blocked in MSK1/2 null mice. This blunting of cell proliferation in MSK1/2 null mice was partially reversed by forskolin infusion, indicating that the inducible proliferative capacity of the progenitor cell population was intact. Furthermore, in MSK1/2 null mice, DCX-positive immature neurons exhibited reduced neurite arborization. Together, these data reveal a critical role for MSK1/2 as regulators of both basal and activity-dependent progenitor cell proliferation and morphological maturation in the SGZ.

Circadian clocks, cognition, and Alzheimer's disease: synaptic mechanisms, signaling effectors, and chronotherapeutics.

Modulation of basic biochemical and physiological processes by the circadian timing system is now recognized as a fundamental feature of all mammalian organ systems. Within the central nervous system, these clock-modulating effects are reflected in some of the most complex behavioral states including learning, memory, and mood. How the clock shapes these behavioral processes is only now beginning to be realized. In this review we describe recent findings regarding the complex set of cellular signaling events, including kinase pathways, gene networks, and synaptic circuits that are under the influence of the clock timing system and how this, in turn, shapes cognitive capacity over the circadian cycle. Further, we discuss the functional roles of the master circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and peripheral oscillator populations within cortical and limbic circuits, in the gating of synaptic plasticity and memory over the circadian cycle. These findings are then used as the basis to discuss the connection between clock dysregulation and cognitive impairments resulting from Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, we discuss the conceptually novel idea that in AD, there is a selective disruption of circadian timing within cortical and limbic circuits, and that it is the disruption/desynchronization of these regions from the phase-entraining effects of the SCN that underlies aspects of the early- and mid-stage cognitive deficits in AD. Further, we discuss the prospect that the disruption of circadian timing in AD could produce a self-reinforcing feedback loop, where disruption of timing accelerates AD pathogenesis (e.g., amyloid deposition, oxidative stress and cell death) that in turn leads to a further disruption of the circadian timing system. Lastly, we address potential therapeutic approaches that could be used to strengthen cellular timing networks and, in turn, how these approaches could be used to improve cognitive capacity in Alzheimer's patients.

MicroRNA-212-5p, an anti-proliferative miRNA, attenuates hypoxia and sugen/hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in rodents.

MicroRNAs (miRNA, miR-) play important roles in disease development. In this study, we identified an anti-proliferative miRNA, miR-212-5p, that is induced in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and lungs of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients and rodents with experimental PH. We found that smooth muscle cell (SMC)-specific knockout of miR-212-5p exacerbated hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and PH in mice, suggesting that miR-212-5p may be upregulated in PASMCs to act as an endogenous inhibitor of PH, possibly by suppressing PASMC proliferation. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been shown recently to be promising drug delivery tools for disease treatment. We generated endothelium-derived EVs with an enriched miR-212-5p load, 212-eEVs, and found that they significantly attenuated hypoxia-induced PH in mice and Sugen/hypoxia-induced severe PH in rats, providing proof of concept that engineered endothelium-derived EVs can be used to deliver miRNA into lungs for treatment of severe PH.

microRNA modulation of circadian-clock period and entrainment.

microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, noncoding RNAs that regulate the stability or translation of mRNA transcripts. Although recent work has implicated miRNAs in development and in disease, the expression and function of miRNAs in the adult mammalian nervous system have not been extensively characterized. Here, we examine the role of two brain-specific miRNAs, miR-219 and miR-132, in modulating the circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. miR-219 is a target of the CLOCK and BMAL1 complex, exhibits robust circadian rhythms of expression, and the in vivo knockdown of miR-219 lengthens the circadian period. miR-132 is induced by photic entrainment cues via a MAPK/CREB-dependent mechanism, modulates clock-gene expression, and attenuates the entraining effects of light. Collectively, these data reveal miRNAs as clock- and light-regulated genes and provide a mechanistic examination of their roles as effectors of pacemaker activity and entrainment.