Circadian Rhythms and Clock Genes in Reproduction: Insights From Behavior and the Female Rabbit’s Brain
Clock gene oscillations are necessary for a successful pregnancy and parturition, but little is known about their function during lactation, a period demanding from the mother multiple physiological and behavioral adaptations to fulfill the requirements of the offspring. First, we will focus on circ...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fendo.2018.00106/full |
| _version_ | 1818198455468687360 |
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| author | Mario Caba Gabriela González-Mariscal Enrique Meza |
| author_facet | Mario Caba Gabriela González-Mariscal Enrique Meza |
| author_sort | Mario Caba |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Clock gene oscillations are necessary for a successful pregnancy and parturition, but little is known about their function during lactation, a period demanding from the mother multiple physiological and behavioral adaptations to fulfill the requirements of the offspring. First, we will focus on circadian rhythms and clock genes in reproductive tissues mainly in rodents. Disruption of circadian rhythms or proper rhythmic oscillations of clock genes provoke reproductive problems, as found in clock gene knockout mice. Then, we will focus mainly on the rabbit doe as this mammal nurses the young just once a day with circadian periodicity. This daily event synchronizes the behavior and the activity of specific brain regions critical for reproductive neuroendocrinology and maternal behavior, like the preoptic area. This region shows strong rhythms of the PER1 protein (product of the Per1 clock gene) associated with circadian nursing. Additionally, neuroendocrine cells related to milk production and ejections are also synchronized to daily nursing. A threshold of suckling is necessary to entrain once a day nursing; this process is independent of milk output as even virgin does (behaving maternally following anosmia) can display circadian nursing behavior. A timing motivational mechanism may regulate such behavior as mesolimbic dopaminergic cells are entrained by daily nursing. Finally, we will explore about the clinical importance of circadian rhythms. Indeed, women in chronic shift-work schedules show problems in their menstrual cycles and pregnancies and also have a high risk of preterm delivery, making this an important field of translational research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:06:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6b2c4bc258cf469db072b4dee0f60437 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2392 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:06:09Z |
| publishDate | 2018-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
| spelling | doaj.art-6b2c4bc258cf469db072b4dee0f604372022-12-22T00:42:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Endocrinology1664-23922018-03-01910.3389/fendo.2018.00106354761Circadian Rhythms and Clock Genes in Reproduction: Insights From Behavior and the Female Rabbit’s BrainMario Caba0Gabriela González-Mariscal1Enrique Meza2Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, MexicoCentro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, MexicoCentro de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, MexicoClock gene oscillations are necessary for a successful pregnancy and parturition, but little is known about their function during lactation, a period demanding from the mother multiple physiological and behavioral adaptations to fulfill the requirements of the offspring. First, we will focus on circadian rhythms and clock genes in reproductive tissues mainly in rodents. Disruption of circadian rhythms or proper rhythmic oscillations of clock genes provoke reproductive problems, as found in clock gene knockout mice. Then, we will focus mainly on the rabbit doe as this mammal nurses the young just once a day with circadian periodicity. This daily event synchronizes the behavior and the activity of specific brain regions critical for reproductive neuroendocrinology and maternal behavior, like the preoptic area. This region shows strong rhythms of the PER1 protein (product of the Per1 clock gene) associated with circadian nursing. Additionally, neuroendocrine cells related to milk production and ejections are also synchronized to daily nursing. A threshold of suckling is necessary to entrain once a day nursing; this process is independent of milk output as even virgin does (behaving maternally following anosmia) can display circadian nursing behavior. A timing motivational mechanism may regulate such behavior as mesolimbic dopaminergic cells are entrained by daily nursing. Finally, we will explore about the clinical importance of circadian rhythms. Indeed, women in chronic shift-work schedules show problems in their menstrual cycles and pregnancies and also have a high risk of preterm delivery, making this an important field of translational research.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fendo.2018.00106/fullmaternal behaviorlactationPER1 proteinsucklingpregnancyparturition |
| spellingShingle | Mario Caba Gabriela González-Mariscal Enrique Meza Circadian Rhythms and Clock Genes in Reproduction: Insights From Behavior and the Female Rabbit’s Brain Frontiers in Endocrinology maternal behavior lactation PER1 protein suckling pregnancy parturition |
| title | Circadian Rhythms and Clock Genes in Reproduction: Insights From Behavior and the Female Rabbit’s Brain |
| title_full | Circadian Rhythms and Clock Genes in Reproduction: Insights From Behavior and the Female Rabbit’s Brain |
| title_fullStr | Circadian Rhythms and Clock Genes in Reproduction: Insights From Behavior and the Female Rabbit’s Brain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Circadian Rhythms and Clock Genes in Reproduction: Insights From Behavior and the Female Rabbit’s Brain |
| title_short | Circadian Rhythms and Clock Genes in Reproduction: Insights From Behavior and the Female Rabbit’s Brain |
| title_sort | circadian rhythms and clock genes in reproduction insights from behavior and the female rabbit s brain |
| topic | maternal behavior lactation PER1 protein suckling pregnancy parturition |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fendo.2018.00106/full |
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