Transcriptional Response of Circadian Clock Genes to an ‘Artificial Light at Night’ Pulse in the Cricket <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i>
Light is the major signal entraining the circadian clock that regulates physiological and behavioral rhythms in most organisms, including insects. Artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts the natural light–dark cycle and negatively impacts animals at various levels. We simulated ALAN using dim ligh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/19/11358 |
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| author | Keren Levy Bettina Fishman Anat Barnea Amir Ayali Eran Tauber |
| author_facet | Keren Levy Bettina Fishman Anat Barnea Amir Ayali Eran Tauber |
| author_sort | Keren Levy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Light is the major signal entraining the circadian clock that regulates physiological and behavioral rhythms in most organisms, including insects. Artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts the natural light–dark cycle and negatively impacts animals at various levels. We simulated ALAN using dim light stimuli and tested their impact on gene expression in the cricket <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i>, a model of insect physiology and chronobiology. At night, adult light–dark-regime-raised crickets were exposed for 30 min to a light pulse of 2–40 lx. The relative expression of five circadian-clock-associated genes was compared using qPCR. A dim ALAN pulse elicited tissue-dependent differential expression in some of these genes. The strongest effect was observed in the brain and in the optic lobe, the cricket’s circadian pacemaker. The expression of <i>opsin-Long Wave</i> (<i>opLW</i>) was upregulated, as well as <i>cryptochrome1-2</i> (<i>cry</i>) and <i>period</i> (<i>per</i>). Our findings demonstrate that even a dim ALAN exposure may affect insects at the molecular level, underscoring the impact of ALAN on the circadian clock system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:41:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ae0fe716530f4c349bbabaa0a214fec7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:41:15Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-ae0fe716530f4c349bbabaa0a214fec72023-11-23T20:31:46ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672022-09-0123191135810.3390/ijms231911358Transcriptional Response of Circadian Clock Genes to an ‘Artificial Light at Night’ Pulse in the Cricket <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i>Keren Levy0Bettina Fishman1Anat Barnea2Amir Ayali3Eran Tauber4School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, IsraelDepartment of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, IsraelDepartment of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Raanana 4353701, IsraelSchool of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, IsraelDepartment of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, IsraelLight is the major signal entraining the circadian clock that regulates physiological and behavioral rhythms in most organisms, including insects. Artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts the natural light–dark cycle and negatively impacts animals at various levels. We simulated ALAN using dim light stimuli and tested their impact on gene expression in the cricket <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i>, a model of insect physiology and chronobiology. At night, adult light–dark-regime-raised crickets were exposed for 30 min to a light pulse of 2–40 lx. The relative expression of five circadian-clock-associated genes was compared using qPCR. A dim ALAN pulse elicited tissue-dependent differential expression in some of these genes. The strongest effect was observed in the brain and in the optic lobe, the cricket’s circadian pacemaker. The expression of <i>opsin-Long Wave</i> (<i>opLW</i>) was upregulated, as well as <i>cryptochrome1-2</i> (<i>cry</i>) and <i>period</i> (<i>per</i>). Our findings demonstrate that even a dim ALAN exposure may affect insects at the molecular level, underscoring the impact of ALAN on the circadian clock system.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/19/11358light pollutionartificial light at nightALANinsectscircadian rhythmextracellular RNA |
| spellingShingle | Keren Levy Bettina Fishman Anat Barnea Amir Ayali Eran Tauber Transcriptional Response of Circadian Clock Genes to an ‘Artificial Light at Night’ Pulse in the Cricket <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i> International Journal of Molecular Sciences light pollution artificial light at night ALAN insects circadian rhythm extracellular RNA |
| title | Transcriptional Response of Circadian Clock Genes to an ‘Artificial Light at Night’ Pulse in the Cricket <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i> |
| title_full | Transcriptional Response of Circadian Clock Genes to an ‘Artificial Light at Night’ Pulse in the Cricket <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i> |
| title_fullStr | Transcriptional Response of Circadian Clock Genes to an ‘Artificial Light at Night’ Pulse in the Cricket <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcriptional Response of Circadian Clock Genes to an ‘Artificial Light at Night’ Pulse in the Cricket <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i> |
| title_short | Transcriptional Response of Circadian Clock Genes to an ‘Artificial Light at Night’ Pulse in the Cricket <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i> |
| title_sort | transcriptional response of circadian clock genes to an artificial light at night pulse in the cricket i gryllus bimaculatus i |
| topic | light pollution artificial light at night ALAN insects circadian rhythm extracellular RNA |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/19/11358 |
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