Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on October 6, 2005
Human Reproduction 2006 21(1):68-79; doi:10.1093/humrep/dei313
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developmental and reproductive performance in circadian mutant mice
1 Department of Anatomy, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DY, UK and 2 MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QH, UK
3 To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mhj{at}mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
BACKGROUND: Genes underlying circadian rhythm generation are expressed in many tissues. We explore a role for circadian rhythms in the timing and efficacy of mouse reproduction and development using a genetic approach. METHODS: We compare fecundity in ClockD19 mutant mice (a dominant-negative protein essential for circadian rhythm activity) and in Vipr2/ null mutant mice (affecting the generation and output of the circadian rhythm of the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus) with wild type (WT) litter mates under both a 12 h:12 h light:dark cycle and continuous darkness. RESULTS: Uteri from ClockD19 mice show no circadian rhythm and Vipr2/ mice show a phase-advanced rhythm compared to WT uteri. In neither mutant line were homozygous or heterozygous fetuses lethal. Sexually mature adults of both mutant lines showed mildly reduced male in vivo (but not in vitro) fertility and irregular estrous cycles exacerbated by continuous darkness. However, pregnancy rates and neonatal litter sizes were not affected. The ClockD19 mutant line was distinguishable from the Vipr2/ null mutant line in showing more peri-natal delivery problems and very poor survival of offspring to weaning. CONCLUSIONS: A fully functional central and peripheral circadian clock is not essential for reproduction and development to term, but has critical roles peri-natally and post-partum.
Key words: circadian rhythm/clock mutants/fecundity/mice/uterus
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
V. Pilorz and S. Steinlechner Low reproductive success in Per1 and Per2 mutant mouse females due to accelerated ageing? Reproduction, April 1, 2008; 135(4): 559 - 568. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. S. Maywood, J. S. O'Neill, J. E. Chesham, and M. H. Hastings Minireview: The Circadian Clockwork of the Suprachiasmatic Nuclei Analysis of a Cellular Oscillator that Drives Endocrine Rhythms Endocrinology, December 1, 2007; 148(12): 5624 - 5634. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Hastings, J. S O'Neill, and E. S Maywood Circadian clocks: regulators of endocrine and metabolic rhythms J. Endocrinol., November 1, 2007; 195(2): 187 - 198. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P.-J. He, M. Hirata, N. Yamauchi, and M.-a. Hattori Up-regulation of Per1 expression by estradiol and progesterone in the rat uterus J. Endocrinol., September 1, 2007; 194(3): 511 - 519. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P.-J. He, M. Hirata, N. Yamauchi, S. Hashimoto, and M.-a. Hattori The disruption of circadian clockwork in differentiating cells from rat reproductive tissues as identified by in vitro real-time monitoring system J. Endocrinol., June 1, 2007; 193(3): 413 - 420. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E.A. Campbell, L. O'Hara, R.D. Catalano, A.M. Sharkey, T.C. Freeman, and M. H. Johnson Temporal expression profiling of the uterine luminal epithelium of the pseudo-pregnant mouse suggests receptivity to the fertilized egg is associated with complex transcriptional changes Hum. Reprod., October 1, 2006; 21(10): 2495 - 2513. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. J. Kennaway, J. A. Owens, A. Voultsios, and T. J. Varcoe Functional central rhythmicity and light entrainment, but not liver and muscle rhythmicity, are Clock independent Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, October 1, 2006; 291(4): R1172 - R1180. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
B. N. Karman and S. A. Tischkau Circadian Clock Gene Expression in the Ovary: Effects of Luteinizing Hormone Biol Reprod, October 1, 2006; 75(4): 624 - 632. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. J Boden and D. J Kennaway Circadian rhythms and reproduction. Reproduction, September 1, 2006; 132(3): 379 - 392. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. Fahrenkrug, B. Georg, J. Hannibal, P. Hindersson, and S. Gras Diurnal Rhythmicity of the Clock Genes Per1 and Per2 in the Rat Ovary Endocrinology, August 1, 2006; 147(8): 3769 - 3776. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||





