Deletion of the Clock Gene Bmal2 Leads to Alterations in Hypothalamic Clocks, Circadian Regulation of Feeding, and Energy Balance

• Published in: The Journal of neuroscience 2024-05, Vol.44 (19), p.e1886232024
• Main Authors: Dantas-Ferreira, Rosana, Ciocca, Dominique, Vuillez, Patrick, Dumont, Stéphanie, Boitard, Christian, Rogner, Ute C, Challet, Etienne
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Animals; ARNTL Transcription Factors - genetics; ARNTL Transcription Factors - metabolism; BMAL1 protein; Circadian rhythm; Circadian Rhythm - genetics; Circadian Rhythm - physiology; Circadian rhythms; Clock gene; Eating - genetics; Eating - physiology; Energy balance; Energy expenditure; Energy metabolism; Energy Metabolism - genetics; Energy Metabolism - physiology; Feeding behavior; Feeding Behavior - physiology; Food; Food availability; Food intake; Gene deletion; Gene expression; Genes; Hyperinsulinemia; Hypothalamus; Hypothalamus - metabolism; Life Sciences; Lipase; Lipoprotein lipase; Locomotor activity; Male; Metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2; Motor Activity - genetics; Motor Activity - physiology; Neural coding; Neuropeptide Y; NPAS2 protein; Sleep and wakefulness; Suprachiasmatic nucleus
• ISSN: 0270-6474; 1529-2401; 1529-2401
• DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1886-23.2024

BMAL2 (ARNTL2) is a paralog of BMAL1 that can form heterodimers with the other circadian factors CLOCK and NPAS2 to activate transcription of clock and clock-controlled genes. To assess a possible role of in the circadian regulation of metabolism, we investigated daily variations of energy metabolism, feeding behavior, and locomotor behavior, as well as ability to anticipate restricted food access in male mice knock-out for (B2KO). While their amount of food intake and locomotor activity were normal compared with wild-type mice, B2KO mice displayed increased adiposity (1.5-fold higher) and fasted hyperinsulinemia (fourfold higher) and tended to have lower energy expenditure at night. Impairment of the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei was evidenced by the shorter free-running period (-14 min/cycle) of B2KO mice compared with wild-type controls and by a loss of daily rhythmicity in expression of intracellular metabolic regulators (e.g., and ). The circadian window of eating was longer in B2KO mice. The circadian patterns of food intake and meal numbers were bimodal in control mice but not in B2KO mice. In response to restricted feeding, food-anticipatory activity was almost prevented in B2KO mice, suggesting altered food clock that controls anticipation of food availability. In the mediobasal hypothalamus of B2KO mice, expression of genes coding orexigenic neuropeptides (including and ) was downregulated, while expression lost its rhythmicity. Together, these data highlight that BMAL2 has major impacts on brain regulation of metabolic rhythms, sleep-wake cycle, and food anticipation.