Open AccessPhotoperiod effects on milk production in goats: Are they mediated by the molecular clock in the mammary gland?
Author(s) -
Therese Casey,
S.J. Mabjeesh,
Avi Shamay,
Karen Plaut
Publication year - 2014
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.32747/2014.7598164.bard
Subject(s) - lactation , biology , endocrinology , medicine , circadian rhythm , mammary gland , clock , photoperiodism , circadian clock , prolactin , knockout mouse , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , hormone , genetics , pregnancy , cancer , breast cancer
US scientists, Dr. Theresa Casey and Dr. Karen Plaut, collaborated with Israeli scientists, Dr. SameerMabjeesh and Dr. AviShamay to conduct studies proposed in the BARD Project No. US-4715-14 Photoperiod effects on milk production in goats: Are they mediated by the molecular clock in the mammary gland over the last 3 years. CLOCK and BMAL1 are core components of the circadian clock and as heterodimers function as a transcription factor to drive circadian-rhythms of gene expression. Studies of CLOCK-mutant mice found impaired mammary development in late pregnancy was related to poor lactation performance post-partum. To gain a better understanding of role of clock in regulation of mammary development studies were conducted with the mammary epithelial cell line HC11. Decreasing CLOCK protein levels using shRNA resulted in increased mammary epithelial cell growth rate and impaired differentiation, with lower expression of differentiation markers including ad herens junction protein and fatty acid synthesis genes. When BMAL1 was knocked out using CRISPR-CAS mammary epithelial cells had greater growth rate, but reached stationary phase at a lower density, with FACS indicating cells were growing and dying at a faster rate. Beta-casein milk protein levels were significantly decreased in BMAL1 knockout cells. ChIP-seq analysis was conducted to identify BMAL1 target genes in mammary epithelial cells. Studies conducted in goats found that photoperiod duration and physiological state affected the dynamics of the mammary clock. Effects were likely independent of the photoperiod effects on prolactin levels. Interestingly, circadian rhythms of core body temperature, which functions as a key synchronizing cue sent out by the central clock in the hypothalamus, were profoundly affected by photoperiod and physiological state. Data support that the clock in the mammary gland regulates genes important to development of the gland and milk synthesis. We also found the clock in the mammary is responsive to changes in physiological state and photoperiod, and thus may serve as a mechanism to establish milk production levels in response to environmental cues.