Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) impairs circadian regulation: Impact on the aging process

Apr 9, 2023Ageing research reviews

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) may disrupt the body's internal clock and affect aging

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

AhR signaling may promote age-related degeneration by disrupting circadian rhythmicity.

Circadian clocks regulate sleep-wake cycles synchronized with the solar cycle.
AhR has evolved to include functions in cell cycle regulation, proteostasis, and immune responses.
Evidence suggests that AhR signaling disrupts circadian rhythmicity by interacting with the BMAL1/CLOCK complex.
Aging is associated with impaired circadian rhythms, which can disturb metabolism and other vital functions.
AhR signaling is linked to tissue degeneration, inhibiting autophagy and enhancing cellular senescence.

AI simplified

Circadian clocks control the internal sleep-wake rhythmicity of 24 h which is synchronized by the solar cycle. Circadian regulation of metabolism evolved about 2.5 billion years ago, i.e., the rhythmicity has been conserved from cyanobacteria and Archaea through to mammals although the mechanisms utilized have developed with evolution. While the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is an evolutionarily conserved defence mechanism against environmental threats, it has gained many novel functions during evolution, such as the regulation of cell cycle, proteostasis, and many immune functions. There is robust evidence that AhR signaling impairs circadian rhythmicity, e.g., by interacting with the core BMAL1/CLOCK complex and disturbing the epigenetic regulation of clock genes. The maintenance of circadian rhythms is impaired with aging, disturbing metabolism and many important functions in aged organisms. Interestingly, it is known that AhR signaling promotes an age-related tissue degeneration, e.g., it is able to inhibit autophagy, enhance cellular senescence, and disrupt extracellular matrix. These alterations are rather similar to those induced by a long-term impairment of circadian rhythms. However, it is not known whether AhR signaling enhances the aging process by impairing circadian homeostasis. I will examine the experimental evidence indicating that AhR signaling is able to promote the age-related degeneration via a disruption of circadian rhythmicity.

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View full text (XML) ↗View full text ↗

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) impairs circadian regulation: Impact on the aging process

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief