The circadian clock controls fluctuations of colonic cell proliferation during the light/dark cycle via feeding behavior in mice

Cell proliferation in the colonic epithelium of normal mice shows a daily fluctuation that is affected by feeding schedules.

• The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is not the only regulator of the circadian system; peripheral clocks in tissues like the colon can also influence rhythms.
• Food intake schedules can entrain peripheral clocks, leading to changes in cellular behavior.
• In normal mice, cell proliferation in the colon exhibits a daily rhythm, which is disrupted in Clock mutant mice.
• Daytime restricted feeding for 4 hours decreased the normal day/night variation in cell proliferation, while nighttime restricted feeding restored it in Clock mutant mice.
• Feeding schedules are associated with the regulation of clock and cell cycle genes in the colon.

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