Glycogen synthase kinase 3 regulates photic signaling in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

Mar 1, 2017The European journal of neuroscience

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 controls light signals in the brain’s internal clock

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Abstract

Late-night light exposure significantly increased GSK3 activity in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of mice 30-60 minutes after the light-pulse.

  • GSK3 is involved in regulating the molecular clock and neuronal activity rhythms in the central circadian pacemaker.
  • Pharmacological inhibition of GSK3 blocked light-induced excitability in SCN neurons without affecting resting membrane potential or input resistance.
  • Mice with constitutively active GSK3 re-entrained to a 6-hour phase advance in the light-dark cycle in significantly fewer days than wild-type controls.
  • GSK3-KI mice showed phase-advanced behavioral and neuronal activity compared to wild-type mice under both normal and light-exposed conditions.
  • The enhanced photic entrainment in GSK3-KI mice is not due to an overall increased sensitivity to light, as they exhibited normal negative-masking behavior.

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