The Liver's Internal Clock Influences Muscle Gene Activity to Control Energy Production

Approximately one-third of transcript rhythms in skeletal muscle are influenced by the liver clock.

• The liver clock may impact gene expression related to fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle.
• Treatment of muscle cells with serum from liver clock-deficient mice reduces the expression of metabolic pathway genes.
• Small transcriptional changes suggest the liver clock fine-tunes metabolic gene expression in muscle rather than causing large shifts.
• Serum from mice collected during the dark phase decreases mitochondrial ATP production in muscle cells compared to serum from normal mice.
• Findings indicate a bidirectional endocrine communication pathway between the liver clock and skeletal muscle.

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