日本研发新方法可“读取”生物钟
由日本理化学研究所和庆应义塾大学尖端生命科学研究所组成的研究小组开发出了从血液中读取人体生物钟所示时间的测量方法，有望用于对时差综合症、失眠等因生物钟出现偏差导致的病症进行诊断、治疗。
日本理化学研究所等机构研究人员说，他们通过确定人体血液中以24小时周期增减的物质，制作出“分子时刻表”，采集血样与“分子时刻表”对照，就可以弄清由于时差等原因导致的生物钟紊乱。
日本研发新方法可“读取”生物钟
生物钟是生物体内的一种无形的“时钟”，实际上是生物体生命活动的内在节律性，它是由生理节律所决定的。
研究人员让3名20多岁的年轻人在温度、光线恒定的室内坐36小时，其间每2小时采集一次血样，经分析其中各种代谢物的水平，最终确定了血液中含有的氨基酸和类脂体等58种分子含量以24小时为周期增减。
研究小组对照这些物质的增减状况，制作出了可以知道生物钟“时刻”的“分子时刻表”。
研究人员在美国《国家科学院学报》网络版上介绍，采集血样后，将其中的代谢物水平与“分子时刻表”相对照，就可以知道生物钟是否紊乱。
此前，为了检查生物钟，需要长时间检查中特定物质含量和体温等，而新方法的采血量只有不到1毫升，与传统方法相比并没有明显误差。
日本研究人员日前报告称，这项通过检测血液中某些成分的快速“读取”人体生物钟时间的方法有望用于诊治由生物钟紊乱导致的各类疾病。
Circadian clock protein cryptochrome regulates the expression of proinflammatory cytokines
Rajesh Narasimamurthya,Megumi Hatorib,Surendra K. Nayakb,Fei Liua,Satchidananda Pandab, andInder M. Vermaa
Chronic sleep deprivation perturbs the circadian clock and increases susceptibility to diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Increased inflammation is one of the common underlying mechanisms of these diseases, thus raising a hypothesis that circadian-oscillator components may regulate immune response. Here we show that absence of the core clock component protein cryptochrome (CRY) leads to constitutive elevation of proinflammatory cytokines in a cell-autonomous manner. We observed a constitutive NF–κB and protein kinase A (PKA) signaling activation in Cry1−/−;Cry2−/− cells. We further demonstrate that increased phosphorylation of p65 at S276 residue in Cry1−/−;Cry2−/− cells is due to increased PKA signaling activity, likely induced by a significantly high basal level of cAMP, which we detected in these cells. In addition, we report that CRY1 binds to adenylyl cyclase and limits cAMP production. Based on these data, we propose that absence of CRY protein(s) might release its (their) inhibition on cAMP production, resulting in elevated cAMP and increased PKA activation, subsequently leading to NF–κB activation through phosphorylation of p65 at S276. These results offer a mechanistic framework for understanding the link between circadian rhythm disruption and increased susceptibility to chronic inflammatory diseases.
文献链接：Circadian clock protein cryptochrome regulates the expression of proinflammatory cytokines
