A phosphate transporter in VIPergic neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus gates locomotor activity during the light/dark transition in mice

作者：Sara Pierre-Ferrer, Ben Collins, David Lukacsovich, Shao’ang Wen, Yuchen Cai, Jochen Winterer, Jun Yan, Lene Pedersen, Csaba Földy, Steven A. Brown · 发表于：Cell Reports · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114220 · 被引用次数：7 · 研究领域：Circadian rhythm and melatonin、Photoreceptor and optogenetics research、Adipose Tissue and Metabolism

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) encodes time of day through changes in daily firing; however, the molecular mechanisms by which the SCN times behavior are not fully understood. To identify factors that could encode day/night differences in activity, we combine patch-clamp recordings and single-cell sequencing of individual SCN neurons in mice. We identify PiT2 , a phosphate transporter, as being upregulated in a population of Vip + Nms + SCN neurons at night. Although nocturnal and typically showing a peak of activity at lights off, mice lacking PiT2 ( PiT2 −/− ) do not reach the activity level seen in wild-type mice during the light/dark transition. PiT2 loss leads to increased SCN neuronal firing and broad changes in SCN protein phosphorylation. PiT2 −/− mice display a deficit in seasonal entrainment when moving from a simulated short summer to longer winter nights. This suggests that PiT2 is responsible for timing activity and is a driver of SCN plasticity allowing seasonal entrainment.