Loss of Nocturnin, a circadian deadenylase, confers resistance to hepatic steatosis and diet-induced obesity.

ABSTRACT: The mammalian circadian system consists of a central oscillator in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, which coordinates peripheral clocks in organs throughout the body. Although circadian clocks control the rhythmic expression of a large number of genes involved in metabolism and other aspects of circadian physiology, the consequences of genetic disruption of circadian-controlled pathways remain poorly defined. Here we report that the targeted disruption of Nocturnin (Ccrn4l) in mice, a gene that encodes a circadian deadenylase, confers resistance to diet-induced obesity. Mice lacking Nocturnin remain lean on high-fat diets, with lower body weight and reduced visceral fat. However, unlike lean lipodystrophic mouse models, these mice do not have fatty livers and do not exhibit

SUBMITTER: Green CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1871564 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature