Biological rhythms are orchestrated by a cell-autonomous clock system that drives the rhythmic cascade of clock genes. We established an assay system using NIH 3T3 cells stably expressing the Bmal1 promoter-driven luciferase reporter gene and used it to analyse circadian oscillation of the gene. Modulators of PKC (protein kinase C) revealed that an activator and an inhibitor represented short- and long-period phenotypes respectively which were consistent with reported effects of PKC on the circadian clock and validated the assay system. We examined the effects of the alkaloid harmine, contained in Hoasca, which has a wide spectrum of pharmacological actions, on circadian rhythms using the validated assay system. Harmine dose dependently elongated the period. Furthermore, EMSA (electrophoretic mobility-shift assay) and Western-blot analysis showed that harmine enhanced the transactivating function of RORα (retinoid-related orphan receptor α), probably by increasing its nuclear translocation. Exogenous expression of RORα also caused a long period, confirming the phenotype indicated by harmine. These results suggest that harmine extends the circadian period by enhancing RORα function and that harmine is a new candidate that contributes to the control of period length in mammalian cells.
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September 26 2011
The harmala alkaloid harmine is a modulator of circadian Bmal1 transcription Available to Purchase
Yoshiaki Onishi;
Yoshiaki Onishi
1
1Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email [email protected]).
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Katsutaka Oishi;
Katsutaka Oishi
1Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
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Yasuhiro Kawano;
Yasuhiro Kawano
1Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
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Yoshimitsu Yamazaki
Yoshimitsu Yamazaki
1Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
January 05 2011
Revision Received:
February 21 2011
Accepted:
March 14 2011
Accepted Manuscript online:
March 14 2011
Online ISSN: 1573-4935
Print ISSN: 0144-8463
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2012 Biochemical Society
2012
Biosci Rep (2012) 32 (1): 45–52.
Article history
Received:
January 05 2011
Revision Received:
February 21 2011
Accepted:
March 14 2011
Accepted Manuscript online:
March 14 2011
Citation
Yoshiaki Onishi, Katsutaka Oishi, Yasuhiro Kawano, Yoshimitsu Yamazaki; The harmala alkaloid harmine is a modulator of circadian Bmal1 transcription. Biosci Rep 1 February 2012; 32 (1): 45–52. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BSR20110002
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