Abstract

Circadian behavioral rhythms in mammals are controlled by a central clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). PER2, the protein product of the clock gene, Period 2 (Per2), is expressed rhythmically in the SCN [Beaule C, Houle LM, Amir S (2003) Expression profiles of PER2 immunoreactivity within the shell and core regions of the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus: Lack of effect of photic entrainment and disruption by constant light. J Mol Neurosci 21:133-148] and has been implicated in the control of circadian behavioral rhythms based on the evidence that genetic mutations in Per2 abolish free running locomotor activity rhythms in mice [Zheng B, Larkin DW, Albrecht U, Sun ZS, Sage M, Eichele G, Lee CC, Bradley A (1999) The mPer2 gene encodes a functional component of the mammalian circadian clock. Nature 400:169-173; Bae K, Jin X, Maywood ES, Hastings MH, Reppert SM, Weaver DR (2001) Differential functions of mPer1, mPer2, and mPer3 in the SCN circadian clock. Neuron 30:525-536]. Such mutations eradicate PER2 expression in the SCN and disrupt the SCN molecular clockwork, however, they also affect PER2 in the rest of the brain and body leaving open the possibility that the changes in behavioral rhythms might be influenced, at least in part, by disruptions in PER2 functioning outside the SCN. We used RNA interference-mediated transient knockdown of Per2 to study the effect of selective suppression of PER2 expression in the SCN, per se, on behavioral circadian rhythms. We found that transient suppression of PER2 in the SCN disrupted free running locomotor activity rhythms for up to 10 days in rats. Infusions of control dsRNA into the SCN or infusions of dsRNA to Per2 immediately dorsal to the SCN had no effect. These results constitute evidence for a direct link between PER2 expression in the SCN and the expression of behavioral circadian rhythms in mammals.