| First Author | Pierre-Ferrer S | Year | 2024 |
| Journal | Cell Rep | Volume | 43 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 114220 |
| PubMed ID | 38735047 | Mgi Jnum | J:349794 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:7658731 | Doi | 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114220 |
| Citation | Pierre-Ferrer S, et al. (2024) A phosphate transporter in VIPergic neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus gates locomotor activity during the light/dark transition in mice. Cell Rep 43(5):114220 |
| abstractText | 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. |
