钟蛋白CLOCK-BMAL1异二聚体在调节单色光诱导鸡褪黑激素分泌中的作用

一般认为脊椎动物的褪黑激素分泌受光照抑制，呈昼少夜多节律性。而我们前期研究发现绿色单色光能刺激鸡褪黑激素分泌，且保持昼夜节律性；即使摘除松果体，绿光诱导褪黑激素分泌的昼夜节律性仍保持不变（Anat Rec, 2011, 294:1233-1241），但调节机制尚不清楚。本课题设计利用qRT-PCR、Western Blot和RNA干扰等生物学技术，首次尝试探寻不同波长单色光刺激对鸡昼夜节律钟基因及钟蛋白CLOCK-BMAL1异二聚体表达的影响及其在单色光诱导鸡褪黑激素分泌中的调节作用，探讨鸡昼夜节律振荡器（松果体、视网膜和下丘脑SCN）中视蛋白表达与钟基因的相互关系，从视蛋白-胞内信使cAMP-钟基因的联动途径为切入点探究钟基因调节单色光影响鸡褪黑激素分泌的分子作用机制。研究将有助于揭示环境因子（光色）影响体内功能基因表达的内在联系规律，有望为合理利用光色信息提高家禽生产力提供新的突破点。

In all vertebrate classes, synthesis and release of the hormone melatonin are inhibited by light plus, and show a rhythmic pattern with high at night and low in the daytime. Our previous data indicated that green monochromatic light stimulated melatonin secretion and kept to the circadian rhythmic pattern in the chicken, even if the pineal gland was removed (ref. Anat Rec, 2011, 294:1233-1241). However, the regulatory mechanism of monochromatic light-induced avian melatonin secretion is still unknown. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of different monochromatic lights on the expressions of avian circadian clock genes and CLOCK-BMAL1 heterodimers and its role in monochromatic light-induced melatonin secretion, and to study the interactions between three neural pacemakers: the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), pineal and retina, using the techniques of qRT-PCR, Western blot and RNA interference. The physiological effects of the opsin-cAMP-clock gene signaling pathway on the monochromatic light-induced avian melatonin secretion were studied. In this way, the mechanism of monochromatic light-induced chicken melatonin secretion will be clarified at the cellular and molecular levels in vivo and vitro. This study will be helpful to discover the inner relationship between the environment factor (such as light spectra) and the avian functional genes. It may suggest a new viewpoint to enhance the avian productivity by using light spectra.