The Acetyltransferase Clock is Dispensable for Circadian Aftereffects in Mice

Recent demonstration of the histone acetyltransferase activity of the Clock gene greatly expanded the regulatory role of circadian clocks in gene transcription. Clock and its partner Bmal1 are responsible for the generation of circadian oscillations that are synchronized (entrained) to the external light cycle. Entraining light often produces long-lasting changes in the endogenous period called aftereffects. Aftereffects are light-dependent alterations in the speed of free-running rhythms that persist for several weeks upon termination of light exposure. How light causes such long-lasting changes is unknown. However, the persistent nature of circadian aftereffects in conjunction with the long-term effects of epigenetic modifications on development and various aspects of brain physiology prompted us to hypothesize that the histone acetyltransferase CLOCK was required for circadian aftereffects. The authors exposed Clock knockout mice to 25-hour light cycles and report that these mice retain the ability to display circadian aftereffects, indicating that Clock is dispensable for this form of circadian plasticity.