Photoperiod influences visceral adiposity and the adipose molecular clock independent of temperature in wild‐derived Peromyscus leucopus
Abstract Physiology is closely synchronized to daily and seasonal light/dark cycles. Humans artificially extend daylight and experience irregular light schedules, resulting in dysregulation of metabolism and body mass. In rodents, winter‐like conditions (cold and short photoperiod) can alter energy...
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Wiley
2025-05-01
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| Series: | FASEB BioAdvances |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1096/fba.2024-00115 |
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| author | Margaret E. Newport Paul Wilson Shanna Lowes Marthe Behrends Alexis Coons Jeff Bowman Holly E. Bates |
| author_facet | Margaret E. Newport Paul Wilson Shanna Lowes Marthe Behrends Alexis Coons Jeff Bowman Holly E. Bates |
| author_sort | Margaret E. Newport |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Physiology is closely synchronized to daily and seasonal light/dark cycles. Humans artificially extend daylight and experience irregular light schedules, resulting in dysregulation of metabolism and body mass. In rodents, winter‐like conditions (cold and short photoperiod) can alter energy balance and adipose tissue mass. To determine if photoperiod alone, independent of temperature, is a strong enough signal to regulate adiposity, we compared the effects of long and short photoperiod at thermoneutrality on adiposity and WAT gene expression in photoperiod‐sensitive, F1 generation wild‐derived adult male white‐footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). Mice were housed in long‐day (16:8 light:dark) or short‐day (8:16 light:dark) photoperiod conditions at thermoneutrality (27°C) for 4 weeks with the extended light being provided through artificial lighting. Photoperiod did not impact body weight or calorie consumption. However, mice housed in long photoperiod with extended artificial light selectively developed greater visceral WAT mass without changing subcutaneous WAT or interscapular BAT mass. This was accompanied by a decrease in Adrβ3 and Ucp1 mRNA expression in visceral WAT with no change in Pgc1a, Lpl, or Hsl. Expression of Per1, Per2, and Nr1d1 mRNA in visceral WAT differed between long and short photoperiods over time when aligned to circadian time but not onset of darkness, indicating alterations in clock gene expression with photoperiod. These findings suggest that extended photoperiod through artificial light can promote visceral fat accumulation alone, independent of temperature, supporting that artificial light may play a role in obesity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8fce69e3ac694d139b3aba074c874544 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2573-9832 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | FASEB BioAdvances |
| spelling | doaj-art-8fce69e3ac694d139b3aba074c8745442025-08-20T03:11:58ZengWileyFASEB BioAdvances2573-98322025-05-0175n/an/a10.1096/fba.2024-00115Photoperiod influences visceral adiposity and the adipose molecular clock independent of temperature in wild‐derived Peromyscus leucopusMargaret E. Newport0Paul Wilson1Shanna Lowes2Marthe Behrends3Alexis Coons4Jeff Bowman5Holly E. Bates6Department of Biology Trent University Peterborough Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biology Trent University Peterborough Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biology Trent University Peterborough Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biology Trent University Peterborough Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biology Trent University Peterborough Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biology Trent University Peterborough Ontario CanadaDepartment of Biology Trent University Peterborough Ontario CanadaAbstract Physiology is closely synchronized to daily and seasonal light/dark cycles. Humans artificially extend daylight and experience irregular light schedules, resulting in dysregulation of metabolism and body mass. In rodents, winter‐like conditions (cold and short photoperiod) can alter energy balance and adipose tissue mass. To determine if photoperiod alone, independent of temperature, is a strong enough signal to regulate adiposity, we compared the effects of long and short photoperiod at thermoneutrality on adiposity and WAT gene expression in photoperiod‐sensitive, F1 generation wild‐derived adult male white‐footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). Mice were housed in long‐day (16:8 light:dark) or short‐day (8:16 light:dark) photoperiod conditions at thermoneutrality (27°C) for 4 weeks with the extended light being provided through artificial lighting. Photoperiod did not impact body weight or calorie consumption. However, mice housed in long photoperiod with extended artificial light selectively developed greater visceral WAT mass without changing subcutaneous WAT or interscapular BAT mass. This was accompanied by a decrease in Adrβ3 and Ucp1 mRNA expression in visceral WAT with no change in Pgc1a, Lpl, or Hsl. Expression of Per1, Per2, and Nr1d1 mRNA in visceral WAT differed between long and short photoperiods over time when aligned to circadian time but not onset of darkness, indicating alterations in clock gene expression with photoperiod. These findings suggest that extended photoperiod through artificial light can promote visceral fat accumulation alone, independent of temperature, supporting that artificial light may play a role in obesity.https://doi.org/10.1096/fba.2024-00115adipositycircadian rhythmclock genesPeromyscusphotoperiod |
| spellingShingle | Margaret E. Newport Paul Wilson Shanna Lowes Marthe Behrends Alexis Coons Jeff Bowman Holly E. Bates Photoperiod influences visceral adiposity and the adipose molecular clock independent of temperature in wild‐derived Peromyscus leucopus FASEB BioAdvances adiposity circadian rhythm clock genes Peromyscus photoperiod |
| title | Photoperiod influences visceral adiposity and the adipose molecular clock independent of temperature in wild‐derived Peromyscus leucopus |
| title_full | Photoperiod influences visceral adiposity and the adipose molecular clock independent of temperature in wild‐derived Peromyscus leucopus |
| title_fullStr | Photoperiod influences visceral adiposity and the adipose molecular clock independent of temperature in wild‐derived Peromyscus leucopus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Photoperiod influences visceral adiposity and the adipose molecular clock independent of temperature in wild‐derived Peromyscus leucopus |
| title_short | Photoperiod influences visceral adiposity and the adipose molecular clock independent of temperature in wild‐derived Peromyscus leucopus |
| title_sort | photoperiod influences visceral adiposity and the adipose molecular clock independent of temperature in wild derived peromyscus leucopus |
| topic | adiposity circadian rhythm clock genes Peromyscus photoperiod |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1096/fba.2024-00115 |
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