We investigated how the transcript levels of genes involved in metabolic pathways change in response to different activity levels associated with circadian behaviour in electric fishes. The circadian modulation of metabolism is highly relevant for many other fields and model systems, including humans.
So do metabolic pathways get altered to accommodate the changing energetic needs between day and night?
To address this question, we used a nocturnal model organism that is known to have higher metabolic requirements at night compared to daytime when they are resting. Using RNAseq of tissues from active and resting individuals, we specifically looked at expression levels of genes involved in metabolic pathways.
We found that many cellular pathways are differentially expressed in resting and active states. Some of the pathways involved are aerobic metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, reactive oxygen species scavengers, transcription factors important for mitochondrial biogenesis and even enzymes involved in phosphocreatine cycle.
This work is currently in preparation for publication. More details forthcoming.
