Twelve-hour rhythms in transcript expression within the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex are altered in schizophrenia

PLoS Biol. 2023 Jan 24;21(1):e3001688. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001688. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Twelve-hour (12 h) ultradian rhythms are a well-known phenomenon in coastal marine organisms. While 12 h cycles are observed in human behavior and physiology, no study has measured 12 h rhythms in the human brain. Here, we identify 12 h rhythms in transcripts that either peak at sleep/wake transitions (approximately 9 AM/PM) or static times (approximately 3 PM/AM) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region involved in cognition. Subjects with schizophrenia (SZ) lose 12 h rhythms in genes associated with the unfolded protein response and neuronal structural maintenance. Moreover, genes involved in mitochondrial function and protein translation, which normally peak at sleep/wake transitions, peak instead at static times in SZ, suggesting suboptimal timing of these essential processes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brain
  • Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
  • Humans
  • Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism
  • Schizophrenia* / genetics
  • Sleep
  • Ultradian Rhythm*