Brain protein helps explain link between circadian rhythm, Alzheimer’s disease
by Tamara Bhandari•December 16, 2020
Fractured sleep, daytime sleepiness and other signs of disturbance in one’s circadian rhythm are common complaints of people with Alzheimer’s disease, and the problems only get worse as the disease progresses. But the reason for the link between Alzheimer’s and circadian dysfunction is not well understood.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis say that a clue may lie in the brain protein YKL-40. In a study published Dec. 16 in Science Translational Medicine, the researchers report that YKL-40 is both regulated by clock genes and involved in clearing away potentially toxic buildup of Alzheimer’s proteins in the brain. Moreover, Alzheimer’s patients who carry a genetic variant that reduces YKL-40 levels maintain their cognitive faculties longer than people without the variant, the scientists found.
The findings suggest that YKL-40 is a possible link between circadian rhythm dysfunction and Alzheimer’s, and that therapies targeting the protein may slow the course of the disease.
“If your circadian clock is not quite right for years and years — you routinely suffer from disrupted sleep at night and napping during the day — the cumulative effect of chronic dysregulation could influence inflammatory pathways such that you accumulate more amyloid plaques,” said senior author Erik Musiek, MD, PhD, an associate professor of neurology. Amyloid plaques in the brain are one of the early hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. “We hope that a better understanding of how the circadian clock affects YKL-40 could lead to a new strategy for reducing amyloid in the brain.”
Our daily rhythms are set by a master clock in the brain that is driven by the day and night cycle. Each cell also maintains its own internal clock, pegged to the master clock. A surprisingly broad array of biological processes — from sugar absorption to body temperature to immune and inflammatory responses — vary by time of day. Read more at: https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/protein-involved-in-removing-alzheimers-buildup-linked-to-circadian-rhythm/
Study:
Chi3l1/YKL-40 is controlled by the astrocyte circadian clock and regulates neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis
By Brian V. Lananna, Celia A. McKee, Melvin W. King, Jorge L. Del-Aguila, Julie M. Dimitry, Fabiana H. G. Farias, Collin J. Nadarajah, David D. Xiong, Chun Guo, Alexander J. Cammack, Jack A. Elias, Jinsong Zhang, Carlos Cruchaga, Erik S. Musiek
Science Translational Medicine 16 Dec 2020