( ing a pin out of the gears of the clock...)Clock molecule's sensitivity to lithium sheds light on bipolar disorder

Lithium blocks this action of GSK3, tagging Rev-erb for destruction, which leads to activation of clock genes such as bmal1. "We suggest that just as our cells in the incubator need to have their internal clocks reset, maybe this is what happens in some people with circadian disorders," says Lazar. "One effect of lithium may be to reset clocks that become stuck when Rev-erb levels build up."

These results point to Rev-erb as a lithium-sensitive component of the human clock and therefore a possible target for developing new circadian-disorder drugs. Some patients taking lithium have developed kidney toxicity and other problems. Lazar surmises that new treatments that lead to the destruction of Rev-erb would have the potential of providing another point of entry into the circadian pathway.

Noting that Rev-erb is present in metabolically active tissues, Lazar and his team at the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism are also interested in the relationship between the control of the circadian clock and metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. "There is a dynamic interplay between circadian rhythms and metabolism," Lazar says. "You don't eat while you are sleeping, and the body needs to take this into account."

Study co-authors are Lei Yin and Jing Wang, both from Penn. The research was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases and the National Institute of Mental Health.