Pro-inflammatory cytokines disrupt β-cell circadian clocks in diabetes

Abstract

ABSTRACTIntrinsic β-cell circadian clocks are a prerequisite for the control of glucose homeostasis through regulation of β-cell function and turnover. However, little is known about the contributions of circadian clock disruption to the natural progression of β-cell failure in diabetes. To address this, we examined the effects of cytokine-mediated inflammation, common to the pathophysiology of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, on the physiological, molecular, and epigenetic regulation of circadian clocks in β-cells. Specifically, we provide evidence that the key diabetogenic cytokine IL-1β disrupts functionality of the β-cell circadian clock and circadian regulation of insulin secretion through impaired expression of the key transcription factor Bmal1, evident at the level of promoter activation, mRNA, and protein expression. Additionally, IL-1β-mediated inflammation was shown to augment genome-wide DNA-binding patterns of Bmal1 (and its heterodimer, Clock) in β-cells towards binding sites in the proximity of genes annotated to pathways regulating β-cell apoptosis, inflammation, and dedifferentiation. Finally, we identified that the development of hyperglycemia in humans is associated with compromised β-cell BMAL1 expression suggestive of a causative link between circadian clock disruption and β-cell failure in diabetes.